Michael Cochren, an award winning singer and songwriter of the band Cochren & Co. (pronounced Cochren & Company), shares light and infuses it into a genre of American Pop/Rock with a twist of soul and blues in music that resonates so deeply for so many. But the true power lies in the timeless message of hope interwoven into the lyrics of Cochren & Co.’s music is where humble surrender and faith lies.
Cochren & Co., composed of Michael, his wife Leah, and a few friends, were nominated for GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2021 for their Gotee Records produced album, “Don’t Lose Hope.” Their title song for this album was also featured in an episode of CBS’s “MacGyver.” In 2022, their song “Running Home” from their sophomore album was the band’s first No. 1 radio single. In 2023, Cochren & Co., made their Grand Ole Opry debut and have returned multiple times.
Michael Cochren, an Indiana native, sat down with Root & Vine to have an inspired conversation about music, faith, loss, hope, and more while filming his episode of Our Story Our Song. Join us as we go behind the scenes of this episode to get to know the artist behind the music.
When it comes to writing music, Cochren recognizes the intertwined nature of his worship music and the ties to the Creator that created him. “I start with communing with God through His Word, but I would also say that even the process of creating something points to the fact that I have been created,” says Cochren, “God is the Creator first and He’s breathed this creativity in me and allowed me to have the resources to be able to create.”
In writing and creating, Cochren finds that the process of creation enables him to become very grateful.
“I experience gratitude for who God is. I see his joy, not only as I am creating, but I see it in other people as hopefully experiencing what I have created. They get to experience the joy of the Lord from what I have created,” says Cochren. `
In creating powerful music, Cochren & Co. found that music was a very powerful tool in the face of loss and grief within their community. As a tool to help ease the burden of tremendous loss, Cochren & Co. wrote their song “Be There for You.”
“There is nothing you can say to make it (loss) better. We realized in those moments that all you can really do is be there for someone. Just be near to them. The Bible says to weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn. Just get down in it with them and sit in the dust for a season to share the burden,” shares Cochren.
Cochren knows that there is immense power in times of loss by being the hands and feet of Christ to those who are experiencing heartbreak, grief, and loss. By being there for them, you get to help people in these heartbreaking situations feel the arms of Christ envelope them.
As artists, Cochren & Co. have a deep care and call to bring people who hear their music to the Lord for whatever the divine connection might need to be. For the band, worship is more than just Sunday mornings in church. It is every show they play and every seat being filled. They’re praying for that person who is going to see them. They’re praying that person has a divine encounter with the Lord and He meets their needs right where they are.
Behind the scenes on the set of Our Story Our Song. Image: Jessica Patterson
In addition to loss, Cochren & Co. found themselves in a world that is broken and hurting and their song “One Day” puts that brokenness and hurting into a new perspective with a reminder that the suffering of this world is not eternal.
“You know what, it’s not always going to be like this,” says Cochren “One day everything is going to be made new.”
This theme can be seen on their album “Running Home” and with their song “One Day,” which explores the story of the prodigal son running home to his father’s arms. The world, much like the one we live in today, was broken and full of sin. In the same way, Cochren shares how we are that prodigal son, in need of our Father’s grace and welcoming love.
“The world doesn’t fulfill us like God does. So why do we look anywhere else? Go home, run home into His arms and you’ll find that comfort, that peace, that love that’s only available in the Father’s arms,” Cochren explains with a smile.
In this season of Our Story Our Song, Michael Cochren of Cochren & Co. takes us on a musical journey, sharing stories and lessons in the lush expansion of nature and invites us to consider the vastness and wonder of interacting with the Creator. He performs live under radiant light breaking through the stained glass windows of a charming chapel and takes to the serenity of nature to talk about his life, faith, and music. Subscribe, like, and comment for more behind the scenes exclusives.