By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Anyone who’s worked in Nashville media for any stretch of time is familiar with Lance Cowan. He’s been a longtime public relations representative for numerous musicians. After working for such organizations as Network Ink and later Antones/dos Records, he branched out on his own where his first client was the legendary blues musician Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. Since that time he’s worked for many others, among them Sam Bush, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.
But Cowan’s now moved into a different arena. As a guitarist since the age of 12, he’s enjoyed writing and playing songs for many years. Cowan’s new release “So Far, So Good” (CPI/The Orchard) is a fine 12-song, 41 minute production featuring his compositions, some dating back three decades. It was recorded at several of the area’s top studios and matches him with a host of outstanding musicians. The first single, “This Heart of Mine” released during the winter, got rave reviews, and Cowan says this was the right time for him to release this project.
“After years of playing a show once or twice a year, it occurred to me that I was being a terrible steward to these songs,” Cowan told the Tribune. “Songs are a gift, and I realized it wasn’t fair to keep them to myself. My wife and sons have been encouraging me to release these songs for years. My manager, John Porter, has been pushing me to release a CD for 30 years. It just feels right to do it now.”
Releasing the album now also provides him the opportunity to look back at a distinguished career working with many major musicians. “I’ve now worked with Joe Ely for more than 30 years and, honestly, there’s not one negative thing I can say about him,” Cowan continued. “He is a real, honest-to-god saint. That also goes for Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. They are all amazing guys. Add Terry Allen to that list. They are all cut from the same cloth. I manage David Bennett Cohen (founding member of Country Joe & The Fish) and he’s a remarkable musician and human. RW Hampton, an award-winning western artist, is the very definition of what a true Cowboy should be. When you look in the dictionary for “Texas Gentleman,” you should find a picture of Lyle Lovett. He’s a great person. Some, like Rees Shad, have become very close friends.”.
“I’m having fun right now,” Cowan concluded. “At 65 I don’t expect to be much of a challenge for Taylor Swift. I’m getting great reviews for my album, So Far, So Good, and I’m playing a lot more. I have a manager that is a great friend, and I’m seeing old friends and making new ones. My wife – Nancy, my “wife-ager” – and I are traveling a bit. As I mentioned, I’m just trying to be a good steward to the songs I’ve been given, and I’ll keep doing PR as long as artists want to work with me. Really, I’m just loving life at the moment, so I have no desire to change the status quo.”
“So Far, So Good” is available on all major streaming platforms.
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