Ross Copperman Believe CD

Indie popster Ross Copperman and his band produced in his debut, Believe, an unexpected gem of an album. Copperman's buoyant, catchy melodies and jocund choruses arrived as a breath of fresh air in 2004, offering a synthesis of many of the most appealing schools of modern pop, from Gavin DeGraw's piano-fied rock to the candied sunshine of Linus of Hollywood. The album's propelled by piano block chords on its best tracks, the bouncy "Angel by Your Side" and the nicely modulated "Ordinary." Those cuts, alongside power ballads "I Will Be Here" and "Believe," position Copperman somewhere between Ben Folds and Robbie Williams, albeit with less wryness and more sunshine in his pop than either of them. Remarkably, there's little to no filler on Believe, and Clayton Ryder's clean if restrained production does no disservice to Copperman and his band. Believe was just another underexposed indie recording upon its 2004 release, but it's a fine, fine record (if a rather brief one), and suggests tremendous upward potential for its author. ~ Joseph McCombs

Bio Playing piano from the age of three, Ross Copperman made music before he knew how to speak in coherent sentences. His mother finally gave in to lessons and their house was never quiet again. Ross played in several bands and learned other instruments to find himself musically. While developing as a performer he began songwriting. He started listening to a new cd every week to get new songwriting ideas, a tradition he continues today.

Ross has been compared to artist's such as Billy Joel, Gavin Degraw and Elton John. His piano playing ablities are top notch and he has a sense for finding melody. Copperman's songwriting style is based on what is going on in his life at the moment. "I feel like I get the most meaningful lyrics when I create fictitious characters based off of my emotions and life experiences". He dives into creative stories of love, heart-break, loss, becoming successful, and many other emotionally charged themes. Ross Copperman, unlike other musicians, does more than just write pop songs. He also writes rock, pop, country, r&b, hip-hop and jazz; creating an original, eclectic mix every time. Copperman places a lot of emphasis on catchy hooks, a practice that always leaves the crowd singing his songs.

Recording information: EMI Studios, Nashville, TN.

Personnel: Ross Copperman (vocals, piano); Jeff Smith (guitar); Angelo Collura (drums); Graham Cochrane, Robbie Cheuvront (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Ross Copperman; Clayton Ryder.