Hi Trevor, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Thank you. Like everyone, living through the COVID-19 era introduced many changes. Some, like the impact on live performance, rehearsals, and the like, were pretty much immediate, and I saw a downturn in musical activity. Happily, I have been well, for which I am grateful.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “And The Moon Rising”? Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

Yes. Every year, in late summer or early fall, a group of players and singers gathers by Lake Ontario to play songs, watch the sun setting, and the moon rising. There are many instruments; we begin in light, end in darkness, and find our way through an evening of songs. Whether musical backgrounds are professional or recreational, everyone joins in. It makes for an inspired and inspiring evening.

You dropped out of school in the 1960s to play rock and roll. What are some of your earliest musical memories and who were your biggest influences growing up?

With the exception of road trips home in winter, lying on speakers packed into the back of the van (yes, bumping my face into the frozen roof over rough roads) it was a satisfying life. I did not perceive it as a privileged position at the time; we were just making our way, doing what we loved.

Insofar as musical influences are concerned, I listened to a lot of folk artists, like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Valdy, and the like, as well as bands, like Procol Harum, The Jeff Beck Group, and The Band. In their song “Gimme Sympathy,” the Canadian band, Metric, once asked “who’d  you rather be, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones” and, of the two, my answer would have to be the Beatles (even so, I find I play more Rolling Stones when I pick up my guitar.)

The new album was produced by Marcus Vichert. How did that relationship come together?

Marcus and I met in English class. Initially, I was his teacher, though over the next few decades, and probably more quickly than that, I’d say he became mine. We have shared a long-standing shared interest in music—he is a terrific songwriter—and, in many ways, I consider “And the Moon Rising” to be his album. Certainly, it was his idea. He plays many guitars on the record (all the interesting ones, I think) and I am quite fond of his slide work.

How was the writing and recording process for this album?

The album was recorded between October 2018 and November 2019, largely accordingly to the availability of the (great, it must be said) musicians, and the studio, Marquee Sound in Toronto. I have recorded before, albeit closer to the beginning of my musical life, but this is my first album.

The record has six of your original songs and four “interpretations.” What makes you want to cover/interpret a song?

I have played “Horizontal,” “Not the Only One” and “Richland Woman Blues” in live sets for years. I like them, in part, because they are not so well known that performing them at all calls attention to them. And, for this record, I wanted to include “I Get That Feeling,” in part because I think it is a great song (and in part because I wanted to play some piano on the album.)

What role does Toronto (or Ontario) play in your music?

Given that I live here, I suspect that Toronto and Ontario do provide a general context for the familiar in my music; however, I think more particular experiences, like Iceland (e.g., Fire Moon), where I have visited a number of times, stand out to me more because they are unfamiliar.

Where did you find the inspiration for the songs and lyrics?

I think it was Paul Simon who described his songs as building on a single idea, and I think that is true. For me, this could be either musical or lyrical, or (more rarely) both, but most often, I think it is the music that comes first.

Your music video features an ASL interpreter. How did that idea come about?

A good deal of my education work was in teacher education, and one of the faculties of education in which I worked included a deaf education program. My own signing is terrible, but I learned enough to respond to others more or less (perhaps more and less…) satisfactorily. Certainly, I am grateful for what I know, no question. But it had not occurred to me to include ASL when it came time to prepare the videos for the album, and I added them afterwards. If I record another album—I have material for another, but we shall see—I would prefer to incorporate ASL from the outset. Initially, I had difficulty finding an interpreter to do it—“I don’t do music” was the common response—but then Dawn Jani Birley said “I’d love to,” and I feel she brought her own artistry to the project.

What else is happening next in Trevor Owen’s world and where can people go to find out more about your music?

I suspect we all hope to recover from COVID times. For my part, I am thinking through a second album, but this is preliminary and, at this juncture, I have not made any firm plans. I hope you will visit my web site, https://trevorowenmusic.com/ from time to time for updates!