Cooper B. Handy
On Dancing, Volvos, Genre Traps, and more
Pure Sky feat. Cooper B. Handy (@cooperhandy) — The one-of-one Massachusetts based artist who has built his own brand of off-kilter pop swag from the ground up. Whatever labels people may tack onto his calling card — outsider, prophet, secret agent — nothing stands to stop Handy from probing new territory in his work, faithfully adding to one of the most captivating catalogs around. Read on for a quick Q&A and click here to listen to his playlist.
What should people do while listening to this playlist?
Probably go from one place to another. At first I thought this assignment was to make a mix, like a DJ mix, so I spent like an hour making a mix of my favorite oddities and personal remixes with fades.
Then I was informed that it was just a Spotify playlist, which I’ve never really done before, so I’m sorry if the flow is odd. People can pick and choose from this selection — I doubt it will fully be for everyone. Most of the songs on this list are songs I’ve come back to again and again over the years for different reasons. I hope people enjoy themselves while listening to these songs.
One question you wished people would stop asking you:
I’m okay with most questions. But as far as stuff goes with me and music, I'm tired of people asking about the stage name “LUCY” and what it means. It doesn’t mean anything really. I just liked the name a lot when I was a kid and made an online music page with that name. It always felt like it made sense for the music. I’ve tried to come up with acronyms and all that but nothing has really worked that well. It’s just what it is. It was given to me by me and I’m not going to change it 15 years down the road. At a certain point I added my real name in parentheses after to spice it up :)
You’re actively putting music out under at least four acts, each stylistically distinct. What are your thoughts on genre in today’s ecosystem, as an artist seemingly unbound by it?
I’m not sure if anyone thinks about genre anymore in the ways that they used to. To me it feels like there’s a certain level any good musician gets to where if the stuff they’re creating is good, it can be any style.
The more prolific I became with beat making // “computer music,” the easier it was for me to go back to “rock and roll” music and have it sounding better than ever. People who make music should try playing all kinds of instruments if they’re able to. It’s fun to do and it can actually heal you if you’re sick.
I think you’ve achieved true innovations in the field of dance. Do you ever workshop that stuff? Or is it divine inspiration?
Thank you! I’d like to be a better dancer. I love to feel the rhythm loudly in my body at the shows. That is what helps me move. I never really workshop it. Sometimes if I’m producing something alone that I’m really rocking with I’ll find myself physically vybing like that, but for the most part it stays on the stage. It’s extremely important to move your body to music if music is your thing.
I want to take some ballroom dancing lessons this winter actually, I’ve been sussing out what spots near me seem good and worth it. I never understood if people have to be born with rhythm or if they can learn it, but regardless, if music is the thing you're doing, you should at least know how to move your body.
You dropped one of our favorite records of 2024 with Surf Gang. What about their artistic approach speaks to you?
Giane is special with the rhythms. They all are really. I’ve been working with those guys for actually a pretty long time. The oldest track on that album I think was from 2018. To me they seem like a small group of people that are in it for the right reasons. There doesn’t seem to be much drama or stupid clout things and they make a ton of music. Like me. I’m a fan of people who have massive output and don’t get hung up on some long campaign bs~the youth doesn’t have time for that and I don’t either really. Hopefully a second Surf Gang / Lucy record will come out someday.
What’s something, anything, you believe in more than the next guy?
Probably walking. I’ve said this in other stuff before but I walk a lot. If there’s enough time for me to walk to wherever I’m going, I’ll take the opportunity to do so rather than drive. Also where I live in Massachusetts, there are lots of beautiful ways to get to places on foot if you look for them.
I believe that walking makes me better at doing the things I want to do. Partially because it gives me time to think things through but also because when the blood is flowing, things come into the brain better and ideas become more useful (I think). It sounds ableist maybe but I’m just speaking for myself and how I navigate.
Pitchfork compared you to Daniel Johnston the other day. How does that land for you?
It's cool with me. People have said this to me for years. I’ve honestly never tapped into his music too much, but I know he’s super smart and has a special way about songwriting. I can’t speak on it too much due to my lack of knowledge about him. It seems like he has a cool relationship with God and the devil and sometimes I feel like I have some of that as well. Also, he’s a piano player in a way that feels kind of relatable cause he’s not being a perfectionist and you can hear that he’s really feeling it. The best case scenario is that my piano playing can be heard that way.
Your favorite thing you own:
That's a tough question. I have a 2004 Volvo wagon that I’ve been driving for 12 years. It was passed to me from my mom’s girlfriend's mom when I was 18 I think. It had around 20k miles on it and now it almost has 300k. I’m not a huge car person but driving is a crazy universal thing that feels cool and lucky to be a part of. I’ve been all over the US a bunch of times in that car and sadly I’ll need to retire it from that kind of travel soonly.
Sometimes it doesn’t start and sometimes it’s terribly messy inside but over all it’s been a huge contributor to the lifestyle I’ve found myself in. I’m searching now for a new car but it’s hard to imagine a car getting me as far as this one has. I don’t own a ton of stuff but I’m stoked and feel lucky about everything I own. That said I’m kind of open to the idea of anything I own leaving me cause that could always happen.
People always seem to be mystified by you. What do you think they’re missing?
They might not be missing anything. I’m mystified by anyone I meet for real whether it’s good or bad. People are crazy. I’ve met so many people and I pretty much love all of them for one reason or another. Through music or not, people are mystifying. Some of the most mystifying people I’ve met have been through food service. Or just other life things outside of art. You can learn so much if you interact with people who might feel super different to you. Before you know it, they barely seem different at all. I love that people will continue to have to experience people.
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