Joe Cook

Joe Cook is a Cape Breton singer/songwriter who loves telling stories of a life well lived on the East Coast. Growing up in a small fishing village, Joe took his turn on the lobster boats then set out to see what the world had. But the sea always calls you back. Now settled on a hill next to the Brad d’Or watching sunsets over Kelly’s Mountain, Joe’s songs tell old stories with a modern view. Influenced by East Coast greats like Great Big Sea, Lenny Gallant and Stan Rogers, these songs have been flavoured from a young age by east coast life. Other great Canadian song writers like Gord Downie, Bruce Cockburn and the guys from The Band also help shape the sounds and stories found in Joe's writing.

When not playing sea shanties, Joe can be found writing songs with his East Coast Gospel Collective - Rootsdeepdown. They are an ECMA award winning collective who are writing songs for the church with an east coast flavour. Jesus spent plenty of time hanging around with a bunch of fishermen so the stories in the Gospel often find there way easily in the folk style tunes RDD is writing. In 2015 their album “Awoke and Raised” won Gospel Recording of the Year. Joe’s EP “The One We’ve Been Waiting For”, which helped launch Rootsdeepdown was nominated in this category. In 2017 their first live album “Live at Selah” got a nod in Gospel category as well.

Joe Cook is a Cape Breton singer/songwriter who loves telling stories of a life well lived on the East Coast. Growing up in a small fishing village, Joe took his turn on the lobster boats then set out to see what the world had. But the sea always calls you back. Now settled on a hill next to the Brad d’Or watching sunsets over Kelly’s Mountain, Joe’s songs tell old stories with a modern view. Influenced by East Coast greats like Great Big Sea, Lenny Gallant and Stan Rogers, these songs have been flavoured from a young age by east coast life. Other great Canadian song writers like Gord Downie, Bruce Cockburn and the guys from The Band also help shape the sounds and stories found in Joe's writing.

When not playing sea shanties, Joe can be found writing songs with his East Coast Gospel Collective - Rootsdeepdown. They are an ECMA award winning collective who are writing songs for the church with an east coast flavour. Jesus spent plenty of time hanging around with a bunch of fishermen so the stories in the Gospel often find there way easily in the folk style tunes RDD is writing. In 2015 their album “Awoke and Raised” won Gospel Recording of the Year. Joe’s EP “The One We’ve Been Waiting For”, which helped launch Rootsdeepdown was nominated in this category. In 2017 their first live album “Live at Selah” got a nod in Gospel category as well.

I have a simple set up for for solo gigs, and can provide my own sound system if one is not available at the venue