Thad Cockrell

"From the first measure, you hear the unmistakable sound of the pure and uncompromised spirit of an artist who just wants to sing what's in his heart."-­‐-­‐Puremusic.com
A preacher's son born in Kansas City, Thad Cockrell emerged as a singer/songwriter with his debut album Stack of Dreams in 2001, followed up by Warmth and Beauty in 2003. He teamed up with Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) in 2005 for the duet album Begonias. The Washington Post called the album "a worthy successor to the duets of Johnny Cash and June Carter, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, and Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton." After a journey that almost caused him to stop making music, Cockrell reached back to his roots and channeled the depths of his artistry to reveal a new sound. Now, Cockrell is set to release his first solo album in six years titled To Be Loved.
In 2004, Cockrell relocated to Nashville to be surrounded by music and to live where most of his favorite songs were written and recorded. After spending a few years vigorously writing and becoming entrenched in the Nashville music community, he began to wander around, not knowing which direction to head next…literally. "I would get lost taking walks in East Nashville trying to figure out how to write songs that I didn't know how to write. I was craving songs that were less about me and more about us.
I was at the point where I was ready to stop making music all together," says Cockrell. It was those walks that eventually led him on the creative path that generated a collection of songs unlike any he had written. With the help of engineer/producer Jason Lehning (Alison Krauss, Guster, Lyle Lovett) in 2007, those songs became an EP titled To Be Loved. The EP soon took on a life of its own as Cockrell felt an inherent need to share it freely with both friends and strangers. "I knew we had something special when I saw the crowd at my shows singing the songs word for word. I also knew that the conversation wasn't finished and the work was just beginning," recalls Cockrell.
Cockrell reconnected with Lehning to make the EP a full length album. "He was the only person that wanted to make a Thad Cockrell album. He wasn't trying to put this in a specific genre," says Cockrell. The songs "Rosalyn" and "Beauty Has A Name" resonate an upbeat pop sound with layers of melodic instrumentation paired with Cockrell's powerful tenor vocals. No Depression remarks "A Country Of My Own" as "...showing Cockrell as a confident, ever-­‐developing songwriter worth following wherever his muse might take him." In "Look Up Sara" Cockrell gives valid proof behind The Tennessean describing him as "[…] the guy who found that perfect pop sensibility Paul Simon seems to have lost somewhere along the way."
Throughout the record, Cockrell continues to expand on his unique sound with poetic gospel arrangements such as "The Master's Calling," "Great Rejoicing" and the title inspiration "Oh To Be Loved," that at times sound straight out of a tattered book of hymns.
In many ways, Cockrell's new release goes back to where his love of music first began, in the pews of his father's church. "I was always moved to tears whenever a group of three sisters sang. The melodies and harmony in their songs affected me in a profound way," remembers Cockrell. Though his first connection to music began at a young age, he didn't start pursuing music until he was in seminary school ready to follow in the footsteps of his father and two brothers. Now, after three critically acclaimed albums, Cockrell's latest release finally exposes the inner voice he was searching for on those walks in Nashville.
Cockrell will release his first solo album in six years on October 13, 2009. "We are all wired to manifest our fruits in a unique way. Music is certainly a major vehicle for me to do that. I only hope that now instead of making my music, I am making our music. I want to share this with people, in the most honest way," says Cockrell.