Folk-pop artist Rose Cousins will be one of two headliners for the Feb. 15 Cochrane Valley Folk Club (CVFC) show at the Alliance Church, joining Del Barber for a night that will celebrate Canadian roots music.
While some artists might be focused on getting back into the studio to begin recording their next album, in line with the industry pace of every 18-24 months, Cousins is still reeling from the rollercoaster ride that saw her latest album catapulting her career into the next level.
“I had two really intense years since coming out with that album,” said Cousins, referring to her third release, We Have Made A Spark (2012).
“I’m going to take a (short) break, reenergize and start writing…I know I need to take a break and that’s one of the hardest things to do.”
The album netted the songstress critical praise from both sides of the border, adding to her collection of awards including a 2013 JUNO for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year.
This adds to her pool of six East Coast Music Awards, two Canadian Folk Music Awards, three Nova Scotia Music Awards, three P.E.I. Music Awards and a Polaris Prize long list nomination.
The album was recorded as a collaborative-style project with the P.E.I. native’s musical counterparts in Boston, Mass. — where Cousins found her groove as a professional musician a decade ago.
“It’s like a musical conversation, where everyone has something to lend to the group,” she said on the collective of musicians who contributed to the album. “I really trusted everyone in the (recording) process…it’s amazing to make a record with people you love and respect.”
Album collaborators included producer Zachary Hickman, who was “incredible at driving the process” and Austin Nevins, songwriters Rose Polenzani, Kris Delmhorst, Mark Erelli, Jennifer Kimball, Laura Cortese, Amy Correia, Ana Egge, Edie Carey, Billy Beard and Dinty Child (members of the Session Americana) and multi-instrumentalists Sean Staples and Charlie Rose.
The album was recorded at Somerville, Mass. studio, Q Division, and has caught the attention of numerous U.S. magazines, including Oprah Magazine and Entertainment Weekly and radio stations such as Sirius XM, WFUV and WXPN.
An exploration of the darker side of life, Cousins is fascinated with her evaluation of the emotions tied to the human condition.
“I like slow, sad songs to a fault…I like mining the dark corners of the human condition,” she revealed.
Cousins, who began her musical foray on piano, eventually adding guitar to the mix, said part of her drive as a songwriter and performer is found in acknowledging the role she plays in the lives of others.
“Music plays an unbelievable role in my life…we associate specific albums with things we went through, and the idea that my songs would mean that to someone is the privilege of music.”
The songstress, who now resides in Halifax and relishes in her contributions to a thriving East Coast music scene, said she feels affirmation that she has made the right career choice every time she travels to Fredericton, N.B. to perform at the Shivering Songs Festival in January, for an audience filled with many faces she has seen before.
“There’s something really sweet about playing for those people who have that first EP…it’s comforting…”
To learn more about Rose Cousins, visit rosecousins.com.
Tickets to the CVFC show are available at cochranefolkclub.com, at Cochrane Coffee Traders or Phantoms Music.
