Jack Cooper sees his music as part of the fix for a world that might be as pitiless as it’s ever been.
Though his band, Modern Nature, had previously used an unrestricted approach and ambiguous lyrics to offer listeners escape, the group has evolved in its way and its makeup to move toward a more structured, balanced sound.
This new resonance distinguishes the latest album, The Heat Warps, and it was on dynamic display the night of Jan. 22 in Washington DC as Cooper and his bandmates played to an intimate audience at DC9.
Performing with his trusty crew of bassist Jeff Tobias and drummer Jim Wallis, Cooper was additionally joined by fellow guitarist Tara Cunningham, who Cooper has credited with helping bring “directiveness and purpose” to the current Modern Nature.
Listen to the latest album from Modern Nature, The Heat Warps:
The 45-year-old Englishman’s already known from his time in other bands, including Ultimate Painting and Mazes. And he’s previously visited the nation’s capital as a member of various outfits, like supporting Andrew Savage back in 2023.
In DC last week, those on hand saw and heard first-hand the symmetry Cooper and Cunningham have found on either side of Tobias and Wallis as they bounced around the songs from latest Modern Nature record, performing all but a couple.
Watch the official music video for “Pharaoh” from Modern Nature’s latest album, The Heat Warps:
The night opened with “Radio,” a drifting, meditative tune that showcased not just the proper fit Cooper and Cunningham have found with their respective guitars, but how attractively they harmonize as well. Brighter sounds sprung from tracks like “Glance” as the two guitarists decorated the rhythm from opposite sides of the small stage.
The setlist wasn’t limited to the latest release. Two delightful even if unidentified tracks preceded “Performance,” a mindfully beat-driven piece from 2022’s Island of Noise.
Eventually, those in attendance were hit with a surprise cover: The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” an unexpected departure but a chance to hear Cooper and his friends at their most emphatic. A song later, Cunningham took the lead, featuring her own delicate voice for a soothing take on a track titled “Christmas.”
Closing the night with “Totality,” a piece written about his experience in the USA during the 2024 solar eclipse, Cooper focused the music back on the subject matter that has inspired so much of his Modern Nature endeavor: the natural world.
Setlist
Radio
Glance
Things
Zoology
Pharoah
Source
Jetty
Performance
Don’t Let Me Down (The Beatles)
Christmas
Totality
Below are digital photos of Modern Nature along with opening act Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network, performing at DC9 the night of Jan. 22, 2026. All images copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
Modern Nature
Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network
