#MusicExchange: Freshlyground's Peter Cohen

In music folklore, drummers always seem to be the butt end of the joke, but just going through Cohen’s pedigree you will see he was an integral part of the seminal 80’s band Bright Blue, then joined Mango Groove from the early 90’s and has been with Freshlyground since inception.

What does music mean to you?
Music is almost everything to me, just after my wife and son.

Any funny moments on stage?
So many… falling off my stool at Bushfire in Swaziland was funny in hindsight. It just collapsed during I’d Like but I managed to be back on before the bar was over.

Your heroes?
Steve Jordan, Bob Marley, Carlton Barret, Stevie Wonder.

It’s your round, what are you drinking?
I’m not a big drinker but do enjoy a Gin and Tonic.

The song you wished you wrote?
That’s a tough one. Today I’ll say Imagine by John Lennon

Dream gig to do?
Freshlyground at the Madison Square Garden New York

Nicknames?
Louis

If you were not a musician what would you do?
Psychologist

Pick five words to describe yourself?
Solid, groovy, grounded, tolerant and youthful

Five desert island discs?

Exodus - Bob Marley
Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
Continuum - John Mayer
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Oh how life is - Macy Gray

What does the usual mean?

The Shape that I’m in - it is a song that was sung by a lovely artist James Stewart who headed a band called The Usual

FRESHLYGROUND - DON'T LEAVE ME from benitha vlok on Vimeo.

What do you complain about most often?
I’m not really sure of the answer to this question, but I do hate it when interviewers ask how we all met - as in the band members.

What is your fear?
Flying, but especially being in the toilet when the plane is about to go down.

Happiness is?
A deep groove

freshlyground.com