Collaboration is key with Cousins
Rose Cousins credits her mother for her music passion.
“I don’t think that it is possible for me to have been born without music,” says the acclaimed now Halifax-based singer/songwriter (and long time photographer) who originally hails from Prince Edward Island. “My mum was very musical and I know that I get that from her, being able to sing and play. My first instrument was piano. I took a few lessons when I was young but failed miserably because I just played by ear and I would always usurp the lessons I was learning and just playback songs by ear if someone had played them for me. So, it was a very private relationship — myself with the piano and just with music in general,” she notes. “There were always lots of people playing at my house which was great. We did not have a typical family band from the East Coast. My mother listened to an eclectic variety of music which I am very thankful for as I still listen to lots of different kinds of music. The songs that hit me are emotionally moving with beautiful melodies that create an experience,” she says.
Cousins could be talking about her own work from albums to singles which have accented pivotal scenes in television dramas. “Let the Light Come in” was featured on the season finale of American medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” while (Patti Griffin cover) “Rain” was featured on the season finale of Canadian medical drama “Saving Hope.”
Cousins’ career began with the release of EPs “Only So Long” (2002) and Miles to Go (2003). The 2006 album debut “If You Were for Me” got her nomination for best solo artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, followed by numerous East Coast awards.
“The Send Off ” (2009) produced by Luke Doucet (of Whitehorse) featured musical roots music pals Kathleen Edwards, Tom Wilson, and Jenn Grant. And 2012’s “We Have Made a Spark” produced by Boston’s double bassist/multiinstrumentalist Zachariah Hickman (Barnstar, Josh Ritter) was made with more musical friends from Boston including Mark Erelli and Laura Cortese.
The album, nominated for a Polaris Music Prize and many other awards, garnered Cousins a 2013 Juno for Solo Roots album of the year.
“If I Should Fall Behind,” a film about the making of “Spark,” also featured acclaimed musicians Austin Nevins (Josh Ritter), Billy Beard (Patti Griffin) and Sean Staples (Buffalo Tom).
One of Cousin’s other fave musicians to play with is noted Toronto-based singer/songwriter Royal Wood (on Cousin’s song “Go”) whom she met through mutual East Coast pals, In Flight Safety. She and Wood are now celebrating their 10th anniversary playing together.
“He is an extremely talented man. I deeply respect people who work very hard and he is one of them,” she notes.
Music collaboration is key with Cousins. Latest album “Natural Conclusion” is produced by Grammy winner Joe Henry who has also worked with Hugh Laurie, Bonnie Raitt and Billy Bragg.
“Joe and I met at the Edmonton Folk Festival in 2012,” says Cousins. “We got to hang out a little bit. We stayed in touch and he was in L.A. and so whenever I went to L.A. we would have a coffee and this beautiful non-specific conversation. We got to know each other and we share a similar appreciation for the esthetic of music and poetry. He is a beautiful poet himself. When it came time to choose a producer I thought that some of the odd shaped songs that I have — the unconventional forms of them — I think that he would get it ... understand it ... and take care to maintain the integrity and the intention,” she says.
Album co-writes include Nashville’s noted songwriters Andrew Combs for dark rock and roots tune “Chains,” and K.S. Rhoads for the spacious haunting keysinfused ballad “White Flag,” plus Boston pal Mark Erelli for “Grace.” Erelli worked with Cousins on 2014 EP “Stray Birds” featuring the song “Tired Eyes.”
“Conclusion” is an aural blanket of deep emotional culling where the listener can just wrap themselves in Cousin’s rich vocals and spare poetic songs, let go, and just breathe. The aural diary begins with “Chosen,” moving to roots hard proclamations of the heart like “Freedom” and “Chains,” flowing into haunting love-gone-wrong revelations “White Flag,” “My Friend, “The Grate,” “Like Trees” and “Lock and Key.”
“Conclusion,” recorded at Toronto’s Noble Street Studios (Arkells, Matthew Good), also features a great lineup of musicians gathered by Cousins and Joe Henry including drummer Jay Bellrose and bassist David Piltch (Bonnie Raitt, Billy Bragg), pianist Aaron Davis (Holly Cole, Jane Siberry), guitarist Gord Tough (Katheleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer), plus Cousin’s “choir” — Jill Barber, and Caroline Brookes (The Good Lovelies) and fellow P.E.I. musician Kinley Dowling of Hey Rosetta on violin.
For this North American tour Cousins has a full band.
“I have never really afforded myself the privilege of that. I am just going for it this time,” she states. “I am really excited to actually play and represent the record as opposed to doing what I have done for so many years — make a beautiful record with a band and then play the tour myself,” says Cousins, adding her band will include Boston bassist/producer pal Zachariah Hickman, steel player Asa Brosius (Heavy Blinkers), Toronto’s Joshua Van Tassel, (Amelia Curran) and guitarist Dean Drouillard, who has played with Royal Wood and Jill Barber.