Tuesday, May 7, 1996
Band comes to L.A. this weekendBy Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Contributor
The four members of the Cowboy Junkies sit against a plain white
background on the cover of their sixth and most recent album, "Lay
it Down." Wearing simple black clothes, they appear sedate and at
ease. Yet, hidden behind their friendly faces lurks a seedier
force.
"I find that the darker or the more mysterious side of people
and the world are what fascinate me and what I always think about
to analyze, to examine, and what I try and figure out," says
songwriter and lead guitarist, Michael Timmins.
The Junkies have had quite a bit of time to ponder this topic,
having recorded their first album, "Whites Off Earth Now!!" back in
1986. In those days, lead singer Margo Timmins would only sing in
front of her brother, Michael. Now, the band is headlining a
nation-wide tour, stopping in Los Angeles on the 10th and 11th.
At 37, in the midst of a blossoming musical career, it’s no
wonder Michael Timmins’ lyrics drift in such a chaotic direction.
With couples around him involved in divorce and decisions about the
creation of families being made, "Lay It Down" reflects a great
deal of mid-life turmoil.
"I think a lot of the songs are dealing with people in
relationships at certain crossroads in those relationships, not
necessarily relationships with one another, but also a relationship
with the world around you, or with your own self," explains Michael
Timmins. "I feel a lot of songs on this record are about people
having to make choices at that fork in the road and having to
decide which direction to go."
Yet, Michael Timmins says "I never really set out in my lyrics
to preach. I’m not trying to teach a lesson, I’m just trying to
analyze things from my own perspective and hopefully, individuals
will come away with their own perspective. But musically, what we
wanted to do was just to lead the focus back on the four of
us."
Staying away from the help of outside musicians, the quartet
works off of each other’s musical energy. Joined by sibling Peter
Timmins and friend Alan Anton, Michael and Margo lead the group
through one intense piece after the next. Having been in other
bands before the start of the Cowboy Junkies, Michael expresses no
desire to leave the family-based ensemble. In fact, he looks
forward to developing the Junkies’ style further.
"Within that style, there’s different influences," says Michael
Timmins. "There’s country, there’s blues, there’s rock, and there’s
sort of psychedelic stuff and a little bit of jazz." As for the
future, he asserts that "it’s really hard to say where that will
head. It all depends."
In the meantime, the band will continue to work on their mellow
sound. Having fine tuned it for "Lay It Down," a great deal of
growth is evident between this work and earlier efforts. Through
live performance, studio work, and rehearsals, the Cowboy Junkies
have managed to meld their individual talents into a single, power
driven force.
"The maturing process is something that takes place over time.
If you’re aware of your instrument and aware of the musicians
you’re playing with, you’ll learn everybody’s quirks and
personalities and then you just become a tighter, more proficient,
and efficient band," relates Timmins.
To aid in this process, vocalist Margo Timmins recently took a
series of voice lessons. Working on breathing, warming up, and
technique, the instructions stayed away from tinkering with her
unique style. Instead, she gained a stronger set of pipes and more
confidence while on the road.
However, some may be surprised to hear of these instructions, as
it was her voice which kept the song "Sweet Jane" on Billboard’s
Modern Rock Tracks chart for seventeen weeks straight. Originally
released on a 1988 recording, the song gained mass appeal two years
ago from the "Natural Born Killers" soundtrack. The decision to
cover this Velvet Underground piece stemmed from a desire to play a
classic garage and bar band favorite.
"We wanted to take a song like that and almost prove to
ourselves that we could make it our own, even a song which was so
well defined as ‘Sweet Jane’ and has been done so many times,"
explains Michael Timmins. "We wanted to be able to turn it into our
own creation."
With the song’s success came widespread attention and a larger
audience base.
"We get good mail. I haven’t seen hate mail. We don’t get a ton
of it, but we get enough," says Michael Timmins. "It’s kind of fun.
It’s nice to get letters."
Along with this fame comes a certain lack of privacy. Though
Margo usually has to deal with eager fans more than the rest of the
band members, they all get their share of sightings.
"I will occasionally be recognized," says Michael Timmins. "It’s
kind of an uncomfortable feeling. You like to be a little anonymous
when you’re doing your shopping."
Despite his uneasiness with day to day listener contact, Michael
Timmins enjoys playing live. Finding it the "ultimate" event in the
life of a musician, he’s happy the band’s success has afforded him
such an opportunity to play. Still, he doesn’t see the Junkies’
mass appeal as anything more than a way to support his
occupation.
"As a musician, all you can hope for is that you continue to be
able to make music and the bonus is that you be able to live off
it," he says. "And that’s what we’ve been able to do for ten years
now, so we’ve been very fortunate."
So, does Michael Timmins enjoy being a rock star?
"Yes," he admits. It’s "not a bad job at all."
MUSIC: Cowboy Junkies at the Wiltern May 10, 8 p.m. TIX: $22.50.
At the Coach House May 11, 7 & 9:30 p.m. TIX: $27.50. For more
info., call (213) 480-3232.
The Cowboy Junkies (l-r), Margo Timmins, Michael Timmins, Peter
Timmins and Alan Anton, will perform at two L.A. venues this
week.