About Us

Claude Hopper. What's in a name? An uncouth rustic? A wearer of shit kicking boots? A player and singer of songs? All that and more.

Claude Hopper first appeared on the Santa Barbara music scene in The Year 2000 at the infamous Ollie Festie, a concert event held at The Farm in Montecito that featured a score of fine bands and singers, and swang until the wee hours when the sheriff came trapesing up the gravel drive, through the darkeness, hand on pistol, to shut the party down. "This place sure is hard to find," said the lawman, "you have to wind it down." His parting words, "Sounds good by the way."

Claude Hopper writes songs and sings songs and plays guitars and other musical things!

Claude Hopper is a Santa Barbara based Americana roots rock band that features Ohio native singer-songwriter-guitarist David Cowan at the helm. The Claude Hopper band includes John McInnes on the Bass, Chris Ulep on Keyboards and vocals, Andy Webb on lead guitar and vocals, and Chuck Hammel on the drums and vocals. With two albums to their credit – Four in the Morning and The Finite Nature of Things – Claude Hopper is currently working in the woodshed on their next record project. Claude Hopper's live shows primarily feature David Cowan's original songs. Claude Hopper also plays select covers by artists influential to their sound including Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Beatles, Little Feat, Wilco, Son Volt, Cracker, Lucinda Williams, Phish, MOE, John Prine, and more. Claude Hoper has played numerous shows at clubs and festivals in the region including the Sings Like Hell Music Series at the Historic Lobero Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara.