As I get more into songwriting, I realize sometimes the next good step in a song's development is to hear it in someone else's voice.

Here's one I collaborated on with Jen McClung when we were in the band Gatehouse Saints together.  Most of the music is hers.  Most of the lyrics are mine.  And of course the voice is all Jen. :)

https://soundcloud.com/jim-coppoc/softly-original-recording-with-gatehouse-saints-ft-jen-mcclung-2?in=jim-coppoc/sets/my-lyrics-their-voices&si=b864b06f15ad4c938708f187912ef64c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

If you like the songs I make, and want to collaborate or cover one of them, I'm always happy to see these words take on new life.  Just message me here to work out the details.

cw - PTSD, suicidality

I'm a collector of stories, and I work with veterans.  This song is a composite of a number of stories I've collected over the last few months, recorded on my lunch break.

If you or a loved one is struggling, reach out. Call 211 or visit 211.org for resources in your area.

(disclaimer--this song and its content do not reflect the views of either of my employers, and were made entirely off the clock)

On May 28, 2025, 1800 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. My son, Spc. William Coppoc, is among them. There is no one word for the mixture of pride and love and worry I feel, so instead I wrote this song.

I've been thinking about this song a lot lately. My boys are growing and grown now, but singing this song always brings me back to when they were little, and cuddly, and mine. 

In unrelated news, this is how I sing immediately after downing the best mushroom and swiss burger in central Iowa. If you've never been to Grumpy's Roadhouse in Waverly, now is the time.

Lindsey and I spent some of this perfect weather out on the porch tonight, and she helped me get video of this song. ignore the massive buzz near the beginning. Sometimes my fingers and I get into arguments...

I had a few extra minutes on break today, so I sat down to record this.  Trigger warning: the poem is about addiction, codependency and suicide.

Lindsey and I were friends for twenty years before we were lovers.  This song, written for her birthday, is about that.  We also share a love of honky tonk music, so I threw a little moonshine in the chorus. :)