About:

CHIRP Radio Welcomes

Lloyd Cole

Lloyd Cole Official Website

About a year ago, after almost a decade in self-imposed exile as a would-be folksinger, I developed an itch I wasn’t expecting. It seemed that there were aspects to my old life in rock and roll that I missed. Tour buses and product managers, certainly not. But the interacting with musicians, the camaraderie and the joy of hearing one’s music enhanced and elevated by the aesthetic of others, absolutely. Damn.

I never wanted to make records alone, but somehow I ended up spending much of the 2000’s in a studio with just a bunch of equipment and a computer, or touring with a suitcase and two guitars. Two things made me realise that I needed to rejoin the fray, at least for a little while I had written some songs which demanded a beat, and I was having great fun with my new acoustic trio – The Small Ensemble. Why not make a rock(ing) record, or whatever it is that 49-year-olds make when they try to do that?

Money, for one. I couldn’t afford to just not tour for six months and spend $65,000. And I certainly wasn’t about to go looking for a major record deal… Fortunately, I’d been working the last few years with Tapete Records in Hamburg on a couple of projects and I felt that our relationship was good. I like them and trust them. I’m not interested in doing business with folk I don’t like any more. My friends at XIII Bis in France were also interested. Tapete said they could front some of the budget. For the rest I followed the example of my old Negative pal Jill Sobule and I asked my fans for money. 1000 very forward thinking, not to mention trusting folk paid $45 for a deluxe edition of an album which wasn’t even recorded.

Lloyd Cole - Writers Retreat! from Tapete Records on Vimeo.

Rose Cousins

Rose Cousins Official Website

Rose Cousins finds insight in solitude and strength in numbers. Supported by a thriving Halifax music scene and welcomed by an equally vibrant Boston community, her new album We Have Made A Spark was made in the spirit of community and collaboration.

We Have Made A Spark follows Cousins’ two multi-award-winning albums The Send Off (2009) produced by Luke Doucet and If You Were For Me (2006) produced by CBC in Halifax.  Yet another collection of stunning songs by Rose Cousins, her third album braves weighty topics.

“We develop patterns that keep us from moving forward. It takes a deep breath and a bucket of courage to face the uncomfortable, painful things we work so hard to avoid. Reward comes from recognizing the obstacle exists and pushing through fear.”