Ani DiFranco, “the little folksinger that could”, an inspiring model for Allison Crowe and her team, says she understands why so few musicians actually follow her DIY route – it’s hard work going against the current!

Still, there can be perks for a traveling troubadour. Behold the PanAm ‘Jet Clipper’, one of such aircraft checking in for decades at Gander International, Newfoundland’s hangars for refuelling on trans-Atlantic flights. It spirits passengers and crew in style.

Allison Crowe and Band’s just-wrapped concert trip to Europe touched souls in Germany, Slovenia, Italy, Belgium and England. “On the Air”, written when Crowe was a teenager, still packs great emotional weight – and soars now without some personal baggage of early flights.

On board for this musical journey, Allison Crowe (vocals, piano), Céline Greb aka Lin Lin (cello, vox), Billie Woods (guitar, vox), Dave Baird (bass) – and, in the wings, Sarah White (mandolin, vox). It’s on the manifest for for the band’s debut release “Heirs + Grievances”.

http://music.allisoncrowe.com/track/on-the-air

Now on Bandcamp

On The Air - Allison Crowe and Band

01 Aoife Singing

This is what I recorded the other day - NIN’s  “Hurt”  (by Trent Reznor, on “The Downward Spiral”) - recently requested and also requested by a friend 20 years ago, - who have birthdays 2 days apart it appears - so, I figured it was about time - happy birthday, Josh⁠, and Kristen ❤️ 

Sidebar: when I think of people I’d love to record with one day - Trent always is in my brain. Perfect Drug is my favourite music video. Pretty Hate Machine is one of the albums that helped me through teenagehood (Cause I am a huge Tori Amos fan if that wasn’t obvious hahaha) . #music #nineinchnails #trent_reznor #recordings  #toriamos

Hurt

There's Something Wrong With That Place

“Mice March” right into our livingroom from TNL’s “trad” Nutcracker. Here’s Tchaikovsky’s tune arranged by choreographer Candice Barry (Pike) and musician Allison Crowe for the rollicking “Newfoundland Vinyl IV”. 

Newfoundland Vinyl IV

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/newfoundland-vinyl-iv-2

The lovely isle of Newfoundland, off Canada’s Atlantic coast, is inspiration for this collection – the newest in the “Vinyl” series from Corner Brook, NL musician Allison Crowe. 

Allison’s in harbour with a boatful of tunes reveling in, and revealing, the region’s rich culture and history – stirring music that nourishes heart and soul. 

The album opens with "Mice March" and closes with "Russian Dance", both selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” – freshly arranged and performed “trad” style for Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador’s “Ed & Ed’s Newfoundland Christmas Concert”. And between these tracks is a bounty of adventuresome musical ideas – embracing songs of land and sea. 

Traditional music, and modern favourites – funny, poignant, earthy and ethereal – all part of the “Newfoundland Vinyl” stage-show lovingly curated and directed by Allison Crowe each Summer at TNL’s Gros Morne Theatre Festival. 

The album cover photograph by Allison shows us what she sees at home making music. And the songs themselves let us feel it all, as well. Joys and hardships be tugging on the heart-line first cast by Simani, and true as ever: “You might think she’s rugged and cold, but she’s home, sweet, home to me.”

Credits:

Allison Crowe: all vocals, instruments, engineering and production. 

Album cover photo: Allison Crowe. 

Graphics: Mind Palace Design.

Newfoundland Vinyl IV

Mice March

Mice March (Nutcracker)

Pillars (the Single) / All Your Favorite Bands is the debut double-A-side release from Allison Crowe and Band's upcoming album, Pillars (out May 1st, 2020): 

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/pillars-5 - Pillars

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/all-your-favorite-bands-feat-sarah-melanie-white-2 - All Your Favorite Bands 

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/pillars-all-your-favorite-bands - double-A Pillars / All Your Favorite Bands


Pillars

Composed by Allison Crowe
As performed by Allison Crowe and Band

After all of the storms
Are come and gone
I can’t really be sure
This is my pillar to stand on

I’ve watched it crumble and fall
Right at your feet, and
There aren’t enough turns in the world
To force these paths to meet

Chorus:

I can’t breathe
So open a window
It’s freezing
So close it again
You say: It hurts when I do this
I say: So why do that
This silence is killing me
But it isn’t as hard as the fall

So what do I do?
I guess I just wait
‘cause trying to force time
Is just tempting fate

I am reasonably sure
There’s no easy solution
And I have never been good
At conflict resolution

Chorus:

And I can’t breathe
So open a window
It’s freezing
So close it again
You say: It hurts when I do this
I say: So why do that
This silence is killing me
But it isn’t as hard as the fall

There’s a stillness here now
A curious sort of quiet
And my only strength left
Is the comfort in leading the riot

And I can’t make you believe
In God I haven’t respected
Not until my own certainty
In the fates has resurrected

Chorus:

And I can’t breathe
So open a window
It’s freezing
So close it again
You say: It hurts when I do this
So why in the Hell would you do that
This silence is killing me
But it isn’t as hard as the fall

My pillar to stand on
And I don’t know, I don’t know…
This is my pillar to stand on…

This is my pillar to stand on

ALLISON CROWE AND BAND:

Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, cello, guitar, fiddle, Seaboard and more); 
Sarah Melanie White (mandolin, bouzouki, vocals+)
Dave Baird (bass); & 
Keelan Purchase (accordion, guitar, harmonica, vocals)

Allison Crowe: Composer & Co-Producer
Adam Thistle: Recording/Mixing Engineer & Co-Producer 

Billie Woods Photography
Mind Palace Design 

Visit us @ https://allisoncroweband.com + https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/ 

Peace!

Pillars

Julianna / At Seventeen is the second double-A-side release in advance of the upcoming album + EP from Allison Crowe and Band, "Pillars" + “Six More Songs” (out May 1, 2020). This single includes an original rocker together with a cover of a Janis Ian classic: 

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/julianna-6  -  Julianna

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/at-seventeen-2  -  At Seventeen 

https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/album/julianna-at-seventeen  - Julianna / At Seventeen 


JULIANNA

Composed by Allison Crowe
As performed by Allison Crowe and Band

It is far too much
Too much she cannot hold
She expects the worst
She receives the cold

It wasn't what she hoped, or believed
But, it is what she’s got to get her through
And another day just goes by for you

Julianna
Julianna
She tried too hard to breathe under the water
But it kept her down
Julianna

If you watch her walk away
Don’t you dare complain
She tried to give you fire
But you drowned her in the rain

Now, it isn’t what you hoped, or expected
And you feel yourself as slighted, and rejected
But still another day just goes by for you

Julianna
Julianna
She tried too hard to breathe under the water
But he kept her down
Julianna

It will not be that much
Not much for you to hold
But the little she can give
It’s worth its weight in gold

It isn’t what she needs, or deserves
But you have depleted her reserves
And another day will go by, go by for you

Julianna
Julianna
She tried too hard to breathe under the water
But he kept her down, it kept her down
Julianna

Julianna


ALLISON CROWE AND BAND:

Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, cello, guitar, fiddle, Seaboard and more); 
Sarah Melanie White (mandolin, bouzouki, vocals+)
Dave Baird (bass); & 
Keelan Purchase (accordion, guitar, harmonica, vocals)

Allison Crowe: Composer & Co-Producer
Adam Thistle: Recording/Mixing Engineer & Co-Producer 

Billie Woods Photography 
Mind Palace Design


Visit us @ https://allisoncroweband.com + https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/ 

Peace!

Pillars / At Seventeen

Julianna

War Of The Worlds Episode 1

War Of The Worlds Episode 2

"I love singing for people," says Allison Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."

“Allison sings with such an intensity of emotion, it's easy to see why she's often quoted as saying 'Why music? Why breathing?',” notes culture blog Muruch. “That kind of artistic passion seems extremely rare these days."

Crowe's home is Corner Brook, NL. Her birthplace is Nanaimo, BC (November 16, 1981). From Canada's coasts she's taken the road less-traveled to harmonizing life as musician (voice, piano, guitar, fiddle, bodhran), composer, arranger, audio engineer & producer. From the lovely isle of Newfoundland her reach is global.

Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt inspired the strong-willed Scorpio to create Rubenesque Records, her own label. Since 2001, via 26 albums, singles, EPs and compilations, Crowe's oeuvre nears 200 unique tracks embracing roots, rock, Celtic, folk, jazz, soul, Canadiana and Broadway.

Rubenesque's series of artistically and commercially successful releases includes: Lisa's Song+ 6 Songs (2001-3); Tidings (2003/4); Secrets (2004); Live at Wood Hall (2005); This Little Bird (2006); Little Light (2008); Spiral (2010); Arthur / Up to the Mountain (2011); Tidings Concert (2012); Newfoundland Vinyl (2013); Heavy Graces (2013); Songbook (2013/14); Souling (2014); Newfoundland Vinyl II (2014); Sylvan Hour (2015); Newfoundland Vinyl 3 (2015); Souling (Bonus Tracks Edition) (2015); Introducing / Heirs + Grievances (2016); .Great Island Wonder (2017); Welcome to Us: 1 & 2 (2018); Newfoundland Vinyl IV (2018); plus Pillars and Six More Songs (2020 releases). 

Broadcast highlights include a pair of one-hour television specials: “Allison Crowe: Inside Pandora’s Box” and “Tidings” (airing, for years, nationally across Canada).

Crowe performs solo and with band – LIN (cello, vocals), Sarah White (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Dave Baird (bass, vocals) – headlining concerts on hundreds of occasions in over a dozen countries.

Billed before Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s Poet Laureate, and (the late) Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen's Music, "Canadian angel Allison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," relates The Scotsman. 

In 2012, Allison Crowe thrilled with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet singing and playing live-on-stage with dancers for "The Doorway – Scenes from Leonard Cohen".

Hollywood director Zack Snyder flew Crowe cross-continent to cameo in "Man of Steel" – covering "Ring of Fire" on-screen in 2013's Superman blockbuster. “I’m a big Johnny Cash fan. And I’m a big Allison Crowe fan," reveals Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch). "So the combination to me seemed like an awesome opportunity if we could make it happen.”

Crowe is Musical Director of "Newfoundland Vinyl" – a rollicking hit at the Gros Morne Theatre Festival each Summer (since 2012). Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador Artistic Director Jeff Pitcher, (who conceived the show), remarks: "No matter where she is in this world, that voice, that conviction, it crosses all borders."

"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing." Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier, Rolling Stone+) posits: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf".

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.

You can lend an ear.

On The Air - Allison Crowe and Band

allisoncrowe

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