Kopek

Kopek is a rock group from Dublin, Ireland, with a sound associated with alternative rock, hard rock and post-grunge. The trio is made up of drummer Shane Cooney, bassist Brad Kinsella and singer Daniel Jordan.

Formation and early years

Cooney and Kinsella grow up as next-door neighbours in Dublin and bond over classic and modern rock, including The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Led Zeppelin. They place an advert in a local musician’s magazine, which leads to Jordan joining the band as vocalist. The group starts when the members are around 15 years old.

In its early period, Kopek plays numerous gigs in and around Dublin and regularly enters battle of the bands contests, which it wins often. Those contests also provide equipment, including a backline, which means the band does not need to buy gear for years.

Touring and competition success

Between 2002 and 2009, Kopek tours extensively and plays in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the United States on several occasions. In 2005 it wins Best Live Act at the Global Battle of the Bands, a prize that includes $100,000 and a world tour.

White Collar Lies

In 2009 the Dublin record company Religion Music signs Kopek to a multi-album deal. The band works with Glenn Herlihy and mixer Tom Lord-Alge on its debut album, White Collar Lies. The album is shaped by themes of corruption, social disconnection and loss of life. It includes the single “Cocaine Chest Pains”, a hard-rock track built around a riff, and “Love Is Dead”, a song about lost heroes and the feeling that love is absent for people without a girlfriend or boyfriend. Another track, “Bigger Than Us All”, is a mid-tempo song about drug addiction and the way love remains present but suppressed in addicts.

Style and themes

Kopek’s music combines hard rock energy with a socially aware outlook. Its songs draw on addiction, corruption, loss and disillusionment, while also emphasising strong riffs and a classic rock influence.