On the precipice of releasing his second full-length album, Jersey Shore musician and recording artist Matt Cook gives his “Live, Laugh, Love!” record a new meaning and purpose.
Amidst recording the indie/alternative album at Submergent Music in his native Middletown, New Jersey, Cook was diagnosed with adult onset Type 1 Diabetes in August 2010. Unaware he had the disease, Cook’s condition worsened until he went into diabetic ketoacidosis, suffered cardiac arrest, and eventually a diabetic coma, which nearly ended the then 25 year-old musician’s life.
After a more than yearlong recovery process, in which Cook also lost his singing voice for a period of time from having been intubated, he was able to resume recording sessions in November 2011, finally completing the album in April 2013. The first single and music video for the record, “Go Ahead (Live, Laugh, Love!),” was inspired by Cook’s struggle with his near-death experience and subsequent diagnosis and recovery.
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With “Live, Laugh, Love!” scheduled for an October 1, 2013 release, the record and several other pieces of merchandise are available for pre-order on the website PledgeMusic. Aside from being the only place to pre-order the record, 15% of all pledges raised will be directly donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which specializes in research for Type 1 Diabetes.
Though drawn from very negative experiences in his life, Matt Cook’s “Live, Laugh, Love!” record is a testament to his will to not only survive, but thrive and help others affected by the disease.
