Richard Cooper - Interview

At only 21 years of age, you would expect Richard Cooper to be full of himself, especially since those in the recording industry have a less than saintly reputation. On the contrary, Rich (as he is known to all) has kick started a career that most people his age can only dream of, but you wouldn’t know it from talking to him.

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I have arranged to meet Rich in The Paradise Bar, Kensal Green. He is bang on time, having come from his Abbey Road flat which he shares with two of his female friends. Greeting me ever so slightly shyly, we sit down to coffee in the warm sunshine.

Cooper has now worked at British Grove Studios in Chiswick for nearly two and a half years, as a recording engineer. He modestly counts Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame) as his boss, and countless chart toppers as clients. But how did he achieve so much, so young?
“After my GCSEs, I moved to London to study at an audio engineering college which I did for nine months. I then got offered a job at Sony Studios before I finished studying because I was so young, but that place closed down soon after.”

Richard, originally from Reading, attended a very mixed state school which he deemed as
“Ok, but not particularly inspiring. I did what I had to do, then left to persue recording.”
He was almost immediately offered a job at British Grove, after achieving a “degree type-thing” from engineering college. When I again bring up his age, and his thoughts on where he is, he states matter-of-factly:

“I think it’s a lot to do with just getting on with people and being relaxed and stuff, and having a good education – actually knowing what I’m doing.”

And, I add, knowing what you want to do and having the drive to do it?

“Yes, definitely. I have been drumming and recording since I can remember. I guess I’m lucky that I left school knowing where I was headed.”

So is it all about rubbish shoulders with Amy Winehouse and attending the craziest parties? Not exactly. Cooper puts work first, but still has fun, receiving free passes and countless party invites, admitting “it’s not really like a real job, but I have to do ridiculous hours without breaks and it pretty much ruins any social life!”

And the highlights?

“I get paid pretty well, depending on who I’m working with. I loved the Razorlight sessions because they were here for six months and it was like working with friends; I got really involved. However, working with The Darkness was horrible because the producer was not the nicest person.”

Other artists who have walked through the doors of British Grove include The Killers, The Libertines, U2 and Kanye West. Cooper is clearly heading for the top of his profession, and when I ask where he wants to be in ten years time, he has a think before deciding he would like to be “in demand as an engineer, working with rock and pop bands, or just playing drums. I’m easy.” Indeed, he is an accomplished drummer, playing in the up and coming signed band Wall Street Riots (formally Death Can Dance) who we are sure to be hearing a lot more of in the future.
“We play loads of shows, have good management and just recorded with the same producer who worked with Supergrass, so it’s going really well.”

Whilst most people his age are still half-heartedly putting themselves through university, trying to decide where they want to be and building up piles of debt, I can’t help but feel slightly jealous that the person before me had it all planned out a long time ago. Richard is part of a growing crop of young, ambitious people in London making popular culture their chosen career and impressively succeeding. As we go our separate ways, I wish him luck and skip off through the capital with a refreshed faith in the concept that you can do anything you want if you really put your mind to it.