On the song selection approach for his new country album, Cook said, “We took everything that we had written, and we picked out the 12 best that we thought. Of course, we mixed it with slow songs, sad ones, happy songs and upbeat. You need to have a mix that way.”
Cook listed “Kissin’ Tree” as his personal favorite song on the album. “That song is a little personal to me. I wrote it with my grandparents in mind, and about their life. It’s a true story, and that makes it a little different,” he said.
In the song “Thanks a Lot Loretta,” Peggy Sue Wright and Lulu Roman make cameos in his music video. “Wasn’t that fun?” he asked. “That was a great time. As we speak, I am on my way to Butcher Holler, Kentucky.”
Cook’s plans for the future are to keep writing, singing and recording, as well as to have “58 No. 1 hits.” He listed country queen Dolly Parton as his dream female collaboration choice in music.
In addition, he shared that he is giving half of the album proceeds to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Digital transformation of country music
On the impact of technology on the music business, Cook said, “A lot of people have mixed feelings about it, since there is too much free music out there, and they don’t get paid, and I understand that. On the other hand, technology has opened a much wider variety of music to people, in so many facets and genres and that’s a great thing. Until that happened, you were pretty limited. Either you had a record deal with one of the four of five top record companies, or you didn’t have anything. Technology has eliminated that, and I think that’s a great thing, because it was quite a monopoly. The big labels had a monopoly and they chose who listened to what and when.”
On his use of technology in his daily routine as a country musician, Cook said, “Back in the day if you had an idea for a new song, you would grab a napkin or a paper bag to write it. Now, you can click a button and you have notes, and you can talk into it, and there it is. Like on our radio tour, we post about everywhere we go, and people follow us can instantly know what we are doing. It’s a big help. We use it a lot everyday.”
Thanks a Lot Loretta is available on iTunes.
To learn more about country singer-songwriter Ricky Cook, check out his official website.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed Ricky Cook’s new country album.
