Cooper Alan: Country musician on his career, touring, and making music in Nashville

The home of country music has launched another rising star. 

Cooper Alan is one of Nashville’s up and comers with over 225 million streams, and 14 million followers across his social media platforms, selling over 85 thousand tickets for his tours and concerts. 

He and a few others were in New Zealand this week, giving kiwi audiences a taste of country coming straight out of Nashville in the Country Music Association’s ‘Introducing Nashville’. 

“We had CMC in Australia on the books for a while, and then CMA reached out about this event,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking. 

“It was a reason to get over here and see Auckland, and kind of get introduced to the fans a little bit.”  

That won't be his only New Zealand performance this year. While the details aren’t set in stone, Alan is certain he’ll be back sometime in October. 

“We have potential dates and venues for like, shows down here, it’s just deciding which ones.” 

The popularity of country has surged lately, Alan attributing it in part to the worldwide success of acts like Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs. 

“It’s that Lainey song, ‘Country's cool again.’” 

But despite the major success he’s seen, Alan would still describe himself as an ‘up and comer’. 

“We’re still kind of in the building phase,” he told the Newstalk ZB host. 

“There’s always somewhere you can go.” 

There’s a reason Nashville is considered the home of country music, and it has much to do with the other musicians and the environment they’ve cultivated. 

“We’re all friends, you know, or, or if you don’t know somebody, you meet them and then you feel like you're friends with them.” 

It’s an industry built on camaraderie and collaboration, “if you don’t make friends in Nashville doing country, I, I think you kind of sink pretty fast.” 

Alan moved to Nashville straight out of university, fortunate enough to be signed with songwriter and producer Victoria Shaw within weeks. 

“I always kind of knew I wanted to try to give a serious crack at the music thing.” 

Although he blew up on TikTok, social media wasn’t Alan’s first thought, confessing to hating the platforms and not wanting to work with them. 

"I was one of those dudes,” he revealed. 

However, the opportunities TikTok provides is unmistakable, and Alan took the chance. 

“You have the opportunity to take a little bit of control of, you know, your career and not wait on somebody else to make it happen for you.” 

Meeting Shaw was a strike of luck, Alan told Hosking, the two connecting through a family friend of Alan’s who had done some charity work with the producer. 

“I think she kind of saw something in what I was doing. She said, finish college, but let me know when you know, you want to move to Nashville and get serious.” 

"It’s been so, so fortunate having a champion like that in my corner,” he said. 

“Somebody who you know, knows, really knows what she’s doing and works her ass off.” 

Alan’s career is nowhere near finished and although he still always wants more, where he’s sitting now is what he’s dreamed of. 

“I have to kind of wake up some days and be like, dude, I’m in New Zealand right now and you know, I’m not losing a bunch of money,” he laughed. 

“I’m coming to play songs and people are showing up and some people might know some of this stuff.” 

“Stuff like that is, is really cool moments.” 

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