Basic Folk Podcast: Rose Cousins

Canadian songwriter Rose Cousins hates small talk. She’d much prefer to get down to the bone of your humanity and know about your struggle than talk about the weather. Raised in the tight-knit community on Prince Edward Island, at a young age, Cousins had the sense of helping out others and lifting up others instilled in her. She also spent a lot of time alone working to process her deepest feelings. We talk about how the piano served as a way to express herself through music, which led to playing guitar and writing.

In university, Rose studied kinesiology, which has made her aware of her own body and is something she thinks about and uses everyday. At one point, she was on her way to becoming a strength and conditioning coach, but music took off for her in unexpected ways. She’s thrived and grown through her musical communities, particularly through the Cambridge, MA scene surrounded by Club Passim. She credits Rose Polenzani, Jennifer Kimball, Kris Delmhorst and (of course) Passim’s Managing Director Matt Smith for their encouragement in developing herself musically.

Rose’s latest album, Bravado, contains multitudes within the writing. She talks about how she has grown closer to her truth and being able to express that through the songs. I am particularly taken with the brilliance of “The Benefits of Being Alone” in its ability to make you laugh and cry so hard within the span of minutes. Rose has been a dear friend for a long time, so this was particularly meaningful to talk to her through this medium AND I’m so pleased that this is our 100th episode with such a special artist!