Time and introspection shape new album
Cowboy Junkies are currently touring “Such Ferocious Beauty,” with a stop Sunday at the River Run Centre in Guelph
IN THE SUMMER OF
2020 to the spring of 2021, Michael Timmins and his family were dealing with his father’s progressing dementia.
Timmins is the lead guitarist and song writer for the band Cowboy Junkies, the iconic Canadian band based in Toronto. It’s a family band, composed of three siblings, Michael, Margo and Peter Timmins, and their lifelong friend Alan Anton.
Out of this difficult time for the Timmins family, came the band’s latest album, “Such Ferocious Beauty,” their first new material in five years.
“There was a lot happening. We were in the middle of COVID, there was a lot happening down in the US – January 6 happened in the middle of the writing process. More importantly, our dad – there are three siblings in the band – was falling deeper into dementia, so we were taking care of him. There was a lot happening and a lot of thinking about the world and what it’s doing, and the word ‘impermanence’ came a lot in my writing and my thinking, and that’s really what this record is about,” Timmins explained.
The band is touring now across the province, including a show at Guelph’s River Run Centre on Sunday.
Timmins says speaking about issues like his father’s dementia is important.
“We’re of an age where lots of friends and people are going through this with their parents or loved ones, people around them. So it was an issue that we felt we should talk about, that it’s something that should be discussed and it shouldn’t really be something that’s hidden in everybody’s closet because it’s a big issue and it’s extremely emotional and emotionally taxing thing to go through. The more people who are dealing with and talking about it and sharing experiences, the better it’ll be for everybody.”
Cowboy Junkies was formed in 1985, and their compelling 1988 album “Trinity Sessions” was something quiet and reflective amidst the rock dominating the musical scene at the time. It propelled the them to fame. Timmins says Cowboy Junkies are primarily a performance band, and this means a lot of time on the road.
Yet, somehow all the band members have managed to prioritize family.
“Everybody has maintained their marriage, and that’s quite amazing. Nobody’s divorced. I think part of that is because there’s family in the band: there are three family members, so that’s always been very important. We’ve always understood the stability of family and how important it is to keep that stable,” he said. “The band is important to us, and individually it’s very important but it’s not as important as the family.”
To write the music, Timmins says he makes a small escape and gets away to write. The new album was written in a rented renovated barn near Collingwood, close to where his sister lives. In the midst of the pandemic, they would get together to jam and write music.
The setting was in nature, and this is included in the final version of the album.
“You’d have all the windows open, and a lot of these songs, a lot of the birdsong and the frogs and that were on the demos, and we thought it was an important part of what this album is about, sort of a rebirth,” he said.
“Such Ferocious
Beauty” looks at less-explored themes like aging and losing parents, and remains true to the band’s signature introspective and quiet sound, with Margo’s rich vocals creating a deep soundscape.
One song, ‘Hell is Real,’ is about the fear that people live with, especially during the pandemic, says Timmins.
“I think we overlook that there are a lot of people out there who are scared, especially during COVID, and lonely and empty. I think that’s something that we don’t address,” he said. “For some people who are isolated and alone and scared, that’s hell. And that is ‘Hell is Real.’”
The band has been together for four decades, with the same four core members, and they still enjoy each other’s company and making music together.
Timmins says they’ll be focusing on touring and playing the album for the next little while.
“If you’ve ever enjoyed live music, come on down. Even if you don’t know us, come on down to see us. Because we’re a band that’s been together for over 35 years, which is a rarity, right?” he said. “The classic 10,000 hours of doing something, we’ve put in our work. And there’s nothing like live music and listening and enjoying a band that knows what they’re doing, and has that sort of communication level.”
The Cowboy Junkies take to the stage at the River Run Centre on Sunday at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www. riverrun.ca.