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Live from Studio 1A Susan Cowsill
Song: Palm Of My Hand
Larry: Susan Cowsill is our guest in Studio 1A. Susan played last night at the Cedar Street Courtyard. Great set, so it’s wonderful to have you here in Studio 1A Susan
Susan: (whispering) Thank you Larry
Larry: The new album is called Just Believe It.
Susan: Yes it is
Larry: And it’s your first solo album after a life-long career in the music business.
Susan: Yeah, what’s up with that? Late bloomer
Larry: Of course the family band, The Cowsills, and then ten years with The Continental Drifters
Susan: Yeah, maybe that’s what was the deal
Larry: Just time to make the solo album
Susan: It was definitely time to make the solo album. There was nothing else to do. Community service I think was next. Which will continue to be next.
Larry: Well you got a great band. Do you want to introduce them so folks will know who’s playing for ‘em?
Susan: I definitely do, thank you. On drums and vocals is Russ Broussard. There he is. Say “Hey” (deep voice) Hello On bass and vocals is Rob Savoy
Rob: (low and sexy) Good Evening
Susan: Ohhhhhh you have a career in radio I think
Rob: This is FM
Susan: (laughs) Chris Knotts is on guitar and vocals. Say hello Chris
Chris: Hello listeners
Susan: I’m sorry but you didn’t get the audition
Chris: I didn’t?
Susan: Johnny Sansone is on harmonica and what’s that thing? The big vacuuming thing?
???: It’s an accordion
Susan: (laughs) Accordion, yeah. And Janson Lohmeyer is on keyboards and anything we ask him to do like carrying boxes that is very uncomfortable for him. Say “Hey” Janson.
Janson: Heeeyyyyyy
Susan: And me? I’m Danty June. Now what happens, Larry?
Larry: Well you play us another song. A whole bunch more songs
Susan: OK Excellent (to the band) What are we doing y’all? … OK we’re doing it. …. It’s a Christmas song, Larry. I hope you’re in the spirit
Larry: It’s almost cold enough.
Susan: I think so. OK guys
Song: Christmas Time
Susan: Oh yeah. So it’s a Christmas song, you know. Yep on my new record, Just Believe It, out on – hold on – wish list. It’s out on EMI/Mercury/Warner Brothers slash Capital/uh Sony thank you. There you go. An excellent way to end it. Comglomerate of and combination of. It’s called (mumbling) – Yeah (laughs) I love it. So now what happens to us Larry?
Larry: You just keep playing
Susan: We do? We don’t even talk to you?
Larry: You can talk a little bit.
Susan: OK very little bit. I’m not very good at that, but I got the deal. Rain. Russ is doing Itsy Bitsy Spider in back OK I got it. I know what time it is. OK this hear song has been recorded by many a famous person. The Bangles, Hootie and the Blowfish. Yeah and myself
???: Continental Drifters
Susan: Oh The Continental Drifters and then myself. And I’m thinking of covering it as well. My other self. It goes like this.
Song: The Rain Song
Larry: Susan Cowsill and her band playing live for us here in Studio 1A Susan have you been to Austin before?
Susan: Yes, many, many times
Larry: Really? Now did The Cowsills ever play in Austin?
Susan: Probably Cuz we played in ??? Nebraska so why would we miss Austin in our travels. I’m pretty sure, yeah.
Larry: So you kind of grew up singing, didn’t ya? From an early age.
Susan: Yeah, I grew up singing. It helped me to grow up – to sing. Yeah I’ve been singing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.
Larry: Now how old were you when you first started with The Cowsills?
Susan: Seven
Larry: Seven
Susan: Seven, yeah. It was the magical age. You got to be in the band and not go to school.
Larry: Well it seems like you have survived better than people like for instance Michael Jackson.
Susan: I know I feel …. Yes I have … I wish I could give him some of my DNA
Larry: He’d be a comtemporary of yours. You were both out at about the same time as children.
Susan: Yeah we were in fact one time I just had the TV on in the 80’s while I was frosting mugs and Casey Kasem came on the TV. And he was doing his little wind up thing he does at the end of the show where somebody writes in a question. And the viewer … the question was ‘Who was the youngest female on a rock record?’ And the answer was me. And I was like, “Wow that’s a really cool question.” And yeah I was slightly dazed but I was pretty dazed at the time in general and then he went on to say that Michael Jackson was the youngest male on. So all of a sudden I felt all connected to him so it breaks my heart to see him all twisted out.
Larry: And how many years did The Continental Drifter, with you as one of the singers, last?
Susan: I think ten glorious years
Larry: And about how many records out of that period?
Susan: You’re doing math on me Larry. I think three
Larry: Well we’re at a university.
Susan: Three, four, maybe five Can I get some tutoring?
Larry: Not from me
Susan: OK
Larry: Well we’re at a university, but I’m not a good example.
Susan: OK (laughs) Are you like the Alfred E. Newman of the university?
Larry: Not quite.
Susan: OK I don’t know why that came to mind. Remember he used to like be going to school and some of the little …. Oh never mind. OK Larry, maybe we should sing.
Larry: At what point in your career did you decide to make this solo album. Were you kind of thinking about this when you were with The Continental Drifters? Or was this a totally different project?
Susan: No, I didn’t think about this till it was the moment I need to think about it. It was something I think I was kind of avoiding for the first 35-40 years. And I think, no, I think I think. It’s like saying like. Like Like Like It was the next thing to do. And had I done it earlier, it wouldn’t have been the record I made, which I’m incredibly proud of.
Larry: You made a really good record.
Susan: You like it? Thank you I appreciate that. And we all made it together. Everybody you’re looking at right here in this room were a huge part of making that record. There are no solo careers. That’s a bunch of ... crap.
Larry: Did you have a good time playing at the KUT Showcase last night?
Susan: We had a blast playing at the KUT Showcase last night. It was a beautiful venue cuz it had trees and that’s pretty much all I need.
Larry: Yep it’s an outside place. A courtyard.
Susan: Yeah it was wonderful. Did you all have fun, y’all?
????: Hell yes
Susan: Hell yeah and anything else that I would say.
Larry: Let’s hear some more songs. Susan Cowsill live in Studio 1A
Song: Nanny’s Song
Larry: Susan Cowsill is playing live in Studio 1A with her band. Now most of the writing on the album is yours and a few co-writes including some with your husband Russ Broussard, the drummer.
Susan: Yeeeaaaahhhhh
Larry: Now did you write all along with The Continental Drifters? And even as far back as The Cowsills?
Susan: Yes and no. I actually learned to write during my Continental Drifters days. So they are precious to me for a million reasons. But I had six brothers and any time I even LOOKED at one of their instruments, they’d go “Don’t even think about it.” They’d throw me a tambourine and that’s like dog bone meet tambourine. Pretty much that. And that’s OK because I became a hell of a tambourine player.
Larry: But you’ve turned your tambourine in for an acoustic guitar.
Susan: Yeah I gave my tambourine to Janson and he couldn’t be happier. (laughs) And then really I mean The Drifters were definitely, the guys - especially in the early version were really instrumental in encouraging me to try and play the guitar which really – I really need a band in order to pull this off. I proved that this afternoon on my panel at SXSW. And learned to write with them and they were very encouraging and very supportative of me and I … a good thing.
Larry: Now you played the KUT Showcase last night, are there any other performances, liver performances coming up.
Susan: Oh Larry I am so all over the place. And if I had my ‘over-40’ glasses I could tell you all of them. Hold on. ... oh darn …. Thanks Johnny ... I’m comin’
Larry: I’d give you my ‘over-60’ glasses but there are those progressive bi-focals and you wouldn’t be able to see
Susan: That might make me prematurely over 60 and that would not be good. I mean nothing wrong with being 60 cuz I’m looking forward to it.
Larry: It’s better than the alternative
Susan: Right (laughs) Well put Larry. We are …. Today was the BMI thing Austin Thursday. What’s today? Oh it’s live on-air performance on KUT FM, that’s coming up.
Larry: That’s right now.
Susan: Yeah that’s right now. And tomorrow Saturday at 1 PM we at the
Pop Culture Press Party, which we’re really looking forward to. And then .. no that at the Dog and the Duck – Dog and Duck? – yeah right I was very good in English you see and it was Dog and The Duck . And then on that very same day – as if my magic – we are at D & L's Texas Music Cafe at 7pm which is at 1321 S. Congress Ave. And if even … oh this is also magic cuz we are being invisible at Mother Egan’s at 8 o’clock. It’s a little – I also dabble in magic and I have a little disappearing thing I’m going to do at Mother Egan’s at 8 o’clock. I want everyone to be there and check it out. I’m there, but you wont’ see me.
Larry: Can you levitate?
Susan: Oh man, I levitated my whole band right out of the show. And then as if by even more magic and some divine intervention, I’m sitting in with Dwight Twilley at The Vibe. OK so that’s it man.
???: Midnight
Susan: At midnight and that’s at 508 E. 6th Street
Larry: Is that also tomorrow?
Susan: It’s all Saturday. If tomorrow is Saturday, it’s all tomorrow. Is tomorrow Saturday?
Larry: Tomorrow is Friday
Susan: Excellent I get a day …. I’m really glad about that. There’s nothing on Friday. We’re going camping.
Larry: You should stick around Austin and see what there is to …
Susan: We’re goin’ a’ We’re going to the thrift stores. Thanks Johnny Sansone for these glasses. So now we’re doing to do what Larry?
Larry: We have time for two more songs.
Susan: Two more
Larry: Yes
Susan: Uh oh we have to pick and choose. Just Believe It and what? … Oh yeah, why not ! Uh oh it ‘s not a good thing …. I …. So now we’re going to do the title cut off my solo debut record that is only out in Europe. OK so it’s very special …. OK that’s a lie …. It’s only out in Europe and it’s only out on my website. But I think it should be only out in the US so we can all go get a free dinner at the Grammy’s next year. That’s what I’m thinkin’
Larry: Now would that be susancowsill.com?
Susan: yeah, isn’t that frightening. I’m a .com and I don’t even like cars. Yeah OK Y’all think I’m nuts.
Song: Just Believe It
Larry: Susan Cowsill live in Studio 1A Got time for one more song but I have to do the credits before this song because I have to catch an elevator out of here.
Susan: Wow that’s very Batmanish or something
Larry: On drums Russ Broussard. He also played the rub board on that last song. On bass Rob Savoy. On guitar Chris Knotts On harmonica Johnny Sansone And on the keyboards Janson Lohmeyer (Susan panting) and in the control room doing the mix, Walter Morgan. (applause)
Susan: He’s our favorite
Larry: And Susan Cowsill live in Studio 1A. I’m Larry Monroe. Thank you Susan
Susan: Thanks Larry Thanks very much for having us. I appreciate it. OK now I have to see if my guitar is ready ….. Wait a minute y’all. I can’t see. It still sounds nasty and all. …….. That sounded nasty. Where’s my fuzz y’all? Doesn’t matter here we go One Two Three Four
Song: I Know You Know
Larry: Susan Cowsill and her band playing live in Studio 1A Thank you Susan and thanks to Walter Morgan for sticking around tonight to do the mix for Susan Cowsill and her band. It’sThe Phil Music Program here on KUT.
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