Jeff Cohen (born January 28, 1966) is an American songwriter, record producer, and publisher. He is also known for his role in founding the band Pancho's Lament.
Early life and education
Jeff Cohen was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, Cohen would sing songs into a tape recorder and give the cassettes to his sisters. His musical landscape changed at the age of 13, when his mother bought him Jackson Browne’s Hold Out to take to summer camp.[1]
He graduated from Oceanside High School in Oceanside, New York, in 1984 and then attended Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he majored in government and English.[1] During his college years, Cohen began to take guitar and songwriting more seriously. He spent the spring semester of 1987 studying at Wroxton College in England before returning to the U.S. and graduating from Franklin and Marshall in 1988.[1]
Career
BMI
Cohen started working at BMI in licensing in 1989 where he helped upcoming bands protect their music and insure they received the royalties they were due.[2] A year later he moved to the writer-publisher relations department, working with such talent as Jeff Buckley, Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, Joan Osborne, Kara Dioguardi, Spin Doctors, Blues Traveller and many more.[2] By 1994 he was promoted to an executive directing role. After a year spent at Warner Chappell Music in 1995, he would return as senior director of BMI in 1996, where he remained until 1999.[2]
Pancho's Lament
Jeff Cohen is also known as Pancho's Lament, which he founded to play concerts once a year on his birthday.[1] He brought on friend and drummer Pete DeMeo as a co-member, and over the years, they have performed together on special, but rare occasions.[2] Cohen's first big break came when he landed the theme song on the WB show Jack and Jill. The track, "Truth About Romeo", was written and recorded for the debut self-titled Pancho's Lament album, released in late-1999/early 2000.[2] Pancho's Lament's sophomore album, Leaving Town Alive, was released in early 2003.[3] The band did a limited unreleased pressing of a third album called Three Sides to Every Story in 2008. Pancho's fourth album, Slowly Speeding, featuring Cohen penned songs that have been performed by other artists as well as new material, was released in 2015. Cohen also co-wrote and produced an album in 2007 with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors, called Pancho and the Kid.[4]
Jeff Cohen began working closely with many U.K. artists. He has worked British country duo The Shires, penning two BBC Radio A-List Hits for their 2016 album My Universe ("1000 Hallelujahs" and "Daddy's Little Girl") and three songs for their 2018 album Accidentally On Purpose ("Echo," "Living On A River Of Love," and "Loving You Too Long"). Other U.K. artists include Jess and The Bandits, The Wandering Hearts, Catherine McGrath, Ward Thomas, and Sarah Darling.
Nashville International Music
Jeff Cohen started a publishing company in 2012 called Silent Gate Music, which then changed to Nashville International Music in 2013. Cohen then discovered, signed and developed artist Nikhil D’Souza.[11] Nikhil was singing Bollywood songs in India when Jeff brought him over to Nashville, LA and NYC to write songs then to London where he secured Nikhil a record deal with Warner UK.
Cohen also signed and developed Producer/Songwriter Zach Abend, who has had hits with Canadian artists such as Jess Moskaluke and Meghan Patrick along with songs by Cassadee Pope, Chris Lane, Cale Dodds, Filmore, and Ingrid Andress.
He is also credited as a co-writer on the theme song to Nickelodeon animated series PAW Patrol, written by Nashville International Music writer Scott Krippayne.
Chelsea Lee: 18 and Alive (Atlantic Records) – “Never Called It Love”, “All I'm Looking For”
Teitur: All My Mistakes – “The Girl I Don't Know”, “All My Mistakes”, “One and Only”, “Don't Want to Wake You Up”
Teitur: Let the Dog Drive Home – “God, I Have So Many Things to Tell You”, “Let the Dog Drive Home”, “Waverly Place”, “Very Careless People”, “Freight Train”
Nolwenn Leroy: One and Only (Universal France) – “One and Only”
Tina Dico: Welcome Back Colour – “Let's Go Dancing”
Ben's Brother: Glow (Flat Cap Records) – “Sanctuary”
Bethany Joy Lenz: Come On Home (Producer) – “Leaving Town Alive”, “Crazy Girls”