By: Adam Bowie
It’s been a little more than 10 years that Colin Fowlie has been sharing his finely crafted music with the world. Back then, the Fredericton singer-songwriter was toying with the idea of making music more than a hobby and passion-project.
Now, after countless shows across the province, Atlantic Canada and the entire country, he’s almost become a grizzled veteran – a true artist who has established a place for himself in the folk, roots, Canadiana world. Fans of Jason Isbell, John Moreland, and Adam Baldwin’s acoustic story-songs should be just as enamored with Fowlie’s well-spun narratives. And, to top it off, he’s just a hell of a guy.
To help you get to know him before his upcoming Harvest Music Festival performance at the Wilmot United Church on Friday, Sept. 12, I decided to give him the Harvest Questionnaire.
AB: Is there a TV show or film that makes you nostalgic for your youth? If so, what is it, and why?
CF: The original run of MacGyver was one of my favourite things as a kid. Any time I see a clip of that show I’m immediately transported back. I even have my old Swiss Army knife that the show obviously inspired me to beg my parents for, and it still sits here in the desk drawer in my studio almost 40 years later.
AB: Name an underrated musician that deserves more attention. Why them?
CF: I’ll have to say Garrett Mason. He’s a world class talent that has just recently gone viral among the online guitar “influencer” community because of a clip that was posted of him playing to a small crowd in a cafe in Woodstock, NB. He’s in it for the purity of the music and the artistic expression, and doesn’t engage in self-promotion. Anyone who has seen him at Harvest knows why. Based on talent alone, he should be a household name.
AB: Who’s the biggest influence on your songwriting style? Why? How so?
CF: That’s a tough one, but it’s probably Jeff Tweedy. I’ve always been a fan of Wilco and Jeff’s solo work, but in recent years he has graced the world with a few books, including How To Write One Song, which should be required reading for all songwriters regardless of their level of experience. It really breaks down his creative process and hammers home the point that most songs are not presented to us by the universe in an act of apparent divine inspiration. If you’re a songwriter, you’re always a songwriter. You don’t turn it on and off. You tune into the world around you and should always be in the process of gathering raw material that can later feed into your songwriting. He gives some different frameworks on how to do the work and how to find your own creative voice as a songwriter. There are a number of key lessons in that book that I still think about every day.
AB: Is there a song out there that you consider perfect? For example, I might suggest that George Jone’s “She Thinks I Still Care,” or The Strokes’ “Hard To Explain” are perfect songs because the music, the lyrics, the production on those tracks are just so incredible.
CF: I consider, “If We Were Vampires,” by Jason Isbell to be a perfect song. It tackles the topic of love and partnership in such a beautiful way. It centres around the idea that if we could live forever, our time together wouldn’t mean nearly as much. It’s concentrated and poignant. The production is exactly what is needed to serve the song. No more, no less. It’s the kind of song that I aspire to write as a songwriter.
AB: What’s one good tip for budding songwriters?
CF: Always finish the song you’re working on. It doesn’t need to change the world. It doesn’t need to be your best work ever when the first draft is done. But finish it. For one thing, it will clear the way for the next piece of creative work to happen. Also, it can always change and evolve through editing and revision. Most budding songwriters don’t pay enough attention to the editing and revision process, and get stuck chasing after “perfection,” or get caught up worrying what other people will think of their song. Avoid those pitfalls. Finish more songs. Edit them ruthlessly. It’s like a muscle that gets stronger the more you work it out.
AB: You’re home and some family or friends are coming over for dinner. Your kitchen is fully stocked. What are you making, and why did you choose that?
CF: Buffalo chicken chowder, grilled corn, and Caesar salad. About 15 years ago, I got inspired my Chef Michael Smith and modified one of his chowder recipes and made it my own. His original recipe for a smoked salmon chowder with dill. I swapped the salmon for chicken and the dill for cilantro and it’s a thing of beauty.
AB: Sometimes, when you’re young, you read a book or watch a movie or see a painting that genuinely moves you. It becomes important in your life, and it may inspire you to explore your own creativity or artistry. Do you have a piece of art like that from when you were young?
CF: The book Different Seasons by Stephen King was formative for me. It contains the novellas, “The Body,” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” that I consider to be two of my favourite stories of all time. King is a master storyteller, which is something that I greatly admire. Most of the songs that I write are of the storytelling variety, and my passion for interesting and unique stories was definitely inspired at an early age by Mr. King. That also may explain why many of my stories are dark and twisted.
AB: If you could thank someone publicly for helping you overcome an obstacle, or who helped you launch your career, or who loaned you an instrument back in the day, who would that be? What would you say to them?
CF: Eddie Young. He’s been my #1 champion and supporter of my music and my songwriting since the very first batch of tunes I dared to share with the world years ago. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today if not for him. No question.
AB: Is there anyone, alive or dead, that you’d love to have as a mentor? Why them?
CF: Tom Petty. He carved out an admirable career and figured out a way to make the music that he authentically wanted to make when the industry would have pushed him in different directions to chase after maximum profits. On one of my recent tours, I went back and listened to his entire catalogue, and it’s such a fantastic journey in songwriting. There are others, but he is the first that immediately came to mind.
AB: What’s your favourite late-night snack?
CF: Miss Vickie’s Chili Sour Cream kettle chips. I’m a sucker for salty snacks and those are peak.
AB: If you could see any artist, alive or dead, in concert, who is it, and why? Describe the perfect time and place you’d see them.
CF: Tom Waits on a gloomy November evening at the Wilmot United Church. I’ve never seen Mr. Waits play live, and he isn’t touring anymore. Not having witnessed him live is one of my musical regrets. The Wilmot United Church is such a beautiful intimate venue that I think would be a perfect backdrop for the occasion. I’ve never played there myself yet, and I’m so thrilled to be able to perform a set there during this year’s Harvest festival.
AB: It’s a gig day, and you have a few hours to kill before the show. How do you pass the time on tour?
CF: Lately I’ve been tossing my pool cue in the car with me when I hit the road. If I can find a local pool hall to relax and knock some billiard balls around, I do. If not, I always have a book on the go and will find a quiet place to drink a coffee and do some reading.
Tickets for Fowlie’s show, and other performances, are available by clicking here.
*****
Adam Bowie used to write stories and a weekly music column for the Daily Gleaner newspaper. He’s also a former juror for the Polaris Music Prize, the Juno Awards, the East Coast Music Awards and the Music New Brunswick Awards. Now, he works in communications and volunteers with the Harvest Music Festival.
