Since leaving her job in the alumni office at Dalhousie University to pursue music in 2005, Rose Cousins has released two EPs and now a third full-length album. With each new project, the singer-songwriter with a voice as clear as crystal adds more musical collaborators to her roster. She was able to recruit Luke Doucet to produce her second album, The Send Off, and has played with such Canadian icons as Kathleen Edwards, Jenn Grant, Melissa McClelland and Old Man Luedecke. Indeed, it was in this love of collaboration that We Have Made a Spark was born. Although the album has a dark aesthetic, featuring four stark piano ballads, including the heart-wrenchingly beautiful "One Way" and the equally sad ode to a doomed relationship, "Go First," a certain joie de vivre shines through. This is a consequence of the way the album was recorded: in Boston, with an old group of friends she's been playing music with for years. In fact, not only is We Have Made a Spark named after her positive experiences recording the album, she's also releasing a short documentary about the process.
Would you mind telling me a bit about your documentary, If I Should Fall Behind?
I feel like the documentary reveals the uniqueness and specialness of the community of musicians I work with. It just shows the heart of making music with a group of people. It's like a feel good piece, not necessarily the making of the record, but about my journey to Boston to play with these musicians.
Speaking of the importance of collaboration in your musical career, do you have any musicians on your wish list?
Absolutely. I dream of collaborating with Jully Black; she's fantastic.
In an interview a few years back, you described your experience as a full time traveling musician as earning a three-year degree in the lifestyle. Have you learned any lessons in particular that you would like to share?
One of the hardest things is that my life is in constant motion all the time, geographically, and I've learned a bit about my limits. I think one of the hardest things to do as an artist is to stop and celebrate what you've accomplished and maybe it's a lesson that is still hard to take. I know that I remind other people about it and probably sometimes need to remind myself to take a minute and really be present in the things that I am accomplishing. Things go so fast, it's such an incredible job and there are days when I pout and am like, "never mind," but it's an incredible opportunity, even if it's easy to get lost in the details.
(Outside)Would you mind telling me a bit about your documentary, If I Should Fall Behind?
I feel like the documentary reveals the uniqueness and specialness of the community of musicians I work with. It just shows the heart of making music with a group of people. It's like a feel good piece, not necessarily the making of the record, but about my journey to Boston to play with these musicians.
Speaking of the importance of collaboration in your musical career, do you have any musicians on your wish list?
Absolutely. I dream of collaborating with Jully Black; she's fantastic.
In an interview a few years back, you described your experience as a full time traveling musician as earning a three-year degree in the lifestyle. Have you learned any lessons in particular that you would like to share?
One of the hardest things is that my life is in constant motion all the time, geographically, and I've learned a bit about my limits. I think one of the hardest things to do as an artist is to stop and celebrate what you've accomplished and maybe it's a lesson that is still hard to take. I know that I remind other people about it and probably sometimes need to remind myself to take a minute and really be present in the things that I am accomplishing. Things go so fast, it's such an incredible job and there are days when I pout and am like, "never mind," but it's an incredible opportunity, even if it's easy to get lost in the details.
