Vicki Peterson is best known for her work with paisley underground/new wave icons The Bangles (alongside sister Debbi Peterson). Her husband, John Cowsill, came to the public’s attention with the family band The Cowsills. Both, therefore, knew what it was like to record and perform with relatives long before they finally took a leap of faith and started playing in public together. There will be a Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill album out in April called Long After the Fire—a tribute to brothers Barry and Bill Cowsill—and the pair told MC about how it all came to be.
Is it easier to connect musically if you have a familial or romantic relationship outside of it?
Vicki Peterson: For me, the familial connection was a matter of convenience at first. My band needed a drummer and Debbi was there, ready and able. Later, when we were recording together—to this day, really—there was an ease and coherence to our harmony singing, largely due to having shared so many musical influences. Working with John from the start felt like family because, again, I have known him—or known of him—for much of my life and we have many musical inspirations in common.
John Cowsill: Being in a family band, there is always the DNA connect. You just know how to sing with each other. Natural sounding. I loved my experience with my family. They’re just the best singers. But with family comes a kind of hierarchy/pecking order especially being so young. That’s most families. It kinda doesn’t go away, silly as it seems. I mean, I’m almost 70 and it’s still there.
I don’t think it’s easier or harder just because you’re in a relationship or a family band. It boils down to personality and compatibility to create music together. In my situation, I’m fortunate that it just so happens that I’m in love with someone I admire and respect musically and happen to like a lot and love, love, love singing with. I’m singing with my best friend/girlfriend/sibling/wife. (Yes, Vicki is all those things). We get along fabulously, and I love singing with her. And will continue doing so when we are too old to travel and are sitting on the porch just watching the sunsets or sunrise depending on which way I’m facing.
Conversely, what are the biggest challenges?
VP: John makes the joke that we spent most of our marriage circling each other like gunslingers, neither one wanting to be the first to try the idea of making music together. Honestly, I knew that writing or performing with someone can be tricky, that it takes a certain amount of compromise and willingness to be vulnerable. We had a very nice domestic life, and I thought adding music into the mix on a professional level could get messy. And it sometimes is! But it is a beautiful mess, and I am so glad that we took the chance and started working and playing together.
JC: I think the biggest challenges are just the day-to-day administration stuff. Vicki is the brains and is so tenacious with whatever she approaches. She’ll say she doesn’t know what she’s doing but will dive in to figure it out. She edited our videos without Final Cut. I’d rather throw the computer against the wall and wish it was the ‘60s-‘80s, when record companies and people around you did all that for you.
Between the two of you, you have so many songs to choose from. How much of a challenge is that?
VP: Well, right now we are choosing songs that are well known, and that we can fit into the duo performance setting. If we were playing with a full band this list could change.
What can you tell us about your debut album and the songs by Barry and Bill?
JC: This album is a tribute, a kind of love letter, a personal memorial and remembrance of two beautiful souls, who wrote some incredible songs. They had a very difficult time traversing the earth. (Oh God—every time I start this conversation I well up). They wanted to be respected and known for their serious contributions. Being a Cowsill was hard because of the way we were perceived and manipulated into this squeaky-clean, goodie-two-shoes band. We just wanted to be the Stones/Beatles kind of band. But that didn’t happen. I think Barry had the hardest time. You couldn’t say the name Cowsill if you wanted to get a gig or have a chance of being taken seriously as a writer/performer.
I wanted to record this album and asked Vicki to do it with me. I needed her. These songs have been in my head for years. I’ve sung with Billy and have listened to Barry’s songs, and they are ingrained in me forever. Growing up sharing a bedroom with Barry, I’d see him on his bed in the corner writing. I watched him write his very first song, called “All By Myself.” From that point on he would write all the time.
Although there are so many other songs we could have done, these were the ones we wanted to do when compiling the list.
Are there any key instruments you used on the album to get the sound? Any other gear/tech?
JC: We used what was in the room. Les Paul’s, Stratocasters, various acoustic guitars, mandolin, Hofner Club bass, and a Music Man bass pre-owned by Michael Steele. We borrowed Greg Hilfman’s (Bangles keyboardist and close friend) Grand ll Nord keyboard, a mix of Ludwig drums from various kits, a pile o’ percussion toys. Recorded on an antiquated ProTools system.
VP: Because of the old-school country nature of some of Bill’s songs, we had a friend (Dave Pearlman) play pedal steel guitar, and another (Jimmy Calire) add some bluesy B-3 organ. There are some lovely sounds (cello, bells, flutes) we got with keyboards, but mostly this is guitar/bass/drums/vocals. Lots of vocals!
Where was the album recorded, mixed and produced? And who with?
VP: Other than “Is Anybody Here,” which was recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, the album was chiefly made at our home studio, Dog Hair Martini Studios, and produced by Paul Allen. It was mixed in Nashville by Mark Lonsway, assisted by Paul Allen. I can’t overstate the importance that Paul has been to this project. We probably never would have buckled down to start it, much less finish it, without his encouragement and nudging. He also played most of the instruments.
For more, visit vickipetersonandjohncowsill.com
