DEFEND YOURSELF!: COWGILL

“If people like us in Boston, they don’t need to worry anytime soon. Slash ever.”
THANK GOD. 

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. We spoke with half of the sextet—Paul Cowgill, Dan Weissman, and Ryan Rivers—in advance of their pre-tour sets at the Harvard Medical School Quad and Plough and Stars.

You formed in June of 2011. What’s this first year been like?
Paul: We’re about to go on our first tour of the U.S. It’s a short tour; out to Chicago and back. And we got to play at all of our favorite clubs. Middle East Upstairs, Great Scott …
Dan: We recorded that album, remember?
Paul: Yeah! That was kind of nice.

Some people worry when they see that “reliable local band” branching out. Do you see yourself playing more and more outside of Boston?
Paul: I think we’d love to keep playing one or every two months in Boston, then, between some of those shows, do mini-tours like this. If people like us in Boston, they don’t need to worry anytime soon. Slash ever.

There seems to be a lot of genre fusion going on at the local music level.

Paul: I think when people look back in the future, that’s going to be what the 2000s and 2010s were: kids with a bunch of MP3s on their computers, seeing no reason to stick to one genre anymore.

Anything else you want to mention about your upcoming shows?
Dan: They’re going to be a lot of fun.
Ryan: Since I didn’t say anything this entire time,

I just want to say, that, uh, I greatly enjoy Cowgill. And I think it’s a great thing.

COWGILL

WED 8.8.12
HMS QUAD
260 LONGWOOD AVE.
BOSTON
12PM/ALL AGES/FREE

THU 8.9.12
PLOUGH AND STARS
912 MASS AVE.
CAMBRIDGE
10:30PM/21+/FREE

@COWGILLMUSIC
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