Cole Scheifele: Folk Music From Colorado
Growing up near Denver, Colorado, Cole Scheifele listened to a lot of different genres of music.
“In middle school I was really into the scream-o punk rock scene. But I also listened to a lot of slower stuff, like indie music. When I got to high school, I started to listen to hip-hop a lot more. However, I never turned away from folk music, because I always had a passion for it. Further, this is when I discovered Gregory Alan Isakov. He is truly an idol for me. I still love all of his records today. Lastly, another songwriter who has stuck with me through all of these years would be John Mayer. His music is just great,” the artist expresses. “I attest to myself that I am a folk singer-songwriter. I am on the softer, slow, and sad side of folk music,” Cole adds.
Although Cole’s music is a lot slower and softer than other folk artists, his music is still ambient and smooth in a sense. With that being said, Cole’s music is something you could listen to with your friends or family, or even when you’re by yourself outside on a tire swing.
‘Coming of Age’ LP The Hideaways
In terms of songwriting, Cole spent a lot of time putting together his LP. In fact, The Hideaways took over five years to write.
“I attended the University of Denver. At the time, I was writing a lot of music. But in school, you have to write songs to meet deadlines. It’s sort of like turning in an assignment for any other class. I wasn’t recording much in school, but I ended up recording an EP. There were about four of five songs that got left off the EP back then, that made ‘The Hideaways’ today. So for that reason, this LP spans a great amount of time and represents a lot of my life,” the artist states.
Cole admitted that there is not a main message to his album. Instead, Cole explains that “…each song has a meaning of its own. I am a perfectionist. When it comes to lyricism, I work very hard at it. But I guess the theme of ‘The Hideaways’ is that it’s a ‘coming of age’ record. Letting go of childhood is exactly what it’s all about. In addition, the project was sort of a new stage as a songwriter for me.”
You can listen to The Hideaways on any of your favorite streaming platforms.
The Release of ‘The Hideaways’
“When we were about to start recording ‘The Hideaways’, COVID-19 was becoming prominent. And actually the day we were going to the studio, the mayor of Denver locked down the city. So of course we weren’t able to record the album. A few months went by, and when it was all safe to do so, we recorded the LP in the studio together. However, when it was all finished, we were still very much in lockdown. So, I honestly just picked a date and hoped that it would do well, and that is where we are today,” Cole explains.
When asked about his favorite song, Cole confessed that his pick changes with time. But right now, the Colorado-native admits that “O, To Be Happy Again” is the one that has stuck with him because of how quickly he wrote it.
Of course whenever an artist releases a new record, they are going to be very excited for their fans to listen to it. And that is exactly how Cole feels, now that his LP has been released.
The folk artist says that “I am most excited for people to think of this LP as a full-length record. This is the first time that I believe my music can be listened to front and back. You know, on my last album, I didn’t think that was the case. But now that I have something more special, I truly believe that people will listen to the whole thing. I sort of think of my LP as ‘bookends’. Starting with “The Universe” and ending with “O, To Be Happy Again”.
Above all, Cole admits that he is grateful for anyone who takes time out to listen to his new record. For more information on Cole Scheifele, you can visit his website, Instagram, or Facebook.
