Singer-songwriter Lance Cowan steps into the spotlight with Songs and Stories
Lee Zimmerman Correspondent for The Daily Times
Those who study psychology tend to insist that there are two sides to the brain — the left and the right — and that the two possess independent spheres of influence. Consequently, it’s fairly rare to find someone who’s able to make use of both sides of the brain equally and simultaneously.
Lance Cowan seems to be one of those rare few. Until now, his reputation primarily rested on the business side, as a publicist and a respected one at that. However, with the release of his debut album, “So Far, So Good,” and more recently his sophomore set, “Against the Grain,” he’s established himself as a gifted singer-songwriter as well. He’ll demonstrate that skill when he performs at Peaceful Side Brewery in Maryville at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, as part of the newly renewed Songs and Stories series. Similar in format to the television show Inside the Actor’s Studio, the program features candid conversations
interspersed with acoustic performances, resulting in a well-rounded evening of music and entertainment.
Cowan said there were practical reasons for his belated bow as a performer, some 35 years after embarking on his publicity career.
“Plain and simple, the timing just wasn’t right,” he said. “I had two young children and a wife at home, and I figured if I chased a troubadour lifestyle, I wouldn’t know my sons and I’d probably be divorced. So I opted to work with some of the best songwriters and artists on the planet.”
The strategy appears to have worked as planned.
“When I began planning the songs for So Far, So Good, I was really only looking to create a calling card that might help me get more work playing in listening rooms and clubs around the country,” Cowan continued. “At the time, I was only regularly playing The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville a couple of times a year, but I thought these songs deserved to be heard by a wider audience.”
His first step was to take advantage of some well-placed resources.
“My good friend John Porter, who manages Jill Sobule, Amy Speace and Paul Kelly, heard the songs and took me on as a management client,” Cowan said. “He got the wheels turning. So much has happened since he stepped in.”
In that regard, Cowan admits he was still somewhat nervous.
“While I sweat as every review comes in — I know critics and they can be brutal when they don’t like something — I was overwhelmed every time with the response,” he said. “I’ve not gotten any — believe it or not — negative reviews. My first record even made several end-of-year best-of lists. I’m still nervous about the kind of response I’ll receive for my newest, Against the Grain, but so far, every reviewer seems to like it even more than my first.”
Cowan is also candid when crediting the assistance he received from the A-list players who supported him in the studio.
“I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing musicians,” he said. “I know every artist says that, but I grew up listening to these guys, and to record with them — well, I have trouble wrapping my head around it. For the new record, my producers, Scott Paschall and Jason Stelluto, recruited guys who’d also worked on my first album, including Dan Dugmore (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt), Pat Flynn (New Grass Revival), Vinny Santoro (Rodney Crowell, The Highwaymen), Chip and Billy Davis (Alabama, Dolly Parton), a great bassist, Jay Turner from Virginia, and the wonderful keyboardist Todd Smith. Clark Hagan, who worked with Chet Atkins, flew in from Colorado to engineer, and Matt Andrews, from Gillian Welch’s camp, mixed everything. My friend Jim Loyd, who’s mastered records for Alison Krauss, New Grass Revival and hundreds more, finished things up.”
It’s hardly surprising then that offers to perform his songs live quickly followed.
“It’s led to some great opportunities to play venues from Massachusetts to Alabama, either playing solo, with a quartet, or in the round with such great friends and amazing writers like Rees Shad, Mark Irwin, Irene Kelley, Pat Alger, Buddy Mondlock, Don Henry and so many more,” Cowan added. “I was the featured artist on the popular WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour from Lexington, Kentucky, and in July, I’ll be appearing on the Virginia PBS program Song of the Mountains, which is recorded in Marion, Virginia. I’m hearing almost daily from critics and peers that I’ve respected for so long, each telling me how much they are liking both records.”
Nevertheless, he said that shifting his stance has taken some getting used to.
“I was always the guy standing off to the side of my clients, out of the camera or range of the microphone as they talked about their music,” he said. “Now I’m having to adjust to being on the other side of things. I’m learning to be more comfortable with it.”
As a result, he’s found renewed fulfillment and satisfaction in this current phase of his life and career.
“The kids are grown and have their own lives now,” Cowan continued. “So this new chapter has been wonderful on so many levels. Best of all, my wife and I are spending time together — sometimes we even get to bring the dog — and seeing parts of the country we might not have seen otherwise. I’m meeting so many tremendous artists and people from all walks of life. And I feel like I’m being a better steward of the songs that have been such a gift to me.”
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