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Susan Cowsill

Just Believe It

About Me


Though she's been singing for most of her life, Susan Cowsill has never gone solo before - unless you count a couple of early '70s singles that you'd have to hire a detective to find. Now, after her famed childhood with the Cowsills, her ten years with the Continental Drifters and too many guest appearances to list, Susan has finally recorded her first solo album, entitled Just Believe It.
Not many people were singing on hit singles and touring the world when their friends were still in kindergarten, but The Cowsills became a cherished part of '60s pop culture. As the role model for television's Partridge Family, and a fine act in their own right, they had three top-ten singles with "Hair," "The Rain, the Park and Other Things (Flower Girl)," and "We Can Fly." Soon after those successes, Susan went into her first retirement at the tender age of 12.
The '80s found Susan working with cult figure Dwight Twilley, her harmonies adding sparkle to many of Twilley's greatest tracks, including his hit single "Girls." Pop lovers could also spot her guesting with Redd Kross and the Smithereens. In the early '90s The Cowsills launched a fullfledged reunion, with new songs in a solid powerpop vein, and released the Global album, becoming cult heroes all over again. More guest appearances by Susan during this time were on two Hootie and the Blowfish records, Jules Shear , Kate Jacobs, and Giant Sand .
Susan's life and music took a fateful turn when she joined the popular roots-pop combo, the Continental Drifters. Susan's exuberant stage presence and beautiful vocals proved an asset to the band. The Drifters made three critically-acclaimed albums, all of which recorded Susan blossoming as a songwriter. The 1999 disc Vermilion led off with Susan's country-pop gem, "The Rain Song." One publication gloated, "...vocal on the chorus...is the most heartbreaking musical moment of 1999." (Gambit Weekly, Dec. 28, 1999) The song has since been covered by both The Bangles and Hootie and the Blowfish . And 2001's Better Day album found her contributing four songs (one co-written with drummer, Russ Broussard). No Depression magazine noted on these songs, "...are the stuff big-time solo careers are made of."
Susan's Cowsill's solo album Just Believe It is the next logical step after the Drifters. Susan continues to write beautifully melodic songs, taking sympathetic looks at the imperfictions of life and love. Susan Cowsill's gumbo sound springs from '60s pop roots with seasonings of Louisiana groove, country, and rock. Whether she's doing her own material or covering the likes of Sandy Denny or Lucinda Williams, she can always connect with a haunting tune and emotive lyrics. As Bilboard Magazine expresses, "Cowsill...mines a child-like vulnerability, as she employs her achingly tarnished voice to a simple and moving effect." Susan's songs and voice have all the ingredients and delivery for her to easily be a hugely successful 'crossover' artist.

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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/30/2006
Band Website: susancowsill.com
Band Members: As a duo:
Susan Cowsill (Vocals & Guitar)
Russ Broussard (Drums & Vocals)

As our band add:
Aaron Stroup (Lead Guitar & Vocals)
Tad Armstrong (Bass Guitar & Vocals)
As our NOLA and CIV band add:
Jimmy Robinson (Lead Guitar & Vocals)
Pete Winkler (Bass Guitar & Vocals)

Learn about Susan's planned trip to Rwanda to set up a band for the Imbabazi Orphange--established by the late Rosamond Carr
Interview with Susan About New Orleans and Crescent City Snow

Click HERE to vote for which album we should do for May's CIV!
Influences:

Susan: Karla Bonoff, The Beatles, U2, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Russ’ brothers. And how can I not mention: CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Whiskey Town, James Taylor, early Linda Rondstadt, Carly Simon, The Monkees, Fifth Dimension, and all the Motown singing groups.
Russ: Clifton Chenier, All the Swamp Pop artist of South La., Harry Shoats, Hadley Castille, Lawrence Walker, Canray Fontenot, Boozoo Chavis, all the early rock’n roll recordings made in NOLA; Louis Jordon, then Fats, Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair, Earl King, The Meters, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, etc. As well as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, U2, The Who, Led Zepplin, Kanda Bongo Man, Yousou N’Dour, Peter Gabriel, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, AC/DC, Neil Young, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Beethoven, Miles Davis, Stravinsky, Joseph Schwantner, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, The Neville Brothers, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Weather Report, The Police, and... well now it’s just getting silly. Far too many to list because the list never stops. Really! By learning to play these artists’ songs, I came through it slightly and often profoundly changed. So, I think that qualifies as being influenced by them.
Sounds Like:

Here's just some of what the Press has had to say ...

Rolling Stone
June 30-July14, 2005
Just Believe It is Cowsill's first solo album, and it is the hardy, heartbreaking sound of a woman in the prime of her singing and songwriting life. --David Fricke
The Times Picayune/Lagniappe, "The Best of the Fest"
May 5, 2006
Not only does Susan Cowsill boast an angelic voice, but she's also a gifted songwriter who conjures vivid images that cut right to the emotional heart of the matter. Her band, featuring husband Russ Broussard on drums, is also first rate.
Find out why the Austin Chronicle voted "Just Believe It" as one of the top 10 albums released on the planet in 2005. (Jan '06)
Home of Rock, Germany
October, 2004
Brilliant musical realization; sentimental, life-affirming she proves with this atmospheric and never-boring album her supremacy within the community of the so-called Roots-Rock Women. Cowsill solidifies her reputation (as) an impressive singer and mature author of honest stories. Absolutely recommended!
allmusic
Susan Cowsill has been making records since she was seven years old, ...Just Believe It is a rich and mature album that blends rock, pop, folk, and alt-country influences into a coherent and compelling whole that provides a perfect backdrop for Cowsill's songs. Quite simply, debut albums are rarely as moving, as revealing, or as accomplished as Just Believe It, -- this is masterful music from a major talent. -- by Mark Deming
Roots Music Report
July, 2006
...A very gifted vocalist,…that spells total listening enjoyment whether you are hearing her rendition of rock, pop or folk. It is all good! ...a remarkable songwriting talent. Her stories are compelling, moving and presented with such emotional attachment. --Brenda Barbee - RMR Staff Reviewer
No Depression
May, 2001
Challenging, smart, experienced relentless and regretful, these utterly distinctive offerings are the stuff big-time solo careers are made of.
Lost In the Grooves
July 21, 2006
…a great new album from Susan Cowsill. …the album is fantastic and I hope you search it out. She can hold her own with any female singer out there from Crowe to Pink to Amos and, shit, any male singer as well. Her voice is glorious and so is this CD.
Offbeat Magazine, “Best of New Orleans,” Hot Pick
November 23
Her voice conveys a clear-eyed, lived-in hope, particularly on the title cut, and the beautiful Nanny's Song with Lucinda Williams is Cowsill at her most heartbreaking. The news on the album is its range, from the hard-rocking I Know You Know to the Wawona song fragments. The strings and psychedelic production touches are pleasant surprises.

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"Cowsill’s music and larger-than-life vocals filled this sacred space, echoing off the cascading walls. From her Continental Drifters nugget “The Rain Song” to her more recently-penned tribute to New Orleans, “Crescent City Snow,” it was about the purest pop I heard my entire trip."

--John Mills for Harp Magazine at SXSW

Decisions Decisions by Alex Rawls
Baton Rouge’s THE ADVOCATE music critic JOHN WIRT had this to say about the Susan Cowsill Band opening for a terrific Bangles show at the Varsity Theatre—
“Cowsill’s melodic, ‘60’s rooted songwriting was an ideal compliment for the Bangles’ like minded music.”



Record Label: Blue Corn Music
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Veteran Rock Critic John Swenson!

Monday, April 28, 2008Jazzfest reviews Part 1The influx of music fans into New Orleans for Jazzfest always swamped the city's demographic, roughly doubling its size and making New Orleans feel like Ja...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:58:00 PST

Jazz Fest 2008 Live Recording Available NOW

Jazz Fest 2008 Downloads
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:54:00 PST

Susan Cowsill Band Opens Acura Stage Jazz Fest 2008

A picture is worth a thousand words, but here is 2000 words:OEN NEWS...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:28:00 PST

Susan and Kim Carson at The Kerry

These two have a couple of surprises in the works..stay tuned...Kim Carson and Susan...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:11:00 PST

Awe and Wonder at French Quarter Fest

From the "Painted Maypole" blog at Blogspot (Here's the LINK)At the 2006 Jazzfest I heard local singer Susan Cowsill (yes, of the famed Cowsill family and The Continental Drifters)on one of the main ...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:33:00 PST

Susan and Band Kick off at French Quarter Fest

Susan and the band tore up the NOLA Riverfront in 90 degree plus heat at the 2008 French Quarter FestivalKim and Nathan Freeman came all the way from Nashville to NOLA to celebrate anniversary number ...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 07:12:00 PST

Susans Contribution to NYT "Best Poetry CD 0f 2007"

Michael Simmons writes in the Huffington Post about Susan Cowsill’s contribution to New York Times BEST POETRY CD OF 2007. Full Article"Edward Sanders’ Poems For New Orleans has been calle...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:59:00 PST

Susan & Band Open Jazz Fest (Press Release)

LINK to eMediaWireNew Orleans, LA (PRWEB) March 30, 2008 -- Popular roots rocker, OffBeat Magazine’s best female vocalist, and former Continental Drifter Susan Cowsill opens The New Orleans Ja...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:58:00 PST

R&R at SXSW

After a totally exhausting experience at SXSW, Cane arranged to have the "possums" take some down time at On the Bit Farm in Bryan Texas. Cane’s Lippizan, Bella, and former FEI dressage horse, ...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:13:00 PST

Update on Lippizan Questions! Bella and Susan!

Maestoso Bellornata ("Bella") before Cane found him and took him off the road and retired a very unhappy horse to the life of Riley. Touring and not having a steady partner was taking its toll on Be...
Posted by Susan Cowsill on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:00:00 PST