 CORY HURLEY The Western Star CORNER BROOK — Allison Crowe has made her mark musically throughout the world and local people have the chance to see why. Crowe, a singer/songwriter from British Columbia who moved to Corner Brook a couple of years ago, has been an increasingly popular sensation throughout the country and Europe, and has taken the Internet by storm. There is really no season for touring when one busy year rolls right into the next, but Crowe has a jam-packed tour schedule for 2008 that will take her back to Europe a number of times, divided between gigs in Canada and the United States. It all begins with a concert at the Corner Brook Arts and Culture Centre Friday, starting at 8 p.m., where she will unveil her sixth CD, Little Light. “I am going to be doing a full set — lots of piano, a bit of guitar, and a big mix of songs,” Crowe told The Western Star. “It will be a bit of something for everyone — rock, folk, jazz, a couple of covers, but more originals ...It should be a lot of fun.” Andrew James O’Brien, who also lives in Corner Brook, will open for her with a solo performance. Citing influences such as Ron Sexmith, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Paul Simon, thoughtful lyrics and sincere vocals are said to define his musical sound. This will be the fourth show for Crowe in Corner Brook; she said they have gone really well in the past. She expects to be available in the lobby afterwards with the new CD. It contains a number of originals recorded in her own apartment in Corner Brook, accompanied by some live performances. She said it wasn’t a planned compilation, just a collection of songs recorded and put together in her little spare time. The independent artist is excited about the tour and doesn’t mind the busy schedule. “It means a lot to me because I have been working at it since I was 16, about 10 years-ish, and things are starting to come together,” she said. “Being able to record myself as well, this CD is going to be my sixth, which is kind of crazy.” Crowe has had some options within the industry along the way, but has decided to stay on her own and make it work. “I am proud of it for myself, but also because it shows you can do it that way,” she said. “I hope other artists will do the same and not think they have to go a certain route just for the sake of it — there is another option than major labels and all that business. “It’s tricky and it is a lot of hard work, and radio play is something that is hard to get ...But a lot of stuff I am doing online now is not even physical CD sales, it is all digital. The Internet is huge.” She attributes a lot of her success to the Internet, but also through her live performances. “It is something that I work really hard at, just because I think it is really important,” she said. “One of the things that bugs me the most that happens, is people release a CD with one good song on it and they can’t perform live. “To me, the whole point is to perform live. I record in order to perform live, in a sense. That’s a part of it that I enjoy most — the live stage performance and connecting with an audience.” |
|||||||||||
01/05/08
