Led by multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and visual artist, Dave Cope, Dave Cope and The Sass have recently released their second full-length record, Pied Piper. Much of the album was written and recorded at home during quarantine by Cope, and the subject matter tackles our “current political climate, social unrest, romantic entanglements, and mysticism”. That’s quite a heady, but often relatable mix. The album’s sound returns to the folk and singer-songwriter style of Cope’s earliest work, and is slated for form a “bridge” between their debut album and their upcoming harder Pop-Rock album due later in 2021.
Cope explains the return to Folk roots:
“Writing in the folk and singer-songwriter realm has always felt like a very personal and sacred process. More so than writing rock, power pop, new wave etc. In some ways it’s easier for me to write like this as it comes from a place of reflection and honest soul searching. At the same time, and perhaps for the same reason, it’s sometimes more challenging to be inspired to write this way than to bang out a power pop tune. I guess it depends on the day, the mood I’m in and the situational factors such as recent events or persistent memories.”
Based in Philadelphia and formed in 2019 by Dave Cope, Ethan Rider and Fred Berman, the band openly nods to their influences including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who and The Move and tends to incorporate elements of Golden Age Rock, Pop, Psychedelia, and Folk music into their sound.
Regarding the themes on Pied Piper, Cope comments:
“I would like listeners to come away with a thirst to seek out new sounds and ideas and to be mindful of what they are taught or told to believe, to question and wonder and dream and to be inspired to create new things. There is a bit of mysticism to Pied Piper that reflects my interest in Kabbalah, Gnosticism and Sufism. I hope that comes through a bit and inspires the listener to dig deeper, start small and do good.”
Dave Cope and The Sass will be playing select dates throughout 2021 in support of Pied Piper and subsequent releases.
