A protest song at heart, this folk-psychedelic tune touches on many forms of injustice and carries that ephemeral haunting in its melodies. While written in 2020, it only becomes more topical and visceral to listen everyday. Following is my conversation with Eric Lavoie of Cosmic River, where I began by asking about the nature of the protest and injustice he wrote it for.
EL: This song was inspired by a mixture of things, one being the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. That event upset me quite a bit and reminded me why songs like “Killing in the Name Of” by Rage Against the Machine were written. The line “Some of those who work forces are the same who burn crosses” unfortunately still rings true today, so some of the ideas in “Do You Know What Time It Is?” were inspired by that idea. In addition to those sources of inspiration, I see a lot of parallels between the treatment of Black folks in America and Indigenous folks in Canada, so being Indigenous myself I was able to relate the two and have the main theme of the song be social injustice with a focus on the wrongs done to my Indigenous peers and ancestors.
Where did the name Cosmic River come from?
EL: The name Cosmic River doesn’t have a very deep meaning or a ton of significance. I wanted a name that sort of combined the mystical with Mother Earth. I was listening to a song called “God is just the Universe” by Corey Kilgannon one day while driving and the line “Time’s a cosmic river that we measure to make sense of where we’re going” really stuck out to me. I had been brainstorming names for over a year at that point and had come up with a lot of (mostly bad) ones, so when Cosmic River came up it just felt right.
How did you get into music? What drives you to create?
EL: Cosmic River has been in the works for over two years at this point, and only now am I starting to actually release music and post about it online. I have been writing songs for a few years now and have been playing music my whole life. My parents put me in piano lessons when I was 5 years old, and I’m super grateful for that. When I was 14 I got a guitar for my birthday, and I’ve been playing guitar almost everyday since then. I’ve always been obsessed with deconstructing songs and figuring out what the lyrics mean, so eventually it became obvious that I’m meant to write songs. It sort of feels like I don’t have a choice. Without music and song-writing I’d probably go crazy.
I can’t say I’ve heard a lot of indie alt-country music. How did you find your sound?
EL: I listen to a lot of artists like Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, Colter Wall, and Steve Earle, however I’m not sure how much that music directly influenced this song. Funny enough, the song that most influenced “Do You Know What Time It Is?” was probably “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen, which is a synth pop song. It has a repetitive, chant like quality to it and shares some of the same themes.
The song sort of took shape naturally. The early demos sounded more like a folk song, and then eventually Chase, who is into a lot of heavy electric blues music, added some psychedelic guitar sounds and we added a few sound effects. We didn’t really set out to make a western song, it sort of just took shape like that and revealed itself to us.
In terms of finding sound, I don’t think Cosmic River has quite found it. Once you hear the next three releases you may agree, because they all sound very different. The new stuff I’ve been writing seems to have a more distinct sound, so I’m excited to get that recorded.
Is this your first musical collaboration as Cosmic River?
EL: This will be my first release. I’ve really been taking my time with it because I want to make sure it’s done right. Chase and I started playing together roughly two years ago, and we ended up getting four songs professionally recorded, this release being one of them. Cosmic River began as a duo, and then we sort of decided it was my vision, and Chase is interested in playing in more of a full blues-rock band environment. We still get together to jam/collaborate, though. He’s a fantastic guitarist and has a ton of great ideas.
What is your song-writing process like? It seems like it both comes from a place of wanting to speak out, but also since this track is this cinematic ballad it does indulge in the medium as a means to get that story across.
EL: It’s a little bit different every time, but generally it starts with a chord progression that I play over and over again and then eventually add a melody and then lyrics to. I would call this song a protest song at its core. Speaking out on injustices that deeply upset me via a song helps me feel like I have a voice and a way to make positive change. Feeling helpless is pretty frustrating for me, so I’m glad I found song-writing as a medium to express myself. “Do You Know What Time It Is?” definitely has a cinematic feel to it, and I think recording several demos before bringing it to the studio allowed us to experiment not only with expression through lyrics, but also through an intense rollercoaster of sound that really stays true to the core message of the song.
How did you meet Chase? What was the idea behind working together on this track?
Chase and I grew up in the same area of Winnipeg, and we met through hockey and high school. Post high school we didn’t see each other very often, but we ended up reconnecting a couple years ago when we realized we were both into making music and playing guitar. I wrote this song on acoustic guitar, and then showed it to Chase. I sing and play rhythm guitar and he plays lead guitar and harmonica. We have a very complementary skillset, so collaborating comes pretty easy. Chase’s guitar playing really made this song come to life and sort of tied all of the musical ideas together.
I’ve only heard the two tracks – this one and Get a Haircut – and this one is a vastly different style. What made this song so quintessentially different?
EL: Get a Haircut is actually a cover. It’s originally by George Thorogood and the Destroyers. If you listen to the original you’ll see it’s got a classic rock feel with lots of blues licks. Our version fits more into the traditional folk genre, and I think we have a unique take on the song, which is why I enjoy covering it. I think my natural playing style is rooted in traditional folk music, so “Do You Know What Time It Is?” ending up sounding the way it does because Chase brought his influence to the song and because we spent such a long time crafting it and experimenting with different sounds.
You mention the song adapts folk styles and themes. Was there a lot of influence in your life to fall back on? What are the other styles that find their way into the track?
EL: To me, this song is rooted in folk music. Like I mentioned, originally it sounded like a traditional folk song. It’s an interesting song to me because I don’t really think it fits into one genre. It has folk, country/western, and psychedelic rock elements to it which I think makes for a pretty interesting sound.
It’s such a striking chorus and a call to accountability, Do You Know What Time It Is? What Time is it? Is it like, I can’t believe we’re so advanced in our societies and we’re still looking at each other as such foreign beings?
EL: More or less, yes. When I say, “Do You Know What Time It Is?” I’m referring less to clock time and more to where we’re at as a species. As in it’s not 1930 anymore, how is there still so much racism alive? Obviously it wasn’t okay back then either, but have we learned nothing? In some ways it feels like we’re regressing as a species, and it’s frustrating because we as individuals can only contribute a limited amount, but it does feel good to be trying to make a positive contribution. I think asking the question “Do You Know What Time It Is?” is powerful because it forces the listener to reflect, look inwards, and take some responsibility for the way they’re living.
I love the sound on the track. How was the work divided? How did you envision it all coming together?
EL: Thank you. I did the vocals and rhythm guitar, and Chase Fincaryk played the lead guitar, harmonic, and this Indigenous instrument he had that sort of sounds like an owl. If you listen closely you’ll be able to hear it. Our producer Adam Fuhr also contributed a couple electric guitar parts. The song was recorded at House of Wonders studio in Winnipeg, MB. We had a fairly clear direction of how we wanted the song to sound after recording so many demos of it, but I think it’s sort of inevitable that it doesn’t turn out exactly as you were expecting, especially when you’re not producing the music yourself. Adam definitely played a big part in crafting the sound, and I’m glad he was able to contribute what he did because the song is better off for it.
How do you feel about the release now that it’s out?
EL: Yes, I’m definitely happy with the way it turned out. Releasing this song has been quite the process for me. It’s my first ever release so there has been a lot to learn, and I’ve come across plenty of unexpected challenges. It’s sort of like taking care of a bird in a cage for two plus years, and then having to release it. Once it’s free, it’s free. You have to really let go and be vulnerable because you’re opening yourself up to the judgement and criticism of anyone who hears the song. In terms of genres, since Cosmic River is now a solo act, I’ve been experimenting with a lot of traditional folk and country music. I’m currently in the process of building a suitcase kick drum with my father, so I plan on adding that into my performance to give things a fuller sound.
What’s on the horizon for you? Where do you see your future taking you?
EL: Once this release rollout is finished I plan on really focusing on my new set list as well as writing more music. I have three more songs in the bank right now, so I will be releasing those over the course of the next year or so. I have been playing some local gigs, and I am going to really ramp that up soon so I can begin to better develop my live performance. I hope to be able to play some festivals within the next couple years.
Do you have a desire to work on an EP, or some longer-form exploratory formats?
EL: I would love to release an EP in the future. I think it will come with time. I’m definitely in no rush. I would also love to record an album at some point, but that is probably a bit further down the road, and I’m okay with that. I’m excited to see where the music takes me.
A fun question I like to close with, who is your dream collaboration? Which of your tracks do you like most, if you had to pick one?
EL: I quite like Colter Wall’s music. He’s from small town Saskatchewan, a province over from me, and I think he’s only a couple years older. His song-writing abilities and distinct sound really blow me away. I also really dig Rayland Baxter and Mac DeMarco. It would be pretty cool to collaborate with any of those artists one day. Of all the tracks I have recorded, I think my favourite right now is one called “You’re Better Off In Paris”. It doesn’t sound anything like this first release. It’s more upbeat and incorporates styles that weren’t explored in “Do You Know What Time It Is?”. I plan on releasing that song next, so it’ll be cool to see how it’s received in comparison to this one.
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