May 16, 2022
Adam Cousins’ “Our Lives”
“I want listeners to be able to close their eyes and feel themselves driving down a dirt road in their formative years, falling in love for the first time, and imagining the great moments that lie ahead.”
Born and raised in the tight-knit town of Brussels, Ontario, Adam Cousins knows a thing or two about small town living and country music dreaming. Years of love for music and performing drove Cousins to pursue his passion in the music industry. Today, he’s an exciting new Canadian country talent, whose emergence in the industry reflects his earnest “work hard, play hard” approach to life and music.
Country artist influences including Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson. Which songs of these artists have most influenced your own career?
Jason Aldean’s “Night Train” and “My Kinda Party” have always been spinning on my playlists. Alan Jackson is another. It’s hard to find only one song — all of his songs take me back to a memorable place or get my feet tapping.
If you were to plan a day trip to Brussels, Ontario, where would you take someone to see the city’s history and to eat?
Around Brussels, there really isn’t much to do unless you want to go fishing or float down the Maitland River. Maybe swing by a friend’s house and have some beers in the garage while you play cards and talk about being younger.
Or take a drive 30 minutes west and anywhere you drive, you will hit Lake Huron to catch the breathtaking sunsets.
Debut EP, Dirt Road. How does the EP’s title reflect the message you hope fans take away after listening?
Like I said, I grew up in a small town with not much around except some dirt roads to drive down to even get anywhere. Crank up the country music and head out in the car to find a place to have some drinks, build a campfire, and play some games. I want people to feel that true meaning of a country road and feel the wide open freedom to go anywhere you want. No feeling stuck in a city — a much less hectic lifestyle.
“Young Again,” first release was added for spins on CBC Country on Sirius XM. “I hope people hear it and want to get up, dance, sing and share stories.” Who is another country artist who shares your passion for storytelling?
Chris Stapleton has written some amazing songs for himself, as well for other artists. Every song has been a hit in some way, always giving you that special feeling.
“Our Lives,” co-written with Owen Riegling. “This is the story of first love through the eyes of a young country boy who knows how to properly treat his woman, even though he isn’t even old enough to own his own vehicle. I want listeners to be able to close their eyes and feel themselves driving down a dirt road in their formative years, falling in love for the first time, and imagining the great moments that lie ahead.” What inspired the co-write?
Honestly not as much as you’d think. Owen came to me and had a partial song already. I fell in love with the melody right away and knew it was going to be a hit. We hashed it out within an hour and we were able to create something catchy and unforgettable. Sometimes the best songs come from something so simple and come together with such ease.
Two upcoming single releases. “For my next two tracks, I want to maintain that fresh sensibility that we’ve brought to “Our Lives,” while also staying true to the sound and storytelling that I love about classic country music.” You share that the new music captures the authentic sonic brand you’ve been carefully crafting. How does the song production bring that ‘fresh sensibility’ to your music?
Wanting to stay true to and honour the classic country sound, while bringing a little more edge for a fresh, modern twist. Shawn Moore is an amazing producer and musician — working with him over the years has been an incredible opportunity. Because of this history of working together, he understood immediately what the vision was and brought it to life with ease.
Being nominated for Country Artist of the Year by the Forest City London Music Awards (FCLMA). What does it mean to you to receive this recognition?
It’s great! Moving to London 5 years ago I was able to start my music career and grow into the artist I am today! It has been a long road but there is still a lot of work to do!
