Meet Lance Cowan | Singer-Songwriter
April 23, 2025
We had the good fortune of connecting with Lance Cowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lance, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I have always been drawn to music. I love great songwriters and find inspiration for my life in their work. Years ago, when I had small children, I delayed releasing any music because I realized I would have to be on the road all the time. I wanted to know them, and I love my wife and didn’t want to lose her. So now the kids are grown and have lives of their own, so my wife – or as I jokingly call her, my wife-ager – and I are getting to travel together. We’re having a blast and it seems the time is right for me to now share these songs.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?I came to Nashville thinking that writing Country Music would be easy. Boy was I wrong. I began watching the great Nashville Songwriters like Thom Schuyler, Don Schlitz, Fred Knobloch, Paul Overstreet, Mark Germino, and more, and I realized very quickly they set a high bar. I had to get better. I had to learn to write. I was fortunate to work behind the scenes with folks like Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Michael Martin Murphey and I could quietly learn from them. It was hard. From those influences, I realized the importance of marrying a strong lyric to a strong melody. I try to focus sharply on both. You can’t be sloppy with either. Nanci Griffith once told me that if you can’t remember a lyric while you’re writing it, it’s probably not a lyric worth remembering. That may be a little strong – I do write down my lyrics when I’m writing – but her point was made. The hardest part for me has to do with a little acronym – KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid! Too
many writers try to throw everything but the kitchen sink into their lyric. If you throw too much in, though, or try to use words just to show how smart you are, you’ll lose your listener. If you’re not communicating then what’s the point of writing a song?
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.Nashville has so much to offer. I do miss the days when it was smaller. Traffic was easier. But there are some great places to hear music in town. Of course, The Listening Room is wonderful, as is City Winery. I’d take someone to Franklin to see the Civil War History, then have dinner and catch the show at Puckett’s in Franklin. Outside of Nashville, if the week was right, I’d run over to Reba McEntire’s old horse barn that’s been converted into a wonderful venue called Starstruck Farms. The Opry is a special night. Of course The Ryman is always good. I personally would stay away from lower Broadway but any visitor needs spend time at the
Country Music Hall of Fame. I don’t go as often as I should, but The Sounds are great. It’s easy to fill a week here!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would never have released my debut album – after 35 years as a behind-the-scenes guy – without the support of my wife and two sons. They’ve encouraged me for years to share my music. I finally listened. I leaned on some of the country’s finest musicians and producers, including my very good friends, Scott Paschall and Jason Stelluto, then found the support of legendary musicians like Pat Flynn (New Grass Revival), Dan Dugmore (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Vinny Santoro (Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen), Jay Turner (Demola Adepoju, King Sunny Ade), Todd Smith (Days of the New), Chip & Billy Davis (Alabama, Dolly Parton), Sam Bush, Dave Pomeroy and so many more. Then, one of my oldest friends, John Porter, jumped in to manage me, got me a great distribution deal with CPI / The Orchard and we were off to the races. And it’s been most unbelievable how old friends – some from as long ago as my college days – have shown up to support me. I have too many to thank!
Website: https://www.lancecowanmusic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lance.cowan.75/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cowan-8474176/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lance.cowan.75
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LCMedia100
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Image Credits
Photos by Nancy Cowan
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