Thad Cockrell
Encyclopedia
Thad Cockrell is an American
singer-songwriter
. He has released three solo albums, along with a collaborative album with Caitlin Cary
. Cockrell often writes emotional songs, and is frequently associated with his goal to "put the hurt back in country".
pastor, and grew up mostly in Tampa, Florida
. His father was the pastor
of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church that funded his high school. It was during his time in school where Cockrell discovered his love of country music
and rock n' roll, which was forbidden in his home. Cockrell cites bands such as The Everly Brothers
, The Cure
and Nelson
as early influences.
After high school, Cockrell went on to graduate from Jerry Falwell
's Liberty University
. He then studied at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Wake Forest, North Carolina
. It was here that Cockrell would begin writing songs.
Chris Stamey
. It was recorded in one day as a demo. Cockrell liked it so much, he began selling it at his shows as an EP
. Eventually, the recording was re-mixed and given another track for the album's release on Yep Roc Records
in 2001. Cockrell's friends and former Whiskeytown
members Caitlin Cary
and Skillet Gilmore played on the album. Allmusic gives a favorable review of Cockrell's debut, describing his voice as "the kind of high, lonesome warble that can raise the hair on your neck and put a tear in your eye", and the album as "striking a nice balance between not-so-rowdy honky tonk
and heart-worn balladry".
In 2003, Cockrell again worked with producer Stamey for his second release Warmth and Beauty. CMT.com picked the album as a top independent release. Allmusic proclaimed that the album is "pure country music, untainted by commercial considerations and without rock influences". Cary and Tift Merritt
lent harmony vocals on the song "Why Go".
Cockrell again collaborated with Cary for the 2005 duet album, Begonias. A review in the Washington Post praises the album for conveying the complexities of marriage, and writes that it is "as good a traditional country album as we're likely to hear this year". Alternative country
magazine No Depression praises Cockrell's lyrics as "straightforward simplicity", and also compliments the singing on the album as "intimate, immediate and intentionally under-rehearsed to capture an edge of freshness".
After the three Yep Roc releases, Cockrell moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting for financial reasons. He wrote and co-wrote songs for Lost Highway artist Donovan Frankenreiter and Universal Records
artist Courtney Jaye
. Cockrell continued to perform in Nashville, and according to collaborator and Roman Candle
's leader Skip Matheny, Cockrell was "more popular than ever". However, reflecting a desire to "write less and find a community where he could be more than a musician", Cockrell left Nashville to return back to North Carolina.
During his time in Nashville, Cockrell co-wrote and recorded a duet with Mindy Smith
for her 2007 Christmas album
My Holiday
, entitled "I Know the Reason".
On October 13, 2009, Cockrell's first solo LP
in six years, To Be Loved was released. It is described as "a collection that mixed lush, brooding melodicism and rustic, folk-y shuffles". Cockrell commented that it is "more me than any previous release". Independent Weekly
says it is a "a conflict-driven mix of love songs for Jesus and women. It laces gospel and country influences into gentle, loping tunes". It was recorded in Nashville with producer Jason Lehning, who has also worked with Alison Krauss
.
Cockrell also performs with a Nashville band, Leagues.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He has released three solo albums, along with a collaborative album with Caitlin Cary
Caitlin Cary
Caitlin Cary is an alt-country musician.Born to Hall Cary and Carol Campbell Thomas in East Cleveland, Caitlin Cary was raised with her half-brothers, Brian, Craig, and Keith Thomas, in East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. She began playing the violin at age six. She attended the College of...
. Cockrell often writes emotional songs, and is frequently associated with his goal to "put the hurt back in country".
Early life
Cockrell is the son of a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
pastor, and grew up mostly in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. His father was the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church that funded his high school. It was during his time in school where Cockrell discovered his love of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and rock n' roll, which was forbidden in his home. Cockrell cites bands such as The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and Nelson
Nelson (band)
NELSON is a American hard rock band founded by singer/songwriters Matthew and Gunnar Nelson . NELSON featuring the twin lead front men had a No. 1 hit in the United States with " Love and Affection" during the week of September 29, 1990...
as early influences.
After high school, Cockrell went on to graduate from Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
's Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
. He then studied at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention , created to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950 at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake...
in Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest is a town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake County in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is located just north of the state capital, Raleigh. The population was 12,588 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the estimated population was 27,915...
. It was here that Cockrell would begin writing songs.
Music career
Cockrell recorded his first album, Stack of Dreams with the dB'sThe dB's
The dB's are a jangle pop/power pop group who came into prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey
Chris Stamey is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. After a stint playing with Alex Chilton, and a brief partnering with Mitch Easter under the name Sneakers, he formed The dB's, whose stewardship he would share with Peter Holsapple.In 1977 in New York, Chris founded the...
. It was recorded in one day as a demo. Cockrell liked it so much, he began selling it at his shows as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. Eventually, the recording was re-mixed and given another track for the album's release on Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records
Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important...
in 2001. Cockrell's friends and former Whiskeytown
Whiskeytown
Whiskeytown was an alternative country band formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1994. Fronted by Ryan Adams, other members included Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000, with Adams leaving to pursue his solo career...
members Caitlin Cary
Caitlin Cary
Caitlin Cary is an alt-country musician.Born to Hall Cary and Carol Campbell Thomas in East Cleveland, Caitlin Cary was raised with her half-brothers, Brian, Craig, and Keith Thomas, in East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. She began playing the violin at age six. She attended the College of...
and Skillet Gilmore played on the album. Allmusic gives a favorable review of Cockrell's debut, describing his voice as "the kind of high, lonesome warble that can raise the hair on your neck and put a tear in your eye", and the album as "striking a nice balance between not-so-rowdy honky tonk
Honky tonk
A honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
and heart-worn balladry".
In 2003, Cockrell again worked with producer Stamey for his second release Warmth and Beauty. CMT.com picked the album as a top independent release. Allmusic proclaimed that the album is "pure country music, untainted by commercial considerations and without rock influences". Cary and Tift Merritt
Tift Merritt
Catherine Tift Merritt is an American singer-songwriter, musician and North Carolina native. With her longtime band, she has built what has been called a "unique" and critically acclaimed body of work of "sonic short stories and poignant performances." She has been compared to songwriters like...
lent harmony vocals on the song "Why Go".
Cockrell again collaborated with Cary for the 2005 duet album, Begonias. A review in the Washington Post praises the album for conveying the complexities of marriage, and writes that it is "as good a traditional country album as we're likely to hear this year". Alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
magazine No Depression praises Cockrell's lyrics as "straightforward simplicity", and also compliments the singing on the album as "intimate, immediate and intentionally under-rehearsed to capture an edge of freshness".
After the three Yep Roc releases, Cockrell moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting for financial reasons. He wrote and co-wrote songs for Lost Highway artist Donovan Frankenreiter and Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
artist Courtney Jaye
Courtney Jaye
- Biography :Courtney Jaye was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, when she was a freshman in high school. It was at this time she discovered The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, and also began to play the guitar. After becoming immersed in the bohemian culture, she...
. Cockrell continued to perform in Nashville, and according to collaborator and Roman Candle
Roman Candle (band)
Roman Candle is an indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, composed of Skip, Logan and Timshel Matheny. They have released three studio albums, several touring EP's, toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, and played in various other bands / live acts. Roman Candle was founded...
's leader Skip Matheny, Cockrell was "more popular than ever". However, reflecting a desire to "write less and find a community where he could be more than a musician", Cockrell left Nashville to return back to North Carolina.
During his time in Nashville, Cockrell co-wrote and recorded a duet with Mindy Smith
Mindy Smith
Mindy Smith is an American singer-songwriter. Her music can be classified as all of the following: folk, country, Americana, bluegrass, pop, rock, and even alternative. Her voice and music have been compared to that of Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Norah Jones, and Alison Krauss.-Biography:Smith...
for her 2007 Christmas album
Christmas Album
Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album , a 1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass* Christmas Album Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album (Herb Alpert album), a 1968 album by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass* Christmas Album Christmas Album may refer to:* Christmas Album (Herb...
My Holiday
My Holiday
My Holiday is the third album by American singer-songwriter Mindy Smith, released in 2007. This is Smith's first holiday record.-Track listing:#"My Holiday" - 3:43 #"The Christmas Song" - 3:48...
, entitled "I Know the Reason".
On October 13, 2009, Cockrell's first solo LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in six years, To Be Loved was released. It is described as "a collection that mixed lush, brooding melodicism and rustic, folk-y shuffles". Cockrell commented that it is "more me than any previous release". Independent Weekly
Independent Weekly
The Independent Weekly is a tabloid-format alternative weekly newspaper published in Durham, North Carolina, United States and distributed throughout the Research Triangle area and counties .The Independent is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and has a...
says it is a "a conflict-driven mix of love songs for Jesus and women. It laces gospel and country influences into gentle, loping tunes". It was recorded in Nashville with producer Jason Lehning, who has also worked with Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
.
Cockrell also performs with a Nashville band, Leagues.
Religion
Cockrell is the only child amongst three sons not to become a pastor. While Cockrell has many songs reflecting his faith, it has been noted that Cockrell's overall body of work doesn't consistently contain these themes. He has commented that he has "lost fans for his religious convictions and alienated some Christians with songs that aren't always about God". An extensive Cockrell feature in Independent Weekly concludes that "archetypal conflict—secular pleasures and aims versus Christian tenets and rules—has powered Cockrell's songwriting".Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Stack of Dreams | Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important... |
| 2003 | Warmth and Beauty | Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important... |
| 2005 | Begonias (with Caitlin Cary Caitlin Cary Caitlin Cary is an alt-country musician.Born to Hall Cary and Carol Campbell Thomas in East Cleveland, Caitlin Cary was raised with her half-brothers, Brian, Craig, and Keith Thomas, in East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. She began playing the violin at age six. She attended the College of... ) |
Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records Yep Roc Records is an independent International record label based in Haw River, North Carolina and owned by Redeye Distribution . The label has put out albums by artists like The Go-Betweens, The Fleshtones, Gang of Four, The Reverend Horton Heat, and The Minus 5, as well as the work of important... |
| 2009 | To Be Loved | Major 7 Music |