Musician Spotlight: Cooper Bryan

By: Ella Colwell

Cooper Bryan is a freshman at The Evergreen State College focused on photography and the performing arts. He is currently taking Sean Williams and Devon Damonte’s class, ‘Bringing Ideas to Life: Practice! Practice! Practice!’, which is a 16-credit program that builds skill in creative work. Other than being in the band Pilfer – Creative Counterculture Void’s (CCTV) pride and joy – he enjoys railroad photography. 

E: What projects are you currently a part of? Any solo things you’re working on music-wise? Who have you been working with recently to create music and how did you find them?

C: At this time I’m the bass player and co-vocalist in the band Pilfer with my friends Deacon on guitar and Shamus on the drums. I met Shamus in the A building elevator on my first day at Evergreen as I was moving in, and… since around 2023 Deacon and I were discussing a plan to start a band before fall quarter of 2024, and since Shamus suddenly appeared and shared a similar taste in music, we really found our rhythm. I’m not working on any solo projects at the moment, but I do plan to in the distant future!

E: How many instruments do you own and how many can you play? Are there any instruments you wish that you could instantly become a master of? Why?

C: Right now I own 4 guitars, 3 basses, a kalimba, and a tambourine. I’ve somehow fit them all in my small single room in the A building. I also play a little bit of the drums and it’s an instrument that I’d love to build more skill on because growing up it fascinated me, particularly as I was heavily inspired by Dave Grohl’s drumming since I was 13.

E: Who or what inspired you to begin playing music? Did something just click or was it more of a slow gradual interest in music?

C: Bass was the first instrument I became seriously committed to learning and I started about 4 years ago. The three biggest inspirations for me to begin playing bass were Joy Division, the Pixies, and Nirvana.

E: Do you have any advice for people who want to get their music noticed? I see Pilfer has been working on music videos and contests, how effective do you think these have been? 

C: I’m not sure how qualified I am to give advice to other artists since I’ve only been in the recording and performance process of music for about 6 months. But if I had any advice, it would be to follow your heart. Evergreen is not the easiest place to start as a musician, but I make my music with love, and creating art with love is what creates good and timeless art. So my advice would be to get out of your comfort zone and start writing songs and seriously dedicating yourself to your instrument, create with passion, and most importantly have fun! And though we’ve entered into contests, our goal isn’t really to win and have huge success, success to us, is the fun of creating art and putting it out there to the world. I think that’s the most effective way of approaching success as a musician.

E: Where do you have the most fun playing music? Any places in Olympia that have particularly stood out?

C: On-campus shows have stood out to me the most in terms of fun, mostly because people get to show up for free and anyone can visit, it’s not limited to age or class. Rhythms Coffee and the Mortuary have been great places to play, too. This Saturday we get to play at Le Voyeur, which I’ve seen shows at lately, and we’re very excited about that. 

E: What are your future goals with music? Do you think Evergreen aligns with your music goals? Any cool classes you’ve taken that have helped your journey?

C: I’d love for Pilfer to play shows in Seattle and Tacoma, and create many albums along the way. Right now we are working on our goals and currently working on an EP that will be released before the end of the quarter. With that being said, I’d also love to buy more instruments, particularly basses. Since I’m a huge gear fan I’m obviously going to want all the best Fender Mustang and P basses out there! I think Evergreen has aligned with us in terms of a respectful audience, and a great place for musicians to come together.

E: Finally, do you have any links or socials to plug?

C: Yes! My Instagram is @germlikechocolatecrunch and the Pilfer Instagram is @realpilfer as is the YouTube channel. Thanks for having me!