Music Style bluesy psychedelic country-pop-rock

Musical Influences Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Lightnin Hopkins, The Band

Similar Artists nobody

Artist History With seven critically acclaimed releases under their belts, Cowboy Junkies have clearly connected with fans – they’ve sold more than four million albums worldwide. The band started out in 1985 with Michael, Peter and bassist Alan Anton, one of Michael’s oldest friends, jamming in a garage. Michael and Alan had tried their luck with a couple of other bands, Hunger Project and Germinal, and had recently returned to Toronto after several years in New York and England. The next step was to find a singer. “I never wanted to be a musician,” Margo confides, “but one day Mike asked me to sing. I said yes, but only if I didn't have to do it in front of the other guys. So I sang with Mike for a couple of days, and then he asked, ‘Um, do you think it’d be okay if we brought the other guys in now?’ I said, ‘Well, okay. I guess so, I mean, if we have to.’” The Junkies released their debut, Whites Off Earth Now!, in 1986 on their own Latent label. Hypnotic and languorous, it revealed Michael‘s fascination with Robert Johnson, Lightnin‘ Hopkins and other seminal blues artists. The band toured the Southern and Southwestern U.S. in support of the record, soaking up the music of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers along the way, which, in turn, inspired their second album, The Trinity Session, self-released in 1988.Recorded with a single microphone in Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity in one 14-hour session – at a cost of $250 – The Trinity Session featured spare, lilting originals alongside Jennings, Williams and Patsy Cline covers, as well as a haunting version of the Velvet Underground classic “Sweet Jane.” With “Sweet Jane” getting considerable airplay on college and commercial radio and reviewers lauding the band’s fresh sound, word soon began to spread. Before long, the Junkies had signed to RCA Records, which re-released The Trinity Session to a wider audience and platinum sales.Their subsequent albums – The Caution Horses (1990), Black Eyed Man (1992), Pale Sun, Crescent Moon (1993), Lay It Down (1996) (which featured the Top 20 Modern Rock hit “A Common Disaster” and earned Cowboy Junkies a gold record) and Miles From Our Home (1998) – chronicle the band’s evolution, a process Michael sees as gradual and organic. “Mostly, we’ve changed in the way we play as a band; it’s become much easier to communicate musically over the years. And we’ve all grown as musicians. We’re able to bring more dynamics and variety to the music.”In 1999 Cowboy Junkies restarted Latent Recordings and released Rarities, B Sides and Slow, Sad Waltzes, a collection of unreleased songs from their vaults. “We found ourselves unattached to a record label for the first time in ten years and didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it. We embraced our new-found independent status by quickly releasing a CD,” says Michael. “We also launched our website (www.cowboyjunkies.com) at the same time. Selling the Rarities CD has shown us how powerful a tool the Internet is and will become - it is a very exciting time for us.”In October of 2000 the Junkies will release their next Latent project which will be a live album entitled Waltz Across America. The disc has been culled from performances given during the past year’s touring. ”The Waltz Tour was so successful from both a commercial and artistic perspective,” says Margo. “It was definitely the most fun that we have ever had on the road, so we figured that this would be a good way to commemorate the tour and say thank you to our audience for sticking by us.” For more than fifteen years Cowboy Junkies have continued to cultivate their distinctive sound, consistently making music on their own terms. “I think ours is a healthy success story,” says Michael. “It’s not a flashy one – we’ve never had an enormous hit – but that’s probably the reason we’re still around. We’ve been able to do what we want with our integrity in tact and always keep our respect for the audience in the forefront. I think the fans appreciate that.” Margo concludes simply, “I think the point is to be honest and to just continue doing what we do.”DISCOGRAPHY Whites Off Earth Now!, Latent, 1986.The Trinity Session, RCA, 1988.The Caution Horses, RCA, 1990.Black-Eyed Man, RCA, 1992. Pale Sun, Crescent Moon, RCA, 1993. 200 More Miles, RCA, 1994Lay It Down, Geffen, 1996. Miles From Our Home, Geffen, 1998. Rarities, B Sides and Slow Sad Waltzes, Latent, 1999Waltz Across America, Latent, 2000.

Group Members Margo Timmins (vocals)Michael Timmins (guitar)Peter Timmins (drums)Alan Anton (bass)Touring band includes Jeff Bird (bass, harmonica, percussion, mandolin); Linford Detweiler (keyboards); Karin Berquist (guitar and vocals)

Location Toronto, Ontario - Canada

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