New Release
Doug Cowan words, vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion
Greg Bjork mandolin, Tom Kubasik bass, Bob Hoffman drums
Recorded by Todd Hutchisen at Acadia Recording
Additional Recording by Doug Cowan at Epona Farm
Mixed and Mastered by Tim Phillips
Artwork by Doug Cowan
Copyright Plucksongs 2023, ASCAP
We are Welterweight
Welterweight has been the delivery system over the past two decades for the recorded and live performance output of singer/songwriter Doug Cowan. Cowan, born and bred in rural Maine, survived on K-Tel Hits albums until discovering his brother’s record collection in the early 80’s, which consisted mostly of early Neil Young and Elvis Costello vinyl. Adopting the apparent DIY attitude growing in underground music, he took two guitar lessons, ignoring everything but three barr chords, and promptly started a punk band without a name. Then some bands with names like Pluck Theatre and Bullyclub. This led to the Welterweight collective.
So, Welterweight can be a folk band, but not really. Or a rock band, but only a smidge. An originals band, but not all the time. A satisfying cover band, maybe, sometimes. Sitting in the audience, you might find yourself thinking “huh, I know that song, don’t I? Yup, it’s that one, I think…hmm, not bad!” Not bad, indeed…thoughtful, catchy originals and re-interpretations of good songs gone by, Welterweight exists in the world of not-quite-adult oriented music. Maybe “hard soft rock” is a good description. The collective has evolved over the years by using less electricity. Not quite “off the grid” level, but enough to pass as a legit string band. Four accomplished players circling around the songwriting of Cowan, reinvigorating his past catalog and cattle-prodding new songs out of him that run the entire mad-sad-glad gamut...