AN INTERVIEW WITH COWBOY JUNKIES GUITARIST MICHAEL TIMMINS

The music of the Cowboy Junkies is like life: multi-faceted. From soft, slow ballads to barroom blues, they have the ability to seamlessly transport the listener from one mood to another, with an underlying quiet that pervades their style and allows you to hear every word. With Margo Timmins on vocals, Michael Timmins writing the songs and playing guitar, Peter Timmins on the drums, and Alan Anton on bass, the band plays a wide range of music that encompasses country, rock, folk, blues, and jazz. Margo’s voice - often smooth, clear, haunting, and slightly smoky, can in one moment lull you into quiet introspection, and keep you on your toes in the next.

The Cowboy Junkies have been around for a long time. Formed in 1985, they evolved from an earlier collaboration between Michael and Alan. After getting their start performing in Toronto clubs, they released their first album, Whites Off Earth Now, in 1986. Their following release, The Trinity Session - recorded at Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity - was named one of the ten best albums of 1988 by The L.A. Times. The album was so popular that they rerecorded a 20th anniversary edition (in the same church) that featured guest artists Ryan Adams, Vic Chestnut, Natalie Merchant, and Jeff Bird. Nominated for Group of the Year at the 1990 and ’91 Juno Awards, they have been touring and recording prolifically in the years since, all while steadfastly maintaining artistic control over their music.

On February 26th, they will be coming to the Homer Center for the Arts. Carousel caught up with Michael Timmons for an interview:

TCC: The Timmins family seems to be very creatively oriented (brother John is a musician and sister Cali is an actress). Do you grow up in a musical family? MT: Performing music was not part of our upbringing. But music was a big part of our household. Our Dad was a music lover and all six kids in the household inherited that love of music.

TCC: You were initially involved in a band with Alan (The Hunger Project). How did you hook up with Alan, and how did that evolve into your 30-year collaboration in the Cowboy Junkies?

MT: I have been a friend of Alan’s since we were in grade school; we grew up together and basically shared a record collection as kids. It was almost pre-ordained that we would form a band together.

TCC: What was Alan’s early background in music?

MT: Same as the rest of us: DIY… pick up an instrument and pretend to play it.

TCC: What was the music scene like in Toronto in the early years? Would you say that the Canadian music scene and the American scene were (and are) on the same trajectory, or do they differ?

MT: We all grew up in Montreal and moved to Toronto in the late 70s. It was a great scene back then and still is today. I think music scenes are local and not national, so it’s hard to compare.

TCC: You are listed as the songwriter for the band. Do you write all the music and lyrics, or is it a group collaboration?

MT: I write all the songs and then bring them to the band, and everyone then brings their musical personality and provides their input.

TCC: In the past 30 years there have been many changes in musical trends, yet some things are timeless. Do you feel that your sound, or what you want to put out there, has evolved or changed over the years?

MT: There is a core sound to what we do, which is basically how we communicate as musicians, but there is a wide dynamic and depth to that sound. The best example is to listen to all four of the Nomad Series albums and the breadth of what we do becomes clear.

TCC: Your bio mentions that you recorded Whites with an ambisonic microphone. What exactly is that, and what did it do to enhance your sound? MT: It’s a microphone designed to capture the ambient sound in the room. It was used on Whites Off Earth Now and The Trinity Session, which were both recorded as 2 track recordings.

TCC: How did your formation of Latent Recordings come about? MT: Out of necessity. Alan and I used it to release our first couple of bands in the late 70s early 80s, before we formed CJs. We have kept it around in different configurations ever since.

TCC: In the early 90s Margo was named one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in People magazine. What led up to all of that? MT: Part of the promo machine. There were lots of magazine covers and photo shoots in late 80s and early 90s.

TCC: In reading old interviews, I saw mention of family, children, and the difficulties of taking children on the road. Are any of the offspring involved in music, either on a personal or professional level? MT: Alan’s oldest child is in a metal band and tours fairly regularly. My youngest is very musically inclined, but is still in middle school. All but two of our kids are still in school. We started late with having kids.... we were busy.

TCC: Will Jeff Bird, or anyone else, be performing with the band during your performance in Homer? MT: Jeff will be with us. We will be performing as a five-piece.

TCC: What do you see happening for the band in 2016? Could you discuss a bit about your future plans and goals? MT: We will be touring throughout 2016 and beginning to think about, and starting to work on, the next album.

TCC: If you had to choose five essential tracks that would best represent the Cowboy Junkies, what would they be, and why? TCC: “Bea’s Song.” ”Cause Cheap Is How I Feel.” “Blue Guitar.” “Continental Drift.” “Cicadas.” I like the writing, performing, and production in each.

Margo has been quoted as saying that CJ is primarily a jam band, and as with all jam bands, no two performances are exactly alike. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, each show has something about it that is fresh and new. And so it will be at their performance in Homer. The show beings at 8pm on the 26th at the 400-seat Center for the Arts located at 72 S. Main Street in Homer, NY. Tickets are $38 general admission, $32 seniors (60+), $28 students (18+), and free for military and veterans (with ID) and children under 18. They may be purchased online at cowboyjunkies.com or center4art.showare.com. Further information can be found on the websites or by calling (607) 749-4900.