Still Loyal to Her Roots
Despite success, singer Allison Crowe doesn't forget where she came from
Derek Spalding, The Daily News
Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008
The shadow of an eating disorder that Allison Crowe obsessed
about in high school will always follow her, but at 26, the rising
independent music star from Vancouver Island never looks back as she
walks toward a bright future of world music tours and a strong fan
following she has built on her own.
Crowe has released six albums on her Rubenesque Records label and
has turned down several big contracts in order to maintain full
control of her career. She actually rescheduled a show in Paris at
the end of a short European tour so she could return to her hometown
for this week's official opening of the Vancouver Island Conference
Centre.
Nanaimo's rising star needs to be commended for her conviction.
She's avoided the easy way out and turned down several lucrative
record deals, which is impressive considering the mountainous task
of distributing her own CDs and booking international tours. But
with some savvy Internet networking, Crowe pulls it off.
For me, she moves into the ranks of Kimya Dawson, who refuses to
sell her albums in Wal-Mart simply because of her principles. She
joins reputable icons like Radiohead by offering her music to fans
for free via her website.
"It's really important to do what I want and write what I want and work with whomever I want," she told me Wednesday from her parents house. "This way, I maintain control over the creative process. It's more of a grass roots way of building, rather than exploding all at once."
Singer Allison Crowe will be at the official
opening of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre this weekend
Crowe's home at mom and dad's in Nanaimo after a European tour
that included stops in Scotland, Austria, Germany, the Czech
Republic and France. At this point in her career, one might think,
she's too big for the Harbour City, but by rebooking her second
Paris show she tells everyone that her hometown loyalty is probably
as firm and unshaken as her artistic integrity. With her fiance
waiting for her back at her new home in Newfoundland, the maturing
artist spent nearly 30 hours on a plane before crashing at her
parents on Monday. She has time to rest and prepare for Saturday's
show at the VICC. She plays three short sets throughout the day as
the public visits the $72-million facility.
The change of plans to return home shouldn't come as a surprise to
anyone. Crowe has been holding an annual Christmas performances at
the historic St. Andrew's United Church every year since 2003. The
first Tidings concert was a spin-off of her Christmas CD of
the same name released that same year, coinciding with a live
television broadcast. Tidings raises money for local community
organizations such as women's groups and homeless outreach programs.
The television broadcasts have aired every year for the past five
years and has received critical acclaim across the country.
She writes original music mostly from her piano and her acoustic
guitar, but each of her CDs typically covers songs from some of her
favourite artists, a practice she does for sheer fun. Crowe is
well-known for her version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah,"
which appeared on the first Tidings album. But she has
others, including Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time,"
appearing on her latest album Little Light.
Sitting with her acoustic, Crowe turns yet another song into one of
her own. As she says, Lauper has an "amazing voice and often
overlooked." You can visit the Daily News website and click on
the link to have a listen for yourself.
"Sometimes it seems like a particular song would work well
in a different way, like with the piano or guitar, so I just sit
down and try it," she said. "But mostly I do it because I
like playing it and it's fun."
Also on the new album, fans get a second version of "Disease,"
a track Crowe wrote when she was 17 and coping with an eating
disorder that discouraged her from eating and encouraged her to work
out extensively. She may carry that disease with her forever, but
she never lets it phase her.
It was after a show in Dublin, Ireland that she sat down and pounded
a much more aggressive version of "Disease." The
show had a small turnout and she was discouraged. That moment of
disappointment, however, turned into a more apt rendition of her
deeply personal song.
Getting her name out there has not been an easy task, but it's been
an "exciting" experience, Crowe explained. Whether its
networking with artists from around the world on websites such as MySpace
or putting all her music on the Internet for free, she has become
fluent in modern
Internet marketing.
Crowe added the Paris to her latest tour after connecting online
with friend Emily Green, who performs under the name Sugar Plum
Visions.
"You meet these people online and then you start making plans
for shows," Crowe said. "It takes a lot of planning, but
it's so worth it."
Offering music for free online also gives her an edge.
"For me, as an independent, getting the music out there is the
most important thing," she said. "People feel its stealing
from the artists, but for those who have listened to the music and
like it, they usually buy the album. If they don't, they come to the
shows. It's all about
sharing."
Crow plays three mini-concert sets this Saturday at 11:30 a.m.,
12:45 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Her latest CD is available at Fascinating
Rhythm in Nanaimo and Lyle's Place in Victoria. Sample it
online at allisoncrowe.com
DSpalding@nanaimodailynews.com
250-729-4231
© The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2008