[Interview] Crissi Cochrane
September 7, 2009

All Andrew's Friends: Congratulations on your Halifax Pop Explosion showcase. How long after the unfortunate cancellation of Owen's show at St. Matthew's did you hear that you would be scheduled to open for him again?

Crissi Cochrane: It was only a couple of months, actually. A friend of mine here in the city (who works for the Pop Exposion) decided to invite Owen to perform in Halifax, and his availability happened to fall conveniently within the time frame the Pop Explosion. It will be great to finally see him, and have him be brought here under much better circumstances than those that resulted in the failure of this spring's event.

AAF: How does it feel to have the opportunity to share a stage with someone who has had so much influence on your own music?

CC: It's absolutely amazing, and also quite terrifying. I met Mike after he played a show in Ontario in 2008, so I know he's quite approachable and sweet - he even remembered me from a Myspace message I'd sent him a couple months before! But still, I'm quite anxious. It will be such an honour to share a stage with him.

AAF: What else influences you, aside from other musicians?

CC: Aside from other musicians, all of my music is influenced pretty strongly by my own heart. I can't bring myself to write anything I haven't experienced - it's far too difficult and the end result is far from genuine. My songs used to be pretty exclusively about my love interests, but now, the things that tug at my heartstrings the most are changing. Songs about my family are my favorite to write, but they're so difficult to sing without becoming a mess sometimes. I love my family very much, they deserve albums upon albums of songs dedicated to them.

AAF: It amazes me how good your voice sounds live, have you taken vocal lessons? What about guitar lessons?

CC: Well, firstly, thanks! I've never taken vocal or guitar lessons though. There's a lot to be said for simply looking for help with an instrument online and practicing. Also, its good to keep in mind that there are always things you can work on to improve your voice or your ability to play an instrument. I actually recently quit smoking and I've already seen a big improvement in my voice - for example, it takes about half as long to warm up now compared to when I was smoking pretty regularly.

AAF: Why did you choose to record in the bathroom for the Bathroom EP?

CC: Well, besides the fact that I could conveniently lock people out of my work space, I'd heard that the acoustics in bathrooms made them a good place to record. My recording gear consisted of just a microphone and my laptop, so it was simple enough to move in there and lock everybody out - my mother would usually barge in during the middle of a track to announce that dinner was ready if I tried tracking in my room.

AAF: Have you ever thought of recording with a full band?

CC: I have, and I'm planning on doing that for some tracks on my upcoming album!

AAF: Can you reveal any other information about your plans for a full length album?

CC: I've been corresponding with a studio down in Chicago for the past month or so. I was hoping to get down there to record the album at the end of August but my passport never made it to my mailbox (or, more likely, made it and was promptly stolen from it), so I'm hoping to get down there in November. Some of the songs will be featuring a string quartet arranged by my friend Raphael Roter and performed by a reputable fellow in Toronto whose name I won't mention just yet! Also, a lovely Chicago native is willing to offer his talents as a drummer - again, I won't mention any names yet!

AAF: Have you been in talks with any record labels, or are you planning on a more independent distribution?

CC: I have recently been working very closely with a friend in Halifax who is starting up an independent label. It's thanks to him that I can focus on making this album the high-quality professional endeavour it deserves to be.

AAF: Will the record be comprised of all new songs or will older songs be making appearances?

CC: The album will feature a lot of unreleased tunes. The tracks available on my current three song Sampler will be re-recorded; all others will be new. I'm still working on perfecting the title track, which has yet to be publicly performed.

AAF: Specific places or events appear often in your songs. Do you make a conscious effort to include experiences and memories of your past, or is that just what comes out when you go to write a song?

CC: I rarely have any kind of plan when writing a song. I usually have a rough idea of the theme; the lyrics just sort of come, I guess! It's very difficult to explain. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not be so specific about things. I very much dislike songs that are full of inside jokes that a listener can't relate to, so I try my best to make sure people can understand where I'm coming from.

AAF: When you begin writing a song, do you always follow it through to the end or do you have a collection of half finished songs?

CC: Lately, I've been collecting a lot of half songs! I think it's because I've become a bit of a perfectionist. To me, each new song needs to be better than the last one, or it isn't a proper portrayal. I try to sit down and finish them before I forget about them or the inspiration fades, but it's hard. They're almost like dead ends sometimes.

AAF: Do you make an attempt to follow new music? What are some of your favourite artists, albums or songs from this year?

CC: I do try to keep digging for new music whenever possible, but most new music needs some time to grow on me. I finally replaced my old mp3 player this weekend and remembered, while listening on my way to work this morning, how great Margot And The Nuclear So And So's are. I've also been all over Iron and Wine's whole discography these past couple months. It would be great to someday share a stage with Iron and Wine..! Oh well, I guess a girl can dream.