Something Different

The Winnie Coopers have been around for awhile now, and even though their sound and their line-up has changed over the years, the message remains the same - it’s okay to be different!

Their third studio album 'Surface Parasites' hit shelves in May and The Educator is happy with the response they've had so far. They loved having Magoo (TZU, Regurgitator, Midnight Oil) handle the production side of things, and as for impressive guest spots, you don't have to look far past your own backyard with locals like Kate Miller-Heidke and Evil Eddie.

“We wanted to keep the tone or the flavour of the album Queensland based … We wanted a really diverse mix of artists to collaborate with because I guess that's sort of our sound, we combine various genres in what we do so that was really an honour to work with those artists.”

For some bands having a few members leave to pursue other things can be the kiss of death, but not so for Winnie Coopers. “You really have to evaluate whether you want to keep on doing it and whether you're passionate enough about the project … But we're really fortunate to have some great replacements. It's also exciting as well because they bring something new to the band.”

It's fair to say the Coopers aren't your typical hip hop outfit. Sick of hearing raps about fake people and things that didn't apply to them, they make music more applicable to where they’re from. “There seems to be this idea that you need to look and dress a certain way, and it becomes a bit clichéd after a while, so I guess we've always tried to challenge that. It's comical in the sense that the hooded jumper is a bit of a symbol, but it's always funny to see people wearing them at gigs in 30 degree heat when it’s not really practical.”

Being genuine and positive role models is something that's important to them as well, and they’re ready to challenge how people perceive the hip hop culture.
“A big part of it is we don't come from rough or disadvantaged backgrounds … People forget that the origins of hip hop are really positive - it was about getting together and showcasing skills, and it's only a recent thing where gang violence has been incorporated into the subculture; now that's all people seem to associate with hip hop.”

WINNIE COOPERS PERFORM AT THE HAMILTON HOTEL AUGUST 26.