Derrick Marr, Great White Noise
Monday, February 9, 2004
There will be the obvious comparisons to the songs styles of Sarah McLachlan, and, in truth, there are similarities, but that in no way should be taken as meaning there is any intentional formula following. It is simply the case of two women with beautiful voices sharing a passion for a somewhat laid back, jazz based style of pop rock.
Born in Nanaimo B.C., also coincidently the hometown of Diana Krall, Allison was exposed to music from a very young age. She quickly developed a love of jazz music and by the age of 15 found herself playing to audiences up and down Vancouver Island.
Tidings is a similar listening experience, this time wrapped pleasantly in the guise of a Christmas CD. The songs selected and recorded for this disc, however, ensure that it is far more than simply something listened to once or twice a year. Combining traditional Christmas classics such as Silent Night and O Holy Night, with lesser known or thought of works such as Hallellujah, In The Bleak Midwinter and Shine A Light, and even a version of the non-Christmas, yet inspirational Sarah McLachlan hit Angel, Allison has released a CD that is a pleasure to listen to both during the Yule season and any other time of the year.
True “vocalists” are seldom stumbled across in this age of nu-metal, hip-hop, rap, or any of the other multitude of genre fragments. Sometimes it seems like the art of writing a good song is lost. In the rush to get the next all-elusive hit, many talents have fallen by the wayside and have perhaps forgotten what started them on this path in the first place. To date it seems like Allison has held true to her origins. Only time will tell if this remains the case, but personally I’m thinking there are going to be many, many more insightful and beautiful songs emerging from within the young lady from Nanaimo.
Allison was kind enough to answer a few questions for me recently. So instead of me continuing to ramble on, here are of few of the things she has to say, complete and unedited as they were asked and answered…enjoy.
GWN: I understand that Rubenesque Records is
not only the label that releases your music, but in fact is YOUR
label. What made you decide to launch an independent label and take
on the headaches of that instead of following the more traditional
route of submitting your music to the large labels?
Allison: I started Rubenesque as a company a couple of years ago,
and have only started truly putting it to use just recently. In late
2003, we decided to make it not only the label that releases my
music, but also use it as a platform for up and coming artists to
get a chance to perform through live shows :) Basically, what I want
to do is have creative freedom with my own music, and to give young
artists the same opportunities I’ve had.
GWN: Has the work on the label been worth the effort, or if you had
to do it over again would you try something different?
Allison: I would say it’s definitely worth the effort. We are
truly just starting out, so I might feel differently in a matter of
years, but I would say that this experience so far of being
completely independent has been extremely rewarding. I would not do
it differently if I had the chance to do it over again. Also, being
able to help other artists is great!!! :)
GWN: Any plans to take on other acts in the future or will this
remain a label for releasing your music alone?
Allison: It takes time to build, and get solid distribution and the
parts of the record company in place. It’s really one step at a
time. As it stands right now, I will pretty much just be releasing
my own music, and I won’t be taking on any artists in the
recording/career sense. In the future, however, that’s something I
may consider. :)
GWN: At roughly what age were you when you realized this is how you
wanted to earn your living?
Allison: Earning a living is all relative, right? hehehe. Well,
joking aside, I would say I was probably around 8 years old when I
realized that this is what I would love to do with my life. Of
course, at that time, I also wanted to be a vet and a dentist and,
possibly, a mermaid.
GWN: Who were your premier influences growing up, and which band or
musician would we be surprised to find out you are a fan of?
Allison: Growing up, I basically listened to whatever was playing on
my parents’ stereo or car radio. I heard a lot of Elton John, Led
Zeppelin and all sorts of jazz. Jazz musicians surround my immediate
and extended families, so that was a great influence on me. Also,
through lessons, I played a lot of classical music. I would at a
later time steal my brother’s CDs, which led me to Pearl Jam in
1991 or 1992, and Counting Crows in ‘93... Then, a year or two
later, I heard Tori Amos, and then Fiona Apple, and then Ani
DiFranco... And the list basically continues on from there. You
might be surprised to learn that I am a HUGE fan of musical theatre.
That’s another thing I was brought up on… I wanted to be Eponine
or Fantine in Les Mis, and Grizabella in Cats. :)
GWN: Women in the music industry seem to be flourishing perhaps more
than they ever have in the past. Do you credit this to any
particular ground breakers, or is it simply our culture finally
catching up to the talent and accepting it? Do you feel you have
encountered any difficulties simply because of your gender, or are
we finally on the verge of getting past that in the industry?
Allison: There are so many women responsible for paving the way for
women today that it would be hard to name just a few. But I would
certainly like to thank all of them for making it even possible for
me to be doing what I am doing now. From Billie Holiday to Joni
Mitchell, and everyone in between, before and after :o) Ani DiFranco
is a huge ground-breaker for artists in general, as she does
everything on her own terms. That’s something I think is amazing,
and is definitely something to aspire to!! :o) I have encountered
rude comments from random people, those who try to cut you down
simply because you’re a female. That’s about it. I usually just
feel sorry for whoever says things like that, because they are
really just ignorant. They used to really get to me, but I realized,
if I let it get to me then they have won. So, instead, I don’t. :)
GWN: Any hard lessons you have learned or situations you have
encountered that you could advise younger female performers starting
out on how to avoid or handle?
Allison: I would say, basically, just be aware of your surroundings,
wherever you are. Make sure that you are safe, really. Also,
remember to assert yourself. Don’t ever change yourself or just go
along with something because someone else says so, and you think you
don’t have a say in the matter. If it’s about you, then only you
have the final say. Don’t be intimidated.
GWN: Your version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah is probably one of
the nicest songs, whether a Christmas song or not, that I have
heard. What inspired you to pick that particular song to cover on
Tidings? It certainly isn’t what most people would call a
Christmas Classic.
Allison: First off, thank you so much :) I think that this song,
while not traditionally Christmas-y, is indeed spiritual in its own
way. It’s also just a really beautiful song, and that’s what led
to it being on the album. I sing Hallelujah in concert and when it
came time to make the recording it just seemed to fit.
GWN: What are the long-term goals for Allison Crowe and her band?
Allison: The long-term goal is to just keep doing what we are doing,
on a grander scale. The short-term goals are recording, touring,
touring, and more touring!
GWN: Any plans to tour on the east coast?
Allison: Yes indeed. We hope to make it to the east coast this
spring/summer. :)
GWN: IF you have any free time, what do you do for hobbies and/or
fun?
Allison: I am really in to computers. I have also taken to watching
the show 24 almost every night (seasons 1 and 2). Aside from that I
enjoy doing anything that’s even remotely creative. Crafts,
drawing, writing, cooking, etc. And then of course, performing in
concerts for me is fun, so I’ll count that. Exercise can be fun
too; we have a lot of nice places around Nanaimo to go for
walks/runs. I am also taking Biology through correspondence right
now to get my high school diploma, and that’s a lot of fun, too!!
GWN: Outside of the music field are there any business endeavors you
plan to pursue?
Allison: At this time, no. But, in the future, I would love to get
back in to theatre, and maybe write a book. (I’ve tried before and
I don’t seem to have the attention span for it yet.)
GWN: Are you having fun?????!
Allison: YES!!!
