Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies
Cowboy Junkies is a popular country music and alternative rock band based in Canada. The group was formed in 1985 in Toronto three siblings from the Timmins entertainment family.

The band consists of songwriter and guitarist Michael, lead vocalist Margo along with Peter Timmins on drums and bassist Alan Anton. Michael Timmins and Alan Anton previously played together in the punk-influenced Hunger Project and the experimental band Germinal.

Their first public performance as Junkies did not happened on some high-profile venue. They rather started by playing in Toronto's Queen Street West clubs, including the Beverley Tavern and the Rivoli.

However, they were soon noticed by people including Canadian producer Peter Moore who recorded their blues-inspired debut album 'Whites Off Earth'.

The first album of Cowboy Junkies was recorded in Timmins family garage using microphones instead of studio equipment. They made their mark from this very first attempt and toured the southern US in 1986.

This was the time when country music began influencing their work. They were inspired by country legend Hank Williams and loved his style of music that has got so much heart and soul with simple and direct lyrics.

'The Trinity Session' was their second outing in the music world. The album was recorded in 1987 at Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity, again produced by Moore. This again proved their mettle through this album and it later helped them to obtain a contract with RCA in 1989.

They recorded an album with them in one 14-hour session including the first capella tune recorded by Margo. The album featured five Michael Timmins originals that contained a melancholic mixture of blues, country, folk, rock and jazz styles.

The album brought them both a cult following and critical notice in the US. The Trinity Session was praised by reviewers, received extensive radio and video airplay and was placed among one of the ten best albums of 1988 by Los Angeles Times. Besides this, one track of the album Sweet Jane was featured in the films Natural Born Killers and The Good Girl.

The Cowboy Junkies has done well for themselves in recent times as well. Their performance with Boston Pops at Boston Symphony Hall in June 2007 in a show called Edgefest became hugely popular.

Their album Trinity Revisited, featuring guest artists Ryan Adams, Vic Chesnutt, Natalie Merchant and Jeff Bird was released along with a film Trinity Revisited. The film pays tribute to this great musical group and was shown on CBC Television featuring Cowboy Junkies themselves.

Cowboy Junkies maintained a dedicated following and have continued to have chart hits in their native country and other places. They released their 1998 album 'Miles from Our Home' through Geffen Records.

After this, they left the record and started releasing albums on their own independent label, Latent Recordings. For releases outside Canada, they opted for Rounder in the USA and Cooking Vinyl in the UK.

Cowboy Junkies are today regarded as one of the most popular Canadian band in the music world. Their music has got recognition on wide level and their fan base is expanding like never before. Go and catch the Junkies at their latest concerts and enjoy the show!