Meet Cook McKoy | Songwriter, Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cook McKoy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cook, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in the small coal mining town of Mannington WV. Bingamon to be more exact, but not many people know where that is. We had a small double wide trailer near the top of a hill that sat on 11 acres of mostly wooded land. Every male born person in my family was a coal miner. A tough, but admiral profession that takes a toll on the body and the mind. My father worked afternoon shift, so I normally only saw him on the weekends, and that also meant that when I did see him, he was loaded up on Budweiser, home grown and Xanax. I grew up hunting, fishing and trapping. Sometimes for sport, sometimes so we could have meat on the table. There wasn’t much money, but I don’t ever remember being hungry, cold, or wet, and that’s what matters. I was taught from a young age that if you wanted to make your way in the world and become someone, there was only one person who could make that happen; yourself. This mindset and being put to work from a young age carried me into adulthood and gave me the confidence to work hard at whatever life threw at me and in most cases succeed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is music, and music is a huge part of my life. My songs are all born out of real life experiences that I’ve either had or experienced observing others. A song that I wrote called “Yellow Footprints” is one of those examples. It tells the story of a young man who leaves for Marine Corps boot camp on his 18th birthday and leads you on his journey for the next 13 weeks to becoming a man. It’s a touching story and a personal tribute to the Armed Services. This is probably the song that I am most proud of and the one that has resonated the most with our fanbase and veterans across the country.

What I would like people to know about myself and my band Dinnerbell Road, is that we are a hard working, blue collar group of guys and that reflects in our music. Our fans know this and our stories resonate with them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take them to downtown Pittsburgh as there is so much to do there. The city of Pittsburgh is a huge sports town so hopefully catch a Steelers, Pirates or Penguins game. Also, a Primanti sandwich is a must. It’s literally the greatest sandwich ever invented. Afterwards, a few beers and catch a local band or nationally touring act at one of the many awesome venues in the city. Right now, my favorite venue to catch a show is the Thunderbird Café in Lawrenceville. It’s an amazing space and hopefully one day Dinnerbell Road will be on that stage.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to credit my success to the United States Marine Corps. As a child I was mischievous, and curious. I’d get into some trouble every now and then, nothing major, but small stuff like fighting, chewing tobacco, smoking a cigarette, and the occasional warm beer that my dad left laying around. I left for the Marine Corps the summer after high school because I knew I needed some discipline in my life, some direction. 13 weeks at Parris Island SC will give you just that. After boot camp I was strong both physically and mentally and finally had some realistic goals in place for myself.

Website: www.dinnerbellroadband.com

Instagram: @dinnerbellroad

Twitter: @dinnerbellroad

Facebook: facebook.com/dinnerbellroad

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@dinnerbellroad

Other: TikTok: @dinnerbellroad