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"...should have no problem finding favor with fans of the rootsier side of rock’s tracks." - MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

Cowgill - an eclectic, indie folk rock group hailing from Boston - released their debut, Side One of Planted, on May 17th, 2012. Recorded at Power Station New England - the near-perfect replica of Avatar Studios in Manhattan - the five tracks showcase an upbeat pop sensibility, a darker folk rock side, and creative song structures easily missed on the first listen. Cowgill nimbly hops genres several times throughout the record, occasionally even mid-song.

Phil Tortoroli of MP3.com refers to the album’s opener as "...harking closer to Wilco’s current discography with its lush arrangement of strings, acoustic guitars, and plodding drum lines." Funded largely through the generosity of their fans, friends, and family via Kickstarter, the tunes on Cowgill’s debut release will appeal to fans of Dr. Dog, The Head and the Heart, Radiohead, and The Decemberists alike.

Cowgill is...

Paul Cowgill - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Mike Truskowski - piano, trombone, backup vocals
Dan Weissman - mandolin, trumpet, backup vocals
Leeann Hackett - violin
Ryan Rivers - bass guitar, backup vocals
Joe Pess - drums

Formed in Boston in June of 2011, Cowgill has been building a large hometown following with their shows at Middle East Upstairs, Great Scott, T.T. the Bear's, the Occupy Boston stage, and their residency at P.A.'s Lounge. Paul Cowgill sings, writes songs, and plays acoustic guitar. Mike Truskowski (Paul's roommate of four years) takes care of backing vocals, keys, and trombone. Dan Weissman - they met him through a jam session with some friends - plays the mandolin and adds eeeven more backing vocals and the occasional trumpet. Craigslist recruit Leeann Hackett is on violin, her high school friend Ryan Rivers slaps the bass and steps in for quite a few fourth harmony vocal parts, and Joe Pess, Ryan's friend from Berklee College of Music, holds it all down on drums.

The band went on their first U.S. tour through Brooklyn, Chicago, Louisville, Pittsburgh, DC, and Philly in August of 2012. They're planning to record Side Two of the album in the Winter and then promptly hitting the road again for a more extensive tour in support of the full album. Jon Hillman of popular Boston music blog Allston Pudding writes, “[Paul] has the ability to sing with the genteelness of a folk idol while retaining a controlled manic energy just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt into one of his many pop-laden choruses.” He adds, “…it’s the musicians and instrumentation that encompass Paul Cowgill’s folksy pop melodies that truly differentiates this indie-rock sextet.”

Just want to laugh about it. Who wants to talk about what matters, after all? But I wasn’t kidding when I said I thought I saw smoke. And we could probably spend our days all making plans, but what would it mean?

I’ve been told what becomes of the best laid plans of mice and men. But what about the half laid plans? The bulk of them? I bet there’s something there. Yeah.

Just want to laugh about it. Who wants to talk about what matters, after all? Like how much should I care what my future self might think about the choices that my present self is making all the time? Oh, won’t you tell me, brother? Tell me — I just can’t reason it out. Just want to laugh about it. Who wants to talk about what matters, after all? You know, I wasn’t kidding when I said I thought I saw smoke. And we could probably spend our days all making plans, but what would it mean?

I’ve been told what becomes of the best laid plans of mice and men. But what about the half laid plans? The bulk of them? I bet there’s something there. Lain it on the line, you know you could have lain it on the line. Wait, is that right? Please excuse me right now I think I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go, oh, oh, oh. And maybe I’m not the me I was five years ago, but I’m pretty close, and I’m pretty sure that he meant well. Here’s a token of gratitude for all the latitude that he has given me, but it was rather rude not to have thought of me — wait, but I’m part of me.

We’ve got a just cause, just because I really think, oh yeah, we’ve got ourselves, we’ve got a New Rochelle, a New Rochelle, yeah.

We’ve got a just cause, just because I really think, oh yeah, we’ve got ourselves, we’ve got a New Rochelle, a New Rochelle, yeah.


Would your little heart break if I
Told you I was dead?
Might you stop to think by whom those
Very words were said?
Like if I was sleeping, but I
Claimed to be awake, and that I
Was ordained the King of Wales
Upon this very day.

The ceremony kicked off with a
Confusing highbrow speech, so I
Had a laugh, regained composure, then
I sucked on a leech.

Penning a novel all day
Long inside my head.
Some get dismayed at how few
Words of it get read.
Well here’s just one chapter, so con-
gratulations me.
And I was ordained the King of Wales,
From sea to shining sea.
From sea to shining sea.

And no delusions of grandeur could enter my head, I’m too grand.
I think the "bee-est" knees of all must be the workings of some hands.

Oh, it’s like na, na, na-na, na...

And I was ordained the King of Wales,
From sea to shining sea.


It’s coming down fast,
They left me enough time to breathe,
But not enough to pack before I go.
I never made time to think
About what I’d pack
If I got asked to kindly go.

I think I’ve been breathing way too slow.
I think I’ve been breathing way too slow.
But what’s the world about,
If there was not a single guard around,
That heard the sound,
The sound that woke up every dog in town.
They couldn’t take it.

[scat]

I heard this time that if they don’t bind my feet,
They’re gonna scar up my back before I go.
Behind those sheets of glass his eyes are
Sunken, full and massive in his skull.

I think I’ve been breathing way too slow.
I think I’ve been breathing way too slow.
But what’s the world about,
If there was not a single guard around,
That heard the sound,
The sound that woke up every dog in town.
They couldn’t take it.

[scat]

I will try, but I will not sacrifice.
I will try, but I will not sacrifice.
Oh babe, I will not sacrifice. No,
I will never, not, nah.

[scat]

I said what you gon’ say,
Cuz I told you once before,
I don’t play that.
I said what you gon’ say,
Cuz I told you once before,
I don’t play that.
I said what you gon’ say,
Cuz I told you once before,
I don’t play that.

[scream]


You really rolled out the red carpet this time.
I rolled over in my grave, and I ain’t even dead.
You really reached for the stars, woah, this time.
I’m planted and looking for water in the soil to get my feet wet.

And I would have liked to walk on your pulp fiction throwback
To old-fashioned notions of navigating the puddles.
I would have liked to touch on the subject of touching the
Object of my affection, who come to think of it, happens to be —

You showed me the shape of a woman this time,
And I knew that it was not the bathroom I sought.
You showed me your hand, and I knew not to walk. You tortured my ears, and I knew it was chalk.
But what of the children who lie there asleep?

And I would have liked to walk on your pulp fiction throwback
To old-fashioned notions of navigating the puddles.
I would have liked to touch on the subject of touching the
Object of my affection, who come to think of it, happens to be
You, you, you.

Free refills he says, free refills he says.
Children are you listening?
What part of this did you think was free?
Free refills he says.
Children are you listening?
What part of this did you think was free?
Free your, free your mind.
What part of this did you think was
Free? Oh yeah.

You really rolled out the red carpet this time.
And I rolled over in my grave, I rolled over in my grave and I, and I,
Ain’t even dead. Woah no. Oh no.
Woah.


Wanna roll?
I wanna fight about it,
Even though I’m fine without it
I've gotta get some more seasoning.
I’ll sail the Earth for it,
Dispute about the worth of it, and
Dupe them with my trinkets.

Even if you had thought that you had me pegged,
You’d still be wrong.
Cuz I’ve been
Searching the world for a little bit of mustard,
Or maybe a sprinkle of salt.
Been fighting a war about a stick of cinnamon
How could you claim it’s my fault?
I don’t know you don’t know.

And the world will come
Bulging out for me into the sky.
I can’t see it, but I can feel
The extra gravity.
And the girl who has
Fallen in the gaze of my eyes
She can’t feel it, but it’s
1500, got no choice but me.

Wanna roll?
It’s quite the same you see as
Fighting over gasoline,
Except oil doesn’t taste good.
Well maybe olive oil, but not
Popeye the Sailor’s girl,
On second thought, maybe her too.

Even if you had thought that you had me pegged,
You’d still be wrong.
Cuz I’ve been
Searching the world for a little bit of mustard,
Or maybe a sprinkle of salt.
Been fighting a war about a stick of cinnamon
How could you claim it’s my fault?
I don’t know you don’t know.

And the world will come
Bulging out for me into the sky.
I can’t see it, but I can feel
The extra gravity.
And the girl who has
Fallen in the gaze of my eyes
She can’t feel it, but it’s
1500, got no choice but me.

For me, me, oh no my baby doll.
But I said dai dai dai...

Download a picture, it lasts longer. [web] *photo by Sarah Barges [print]

"...the band seamlessly transitioned from a haunting, folksy three-part harmony into a raucous twelve-bar blues."

"[Paul] has the ability to sing with the genteelness of a folk idol while retaining a controlled manic energy just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt into one of his many pop-laden choruses."

"...it’s the musicians and instrumentation that encompass Paul Cowgill’s folksy pop melodies that truly differentiates this indie-rock sextet."

- ALLSTON PUDDING

"Sometimes resembling alt-rock, other times pop-rock and yet other times remaining unclassifiable, this is a great first trip to the plate by a band with an enormous amount of talent." - InForty.com

"In their time as a band, folk-rockers Cowgill have released an album (Side One of Planted), performed for Occupy Boston, and played just about every local venue you can name. Twice. Oh, that “time as a band” bit? Just over a year." - DigBoston

"...recalls vintage Waterboys (hardly a bad thing) and should have no problem finding favor with fans of the rootsier side of rock’s tracks." - MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

"Boston's Cowgill, named after lead singer and guitarist Paul Cowgill, have built up quite a following in their hometown. That following has recently expanded due to the six-piece band's first major tour, which hit Brooklyn, Chicago, and Washington DC." - THE DELI NEW ENGLAND

"...harking closer to Wilco’s current discography with its lush arrangement of strings, acoustic guitars, and plodding drum lines." - MP3.COM

"...they're fully equipped with everything from trombones to mandolines to guitars. They're also bringing along "Extra Gravity" to bring us back down to Earth after they levitate us with the new single." - BAEBLE MUSIC

"Well constructed indie rock to be technical. Plenty of heart and passion added to make this one fine song..." - BEEHIVE CANDY

"There’s definitely a James Taylor-like vibe to the way Paul Cowgill plays, which gives the band a lighthearted and easygoing foundation from which to build. Still, during their live set, the band takes on a slightly different angle than the normal folk fare we're used to seeing and hearing. The multiple dimensions of this band come out in full force during their live performance." - WASHINGTON TIMES COMMUNITIES

PRESS, BOOKING, ETC.: INFO@COWGILLMUSIC.COM

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