Cope Land is a group from Montreal, Canada that delights in blurring the line between styles, creating music that is exciting, original and varied. Led by guitarist Ben Copland Gilbert, this bilingual band fuses alternative and progressive rock with rap, jazz and metal, sounding powerful and virtuosic both in performance and recording. Appearing regularly in several different ensembles, combining a variable horn section with an ensemble of vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass and drums, Cope Land always captivates with its driving rhythms, intensity and nuance. The unique way in which the instrumentation is used results in sounds and textures that have rarely been heard before, and that are as diverse as they are seamless. At times, vocals, sometimes rapped and sometimes sung, take the forefront, with the horns providing accompaniment in manners seldom seen, while at others, the wind instruments take the lead, whether in melody, or exciting improvisation. The synths tend to lend an atmospheric element to the music, while the guitar, bass and drums often, but far from always, pulverise the listener with intense riffs and thunderous fills. Primarily made up of graduates of the jazz program at McGill’s Schulich School of Music, the band bonded over the second half of the covid 19 pandemic, eventually entering the studio in August 2021. The group then released a debut full-length album on January 20, 2023, which received considerable media attention and positive reviews. Formerly known as Crossroad Copeland, the group enjoyed many successes, including a performance on the main stage of the Festival international de jazz de Montréal. They have also had the honor of performing at the Jazz en Juin festival in Quebec City, the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival, Festival Vue sur la Relève in Montreal and the Festival Musique Création in Chicoutimi. They released their second album, “Expire”, on February 14th 2025. This release led to several notable performances, most notably in support of the legendary Dweezil Zappa, and the up-and-coming English rock band Maruja. Still riding high from their recent album release, the band has several exciting upcoming performances.
Name:
Cope Land (Led by Ben Copland Gilbert, writing the info here)
Genre:
Prog/Rap/Metal/Jazz Crossover
Founded:
2021
# of Albums:
2
Latest Album:
Expire
Latest Single:
Enfin
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Lots of names I could put here, but I’d say my obsession with Radiohead coincided with me getting more serious in music, but more specifically, rock, jamming, and playing by ear, having played almost exclusively classical music growing up.
Favourite musician now:
Hard to nail down one specifically, but I’ve had a recent obsession with Stevie Wonder
Guilty pleasure song:
Toxic by Britney Spears
Live show ritual:
I find going for a walk, and perhaps meditating for a while, helps me get my head in the game and ready to perform.
Favourite local musician:
Jeanne Laforest (who I’ll shamelessly say is in Cope Land as well) has a couple of absolutely incredible solo projects, under her name.
EP or LP?
LP
Early bird or night owl?
Night Owl
Road or studio?
Studio, but I love going on the road with other people’s projects.
Any shows or albums coming up?
Our recent album “Expire” is still quite young and is definitely worth checking out. We have a couple of shows on the horizon.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Pum Pui in Villeray is a ridiculously good Thai restaurant.
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Let’s say Shamrock. Unknown, tiny, pretty, leads to Marché Jean-Talon, and lived there for a while.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Jarry Parc always has a great vibe, with lots of people hanging out and having fun, especially in the summer. The skate parc there has sentimental value for me too.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
Metropolis (I REFUSE to call it by its new corporate name). Special mentions to l’escalier and resonance, which both closed during the pandemic.
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Steve’s.. no competition.
