July 19, 2025 • 13 mins
The Cowboy Junkies are still going strong as they approach a significant anniversary.
This year the band is celebrating 40 years together, and they've managed to stay together and not take any significant breaks, a rare feat for the music industry.
Ahead of their upcoming stop in New Zealand this November, lead singer Margo Timmins says it's 'overwhelming' to see that the band's been able to keep it going for all these years.
"I think that as you age, you stop worrying about the little stuff, like what you look like and how many people are here and who's in the audience and who isn't in the audience - you're just playing your show."
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks a'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The very distinctive sound of Canadian alternative country folk rock
band The Cowboy Junkies. This year, the band is celebrating
forty years together and quite incredibly, their lineup remains unchanged
in that entire time. They haven't even taken a break
as a band, which is something very rare for the
music industry. The band is made up of Margo Timmins,
her brothers Michael and Peter, and longtime friend Allan Anton.
(00:36):
The Cowboy Junkies head back here in November for their
fortieth anniversary celebration tour, and lead singer Margo Timmins joins me. Now,
good morning, Margo, thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Your last tour here was in twenty twenty three, and
that was the first time touring New Zealand since nineteen
ninety nine. And now you're returning after only two years.
It was sort of twenty year gap and now only
a two year gap. Was there something in the twenty
twenty three visit that's made you want to return so quickly?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Oh? Well, we had such a good time. The audiences
were amazing, so, you know, we always wanted to get back,
but you know, in that twenty year gap, but there
was life got in the way. And then when we
got back in twenty three, it was just so overwhelming
and so much fun, and we enjoyed not only playing
(01:28):
in the audiences, but also the country, especially in New Zealand.
It's just overwhelmingly beautiful. I think everybody's taking a holiday
either before or afterwards so they can see more of
your country.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I'm pleased to hear that the tour is a forty
year anniversary tour, which is kind of incredible. Forty years ago,
starting out in Toronto in the eighties, did you imagine
that you would still be touring the world in twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
No, Yeah, it's pretty crazy to think back that it's
been forty years. I mean in those early days, you know,
when we put out Whites Off Earth Now, and I
certainly remember holding that album in my hand and being
so overwhelmed that I had an album, you know, let alone.
(02:17):
I certainly didn't think i'd still be around forty years later,
So yeah, it's pretty it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
We all change as we age, how has forty years
changed the band?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, I definitely, I hope hopefully. I believe we are
much better players. I think, you know, the way I
would describe us now as a band is that we
breathe together. You know, we all know. You know, if
somebody wants to take a song in a direction, we go, oh, okay,
(02:52):
he's going there. I'm going to go with him and
be able to do it really seamlessly, and which makes
the playing so much more fun. You know, some of
these songs we've been we're playing are forty years old,
but still enjoy playing them because they can go wherever
we take them, and and I love that. I find
(03:14):
the playing so much more fun than it ever was.
I also think as you age, just personally, you know,
you you stop, you stop worrying about all the little
stuff like you know, what you look like, and how
many people are here, and who's in the audience or
who isn't in the audience. You're just you're just playing
(03:34):
your show. And so it's just all about the music now,
not about the business, not about the look or anything else.
And that's that's that's a freedom, a real freedom.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Was that ever a huge concern to you. I always
sort of felt that the Cowboy Junkies were very was
a band that was very much themselves, that they didn't
cater to sort of what the industry expected of them
or to look a certain way in things. But obviously
there was some pressure there maybe earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Definitely there was a lot, especially with me. You know,
I I I got a lot of attention as a female.
You know, I got my picture taken a lot, and
I and they wanted me to do a lot of things,
you know, I got movie scripts and I think, you know,
(04:29):
Clara offered me a hair commercial, you know, just shake
my head in my hair. But it wasn't me. And
of course our management and our record companies wanted me
to do that, because the more you do, the bigger
you are and the more people will hear your music.
But I never felt comfortable. My brothers never ever pushed
(04:49):
me in any way. We always just did whatever felt
normal or natural or are not embarrassing we did, and
anything that felt awkward we just we just didn't do it.
We just it wasn't us. We didn't do it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
One thing I think is quiet incredible about you guys,
is that over these forty years, you've never broken up.
I don't believe you've taken a break. I don't know
if there are that many bands who could have gone
this long without a bit of a change in the lineup.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, well, you know years ago. You know, I was
years ago. It means ten years ago, which probably means
twenty years ago. The rolling Stone for out an article
of sort of you know, bands that have had the
same singer, bands who've done this, And there was one category,
which is bands that have lasted over twenty years or
(05:41):
something that have had the same lineup, and it was US,
Aerosmith and U two. So, you know, it was pretty
it was pretty pretty amazing to really think about it,
that there aren't a lot of bands that haven't had
people quit or the band has stopped and you know,
(06:04):
restarted reunion and tours and all that, but have stayed
together constantly. Yeah, it's pretty rare.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It is. So what is the key to staying together
as a band.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I don't know. But for us, I think I'm not
gonna say we've never had conflict. Of course we did have,
but I think we've always kept what's the most important
thing to us, which has always been playing and I
think we've always appreciated that that what we do as
(06:38):
cowboy junkies is because of the four of us. It's yes,
I could go off and sing with another band, and
I'm sure I would enjoy it very much, but it
wouldn't be Kuble Junkies that. You know. We could change
the bass player and that would be great and he'd
be a great place payer, but it wouldn't be what
we four do. And I think it's the four of
us together. You know, maybe we're crazy, but that's what
(06:59):
we believe, and we still we still get a lot
of pleasure out of it, you know, like I was saying,
even more so now, I think than we ever did. So.
I think we when we're when we're not happy, we
we talk things out and because we just we just
don't want it to end. Yet you know, it's not.
It's not over. So some stupid disagreement isn't worth worth
(07:23):
blowing us up.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
What is it being like to work so closely and
remain so close to your brothers?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Yeah, I mean I find that the most amazing thing,
you know, because we do spend so much time together.
I mean, I'm up here at a cottage with my
brother Pete, who's the drummer. You think, you know, don't
you get enough time with each other? I don't know.
We enjoy each other's company, you know. And and again
(07:52):
I think there's a lot of respect for each other.
So so we you know, we're not children anymore. We're
trying to dominate each other with our or whatever, uh
you know, our attitude, And yeah, we do. We enjoy
each other's company, so that's nice. And we also enjoy
each other's spouses company, which is even nicer. So we
(08:17):
are lucky that way.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Did you all grow up with sort of similar taste
in music or similar inspirations. We've seen some of the
inspirations that you've had as a band on the album
songs of the Recollections. But was music prominent in your
household growing up?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Yes, very much. I mean we weren't a band that
you know where like a lot of Canadian especially East
Coast Canadians, where you you know, you grow up and
everybody plays me, you know, an instrument and gets it together.
We were never that that family. But my dad loved music,
and our dad loved music, and when he came home
(08:51):
from work, the first thing you do was go to
is reel to reel and put on some music and
then he come and say hello to everybody. And I
think he really instilled in us that how music is
so important to just get through life, and it's a
thing that allows you to express yourself and to let
go of any you know, demons or whatever. So we
(09:17):
had that. And my dad also really believed that each
of us had our own tastes, so you know, he
never sort of put he might not have liked what
we were listening to, but he never sort of put
it down, you know. And so when we were young, Christmas,
especially when we were teenagers there were six kids, you
always call it a flat Christmas because under the tree,
(09:39):
our gifts to each other would all be albums, just
be you know, and and basically you bought the album
you wanted and then it would be in the house
and that way, you know, we'd be sharing out each
other's albums, and you know that they all wanted would
be somewhere in the house, somebody's room. So it was
it was. Yes, music was very important to us as kids,
(10:03):
and and stayed and then you know, Mike and I
we were of the punk era age, so we saw
a lot of the great punk bands in the in
the seventies, and and and al Al as well. We
were all of the same. You know. We'd hang out
together watching driving to New York City to see a
band and turning around driving back to get to work
(10:24):
the next day. It was pretty pretty intense time. So
we went through that era together, which I think inspired
a lot of what's in Kewboy Junkies. Not that we're
a punk band, but I think our attitude is a
punk band, and that whatever we want to do is
what we're going to do and hopefully somebody will like
it or not.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I read that you said that you used to be
nervous on stage, but it's now one of your most
comfortable places. How long did that take to change?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
A while? You know, definitely after Trinity Session a caution
Horses still nervous Black Eyed Man, you know, I think
a big turn came. And when we toured Black Eyed Man,
we toured with John Prime and we were sharing the
(11:14):
bill and I got to know John very well, and
he was so Watching him on stage was just inspirational.
He just he was like he was walking into his
living room and his attitude was always to give a
good show, but they didn't like it. He didn't care,
you know, whatever, not his Problemly did his best and
(11:35):
I would go out every night and sing Angels from
Montgomery with him, and he'd come on to my stage.
And I think that was huge for me. I think
that's when I really began to realize, you know, do
my best, and whatever happens happens, and not to worry
about it so much, and to let the audience see
a little bit more of me, you know, which you know,
(11:57):
I'm not shy, I never was, but standing in front
of an audience didn't feel that comfortable, you know, And
so I began chatting. Now they can't shut me up.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Mike, you mentioned that when you come to New Zealand
and you're all going to sort of try and take
a holiday here around the tour. Are you going to
get some fly fishing in while you're here.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Well, my brother Mike's a huge fly fisherman, and I
know last time he did that, he and Jeff went
off before our tour and did a lot of fishing.
I think this time he's coming with his wife, so
I don't think there'll be much fishing.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
It's nice to have a hobby that you can engage
with while you're on tour. Doesn't it just to sort
of take you out of the grind? I suppose.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yeah, I mean I think Mike has most of that.
You know, his fishing takes some into the woods, you know,
out of the cities, which is a wonderful thing. You know,
a lot of us definitely try to go to countries
either before or after, to spend more time hanging out
and seeing more than just the cities because on tour
(13:06):
that's where you are. Yeah, I mean, I think travel
is something we all enjoy and meeting new people and
the different people, and it becomes a big part of
who you are when you're constantly doing it like we are.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Mago, thank you so much for your time today. Really
appreciate it and we really look forward to seeing you
in New Zealand and November.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Well, we can't wait.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
That was Margo Timmins, lead singer of the Cowboy Junkies,
and as I mentioned, Mago and the band will be
in November in New Zealand this November for an evening
with the Cowboy Junkie celebrating forty years. Tickets are on
sale now.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen
live to news talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks a'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The very distinctive sound of Canadian alternative country folk rock
band The Cowboy Junkies. This year, the band is celebrating
forty years together and quite incredibly, their lineup remains unchanged
in that entire time. They haven't even taken a break
as a band, which is something very rare for the
music industry. The band is made up of Margo Timmins,
her brothers Michael and Peter, and longtime friend Allan Anton.
(00:36):
The Cowboy Junkies head back here in November for their
fortieth anniversary celebration tour, and lead singer Margo Timmins joins me. Now,
good morning, Margo, thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Your last tour here was in twenty twenty three, and
that was the first time touring New Zealand since nineteen
ninety nine. And now you're returning after only two years.
It was sort of twenty year gap and now only
a two year gap. Was there something in the twenty
twenty three visit that's made you want to return so quickly?
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Oh? Well, we had such a good time. The audiences
were amazing, so, you know, we always wanted to get back,
but you know, in that twenty year gap, but there
was life got in the way. And then when we
got back in twenty three, it was just so overwhelming
and so much fun, and we enjoyed not only playing
(01:28):
in the audiences, but also the country, especially in New Zealand.
It's just overwhelmingly beautiful. I think everybody's taking a holiday
either before or afterwards so they can see more of
your country.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I'm pleased to hear that the tour is a forty
year anniversary tour, which is kind of incredible. Forty years ago,
starting out in Toronto in the eighties, did you imagine
that you would still be touring the world in twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
No, Yeah, it's pretty crazy to think back that it's
been forty years. I mean in those early days, you know,
when we put out Whites Off Earth Now, and I
certainly remember holding that album in my hand and being
so overwhelmed that I had an album, you know, let alone.
(02:17):
I certainly didn't think i'd still be around forty years later,
So yeah, it's pretty it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
We all change as we age, how has forty years
changed the band?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Well, I definitely, I hope hopefully. I believe we are
much better players. I think, you know, the way I
would describe us now as a band is that we
breathe together. You know, we all know. You know, if
somebody wants to take a song in a direction, we go, oh, okay,
(02:52):
he's going there. I'm going to go with him and
be able to do it really seamlessly, and which makes
the playing so much more fun. You know, some of
these songs we've been we're playing are forty years old,
but still enjoy playing them because they can go wherever
we take them, and and I love that. I find
(03:14):
the playing so much more fun than it ever was.
I also think as you age, just personally, you know,
you you stop, you stop worrying about all the little
stuff like you know, what you look like, and how
many people are here, and who's in the audience or
who isn't in the audience. You're just you're just playing
(03:34):
your show. And so it's just all about the music now,
not about the business, not about the look or anything else.
And that's that's that's a freedom, a real freedom.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Was that ever a huge concern to you. I always
sort of felt that the Cowboy Junkies were very was
a band that was very much themselves, that they didn't
cater to sort of what the industry expected of them
or to look a certain way in things. But obviously
there was some pressure there maybe earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Definitely there was a lot, especially with me. You know,
I I I got a lot of attention as a female.
You know, I got my picture taken a lot, and
I and they wanted me to do a lot of things,
you know, I got movie scripts and I think, you know,
(04:29):
Clara offered me a hair commercial, you know, just shake
my head in my hair. But it wasn't me. And
of course our management and our record companies wanted me
to do that, because the more you do, the bigger
you are and the more people will hear your music.
But I never felt comfortable. My brothers never ever pushed
(04:49):
me in any way. We always just did whatever felt
normal or natural or are not embarrassing we did, and
anything that felt awkward we just we just didn't do it.
We just it wasn't us. We didn't do it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
One thing I think is quiet incredible about you guys,
is that over these forty years, you've never broken up.
I don't believe you've taken a break. I don't know
if there are that many bands who could have gone
this long without a bit of a change in the lineup.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, well, you know years ago. You know, I was
years ago. It means ten years ago, which probably means
twenty years ago. The rolling Stone for out an article
of sort of you know, bands that have had the
same singer, bands who've done this, And there was one category,
which is bands that have lasted over twenty years or
(05:41):
something that have had the same lineup, and it was US,
Aerosmith and U two. So, you know, it was pretty
it was pretty pretty amazing to really think about it,
that there aren't a lot of bands that haven't had
people quit or the band has stopped and you know,
(06:04):
restarted reunion and tours and all that, but have stayed
together constantly. Yeah, it's pretty rare.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
It is. So what is the key to staying together
as a band.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I don't know. But for us, I think I'm not
gonna say we've never had conflict. Of course we did have,
but I think we've always kept what's the most important
thing to us, which has always been playing and I
think we've always appreciated that that what we do as
(06:38):
cowboy junkies is because of the four of us. It's yes,
I could go off and sing with another band, and
I'm sure I would enjoy it very much, but it
wouldn't be Kuble Junkies that. You know. We could change
the bass player and that would be great and he'd
be a great place payer, but it wouldn't be what
we four do. And I think it's the four of
us together. You know, maybe we're crazy, but that's what
(06:59):
we believe, and we still we still get a lot
of pleasure out of it, you know, like I was saying,
even more so now, I think than we ever did. So.
I think we when we're when we're not happy, we
we talk things out and because we just we just
don't want it to end. Yet you know, it's not.
It's not over. So some stupid disagreement isn't worth worth
(07:23):
blowing us up.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
What is it being like to work so closely and
remain so close to your brothers?
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Yeah, I mean I find that the most amazing thing,
you know, because we do spend so much time together.
I mean, I'm up here at a cottage with my
brother Pete, who's the drummer. You think, you know, don't
you get enough time with each other? I don't know.
We enjoy each other's company, you know. And and again
(07:52):
I think there's a lot of respect for each other.
So so we you know, we're not children anymore. We're
trying to dominate each other with our or whatever, uh
you know, our attitude, And yeah, we do. We enjoy
each other's company, so that's nice. And we also enjoy
each other's spouses company, which is even nicer. So we
(08:17):
are lucky that way.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Did you all grow up with sort of similar taste
in music or similar inspirations. We've seen some of the
inspirations that you've had as a band on the album
songs of the Recollections. But was music prominent in your
household growing up?
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Yes, very much. I mean we weren't a band that
you know where like a lot of Canadian especially East
Coast Canadians, where you you know, you grow up and
everybody plays me, you know, an instrument and gets it together.
We were never that that family. But my dad loved music,
and our dad loved music, and when he came home
(08:51):
from work, the first thing you do was go to
is reel to reel and put on some music and
then he come and say hello to everybody. And I
think he really instilled in us that how music is
so important to just get through life, and it's a
thing that allows you to express yourself and to let
go of any you know, demons or whatever. So we
(09:17):
had that. And my dad also really believed that each
of us had our own tastes, so you know, he
never sort of put he might not have liked what
we were listening to, but he never sort of put
it down, you know. And so when we were young, Christmas,
especially when we were teenagers there were six kids, you
always call it a flat Christmas because under the tree,
(09:39):
our gifts to each other would all be albums, just
be you know, and and basically you bought the album
you wanted and then it would be in the house
and that way, you know, we'd be sharing out each
other's albums, and you know that they all wanted would
be somewhere in the house, somebody's room. So it was
it was. Yes, music was very important to us as kids,
(10:03):
and and stayed and then you know, Mike and I
we were of the punk era age, so we saw
a lot of the great punk bands in the in
the seventies, and and and al Al as well. We
were all of the same. You know. We'd hang out
together watching driving to New York City to see a
band and turning around driving back to get to work
(10:24):
the next day. It was pretty pretty intense time. So
we went through that era together, which I think inspired
a lot of what's in Kewboy Junkies. Not that we're
a punk band, but I think our attitude is a
punk band, and that whatever we want to do is
what we're going to do and hopefully somebody will like
it or not.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
I read that you said that you used to be
nervous on stage, but it's now one of your most
comfortable places. How long did that take to change?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
A while? You know, definitely after Trinity Session a caution
Horses still nervous Black Eyed Man, you know, I think
a big turn came. And when we toured Black Eyed Man,
we toured with John Prime and we were sharing the
(11:14):
bill and I got to know John very well, and
he was so Watching him on stage was just inspirational.
He just he was like he was walking into his
living room and his attitude was always to give a
good show, but they didn't like it. He didn't care,
you know, whatever, not his Problemly did his best and
(11:35):
I would go out every night and sing Angels from
Montgomery with him, and he'd come on to my stage.
And I think that was huge for me. I think
that's when I really began to realize, you know, do
my best, and whatever happens happens, and not to worry
about it so much, and to let the audience see
a little bit more of me, you know, which you know,
(11:57):
I'm not shy, I never was, but standing in front
of an audience didn't feel that comfortable, you know, And
so I began chatting. Now they can't shut me up.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Mike, you mentioned that when you come to New Zealand
and you're all going to sort of try and take
a holiday here around the tour. Are you going to
get some fly fishing in while you're here.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Well, my brother Mike's a huge fly fisherman, and I
know last time he did that, he and Jeff went
off before our tour and did a lot of fishing.
I think this time he's coming with his wife, so
I don't think there'll be much fishing.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
It's nice to have a hobby that you can engage
with while you're on tour. Doesn't it just to sort
of take you out of the grind? I suppose.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yeah, I mean I think Mike has most of that.
You know, his fishing takes some into the woods, you know,
out of the cities, which is a wonderful thing. You know,
a lot of us definitely try to go to countries
either before or after, to spend more time hanging out
and seeing more than just the cities because on tour
(13:06):
that's where you are. Yeah, I mean, I think travel
is something we all enjoy and meeting new people and
the different people, and it becomes a big part of
who you are when you're constantly doing it like we are.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Mago, thank you so much for your time today. Really
appreciate it and we really look forward to seeing you
in New Zealand and November.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Well, we can't wait.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
That was Margo Timmins, lead singer of the Cowboy Junkies,
and as I mentioned, Mago and the band will be
in November in New Zealand this November for an evening
with the Cowboy Junkie celebrating forty years. Tickets are on
sale now.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin. Listen
live to news talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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