Phil Cook

In 2005, Phil Cook packed up and departed from his hometown, Chippewa Falls, and headed south toward North Carolina. He had been learning to pick a banjo, and the soul of Southern music had beckoned him. His wife, Heather, wrote that Cook “was diving deep into the used gospel bin at the record store. Appalachia, The Delta, and the Bayou were all calling to him.”

That Wisco boy was being transformed into a hybrid – both Mason and Dixon. And it led him on a musical pilgrimage to the Southland. And, the result of that metamorphosis, pilgrimage, and 10 years of soaking in Dixie is the sound of Cooks’ forthcoming release, Southland Mission.

Southland Mission is stunning. It is gorgeous. It is this beautiful collision of soul and precision. Provocation and gentleness. It captivates the listener from the initial gentle, almost lilting, chords in “Ain’t It Sweet” to the driving close of the sober anthem “Gone.” The marriage of great musicianship and real-life experience expressed creatively is a recipe for something wonderful, and that’s what Cook has made with this record.

The “Southern-ness” can be heard throughout the album. Obviously, that stems from Cook’s own passion and orientation, but its folk influence extends to the musicians involved as well. Cook said he is “most excited about the group of musicians that gave their talent to the record.  I was lucky to play with some of North Carolina’s best musicians, people from all different scenes, and put them all in a room and make something special.”

But that musicianship and commitment to a distinct Southern sound wouldn’t carry the kind of soul that lives in Southland Mission without genuine experience and expression being woven into the lyrics and feel of the record.

“I guess folks will recognize little pieces from everything I’ve ever done all over the place, like a heritage quilt or something,” Cook said. “The distinction comes from this being the first time I’ve ever put all of my experiences through one filter. One vision.” Part of the album’s power is found in the freedom Cook experienced in making this record exactly what he envisioned it being. It is Phil Cook, through and through.

Music has an incredible ability to create and enhance community. Music originating from the Appalachians, the Delta, or the Bayou seem to have a heightened ability for such. Southland Mission feels like community. It feels like shared experience being expressed through Cook’s “one filter.”

“I still make music for my friends,” he said. “All of it.  Every part you hear is meant for somebody.”

This sense of connectedness resonates throughout the album. And it resonates with Cook’s own penchant to collaborate and create with others (see Megafaun and Hiss Golden Messenger, among others).

For this writer, Southland Mission represents an internal connectedness. I was born and raised in southeastern Virginia. Even though I am now a full-blown Eau Clairian and I love Wisconsin, the heart of a Southern boy still beats in my chest. And when I hear the sounds emanating from this guy from Chippewa Falls, there is a deep part of my soul that is clapping along and stompin’ its feet. Both personally and for anyone else who listens, Southland Mission is an invitation to connect ... with experiences, emotions, and incredible music.

Southland Mission will be officially released Sept. 11. Learn more at philcookmusic.com.