He obtained a degree in Computational Linguistics from Dublin City University in 2002, but chose to pursue a career in music.

He appeared at the 2006 Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co Laois, with David Geraghty's Bell X1 solo project which also featured renowned violinist Cora Venus Lunny, vocalist Clare Finglass, double-bassist Dave Redmond, drummer Kevin Brady (both from the Kevin Brady Trio who have toured Ireland with Bill Carothers, Maria Tecce, The Phil Ware Trio, etc.)

He began work on his first full album in Freiburg, Germany in 2004, and the result, Wax and Seal, was released to positive reviews in 2005.

Cooke teamed up with bassist David Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady in early 2010 to arrange songs for what would become "Fingertips of the Silversmith".

"Fingertips of the Silversmith" was described as "a dreamy, understated collection of Americana-tinged folk-rock, marked out by Cooke’s poetic sensibility and keen eye for life’s absurdities"[2] and given 4 stars by The Sunday Business Post; while GoldenPlec described it as "One of the strongest albums an Irish artist has come out with this year".