James Cohen and the Prairie Roots Rockers Share New Single, “All I Need To Know”
James Cohen and the Prairie Roots Rockers are a Winnipeg-based musical group whose debut album was released in 2011 on the Soccermom Records / Warner Music Canada label.
“All I Need to Know” is the band’s latest release and definitely channels James Cohen’s classic rock musical influences including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Black Crowes, and the Georgia Satellites to name a few.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi there, my name is James Cohen and I am a Winnipeg-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter. I started playing guitar at age 11 and later progressed to singing and ultimately wanted to become a proficient songwriter after attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
The song is called “ All I Need To Know” and I actually wrote it many years ago about my girlfriend (now my wife) but never got around to recording it. During the pandemic, like many of us, I had a lot of time to set goals on what I wanted to accomplish once things started to open up again. Recording this song was one of my priorities and I am proud that my band and I were able to rehearse and record it and I feel, do quite a good job with it.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
Generally, it starts with a chord progression or guitar riff and I just keep working with it until words start to come into play. Quite often it begins with a vocal phrase that I repeat over the chords and gradually other lines come to mind and a theme forms (hopefully !) which then links the various thoughts together into a song idea. Sometimes it can come together rapidly while other times it’s over the course of several days or weeks.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We’ll look at the possibility of a proper video as all we have at this point is a photo of the song title with a background on YouTube. Tours will follow if there is adequate radio airplay to warrant it as going on the road is a very expensive endeavour between airfares, hotel rooms, meals, van rental, fuel costs, equipment rental, and performance fees for my band members that I pay personally.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
Three things stand out for me. Signing with a record company affiliated with Warner Music Canada in my forties long after many people had said “Aren’t you getting a bit old for this James ?!! ” Secondly, having a song I wrote chart nationally for 16 weeks in the Top 50 and seeing my name listed alongside Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Santana, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers was and still is surreal to me. Lastly, being asked to play with the esteemed Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall in 2021 was a dream come true that will always hold a special place in my heart. Even though music has not paid me huge dividends financially, all the work I have put in over the years seems well worth it when I can look back on a few of these lifetime memories as well as the wonderful friendships I have with my bandmates who are a special group of individuals.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
Well, they certainly are not up-and-comers but while they have a large following in the United States, Atlanta-based Blackberry Smoke are relatively unknown in Canada and for me, are likely the best pure classic rock and roll band in North America right now. I first came to know of them in 2021 and then saw them live in 2022 and was absolutely blown away.