Allison Crowe began performing professionally in 1996, at age 15, doing regular sets in the coffee-houses and bars of Vancouver Island. She began touring internationally in 2001. The artist settled in Canada's Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador at the end of 2005.
"I love singing for people," says Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."
Today, Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers more millions each year.
"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."
With Ani DiFranco as a model of integrity, Crowe created her own label. Since 2001, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released a series of critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song, Secrets, Tidings, Live at Wood Hall, This Little Bird, Little Light, Spiral, Tidings Concert, Newfoundland Vinyl, Heavy Graces, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl II, Songbook, Souling, Newfoundland Vinyl 3, and Introducing / Heirs + Grievances.
Through recording and touring Allison Crowe has achieved broad popularity, featured by BBC Radio, MOJO magazine and acclaimed Hollywood director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen, Sucker Punch). In 2013, Allison Crowe appears in "Man of Steel" - an epic science fiction movie adventure featuring Superman. In this blockbuster film, Crowe cameos as a singer/musician in Cassidy's Bar where Clark Kent is working incognito. She performs "Ring of Fire", a song penned by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and made legendary by 'The Man in Black'. “I’m a big Johnny Cash fan. And I’m a big Allison Crowe fan. So the combination to me seemed like an awesome opportunity if we could make it happen,” explains MoS Director Zack Snyder.
"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."
A sensation at the UK's John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, "Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman newspaper. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance "put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."
"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.
"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."
"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.
"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.
Indifférence
Allison Crowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words & Music by Pearl Jam
As performed by Allison Crowe
I will light the match this mornin', so I won't be alone
Watch as she lies silent, for soon night will be gone
Oh, I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam
How much difference does it make
How much difference does it make, yeah
I will hold the candle till it burns up my arm
I'll keep takin' punches until their will grows tired
Oh, I will stare the sun down until my eyes go blind
I won't change direction, and I won't change my mind
How much difference does it make
How much difference does it make... how much difference...
I'll swallow poison, until I grow immune
I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room
How much difference
How much difference does it make
Allison Crowe's rendition of Pearl Jam's "Indifference" is haunting and profound in its simplicity. The lyrics speak to the human capacity for endurance in the face of pain and suffering, and the quest for freedom and meaning in an indifferent world.
The opening line "I will light the match this mornin', so I won't be alone" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is seeking a way to alleviate their loneliness and despair, but the act of setting fire to something also carries a sense of rebellion and defiance. The line "Oh, I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam" further emphasizes the desire for freedom and autonomy, even if it is only an illusion.
The chorus, "How much difference does it make, How much difference does it make, yeah" serves as a reminder of the futility of one's struggle in the face of an indifferent universe. The repetition of this line underscores the sense of resignation and helplessness that pervades the song.
The verses that follow describe a willingness to endure physical and emotional pain in order to assert one's will and identity. The lines "I will hold the candle till it burns up my arm, I'll keep takin' punches until their will grows tired" convey a sense of determination and fortitude, while "I'll swallow poison until I grow immune, I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room" represents the singer's refusal to be silenced or broken. The final line "How much difference does it make" serves as a rhetorical question, challenging the listener to reflect on their own struggles and the ultimate significance of them.
Line by Line Meaning
I will light the match this mornin', so I won't be alone
I will create a thing to burn and provide light to avoid loneliness
Watch as she lies silent, for soon night will be gone
Observe as she sleeps quietly, knowing the night will soon end
Oh, I will stand arms outstretched, pretend I'm free to roam
I will hold my arms out and imagine myself free to explore
Oh, I will make my way, through, one more day in Hell
I will struggle through yet another day in my personal hell
How much difference does it make
What impact or effect will this have?
I will hold the candle till it burns up my arm
I will not let go of the candle until it burns all the way to my arm
I'll keep takin' punches until their will grows tired
I will continue to endure attacks until my opponents lose their will to fight
Oh, I will stare the sun down until my eyes go blind
I will look directly at the sun until I can no longer see
I won't change direction, and I won't change my mind
I will remain on my current path and not change my decision
I'll swallow poison, until I grow immune
I will consume poison until I become immune to its effects
I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room
I will shout so loudly that the entire room will be filled with my voice
How much difference
What noticeable change will there be?
How much difference does it make
What effect will this have on me or others?
Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
silas
Where’d you get the picture of the old second Ave pizza box?
Allison Crowe
It's one of a couple of boxes from pizzas we had there in Summer of 2001!