Cold Harvest Trust Newsletter Interview

Cold Harvest Trust is a four piece piano/keyboard based pop-rock band from the north shore of Auckland. What began as a solo recording project for vocalist Andrew Cowie, eventually evolved into a conglomerate where each member added their personal style and input to the songs.

What inspired you to start Cold Harvest Trust?

It has always been about people with similar tastes in music rallying around the process of creating and playing great songs. The seeds began in Heathcote Valley, Christchurch inside the HUT, a sleep-out turned creative space.

From the beginning, the HUT was earmarked as a place for music to take shape, whether it was through interpretations of material by artists we admired, or original songs that reflected our experiences at the time. CHT was a way to find flow, escape the distractions and treadmill of rigor and routine, and be inspired to create something exciting. The line-up and location of the band has changed over time, but the spirit remains the same.

What is the best part of being a musician?

It is the ability to connect with people who might be drawn to listen more closely by a melody, a line, a lyric, or a turn of phrase. In the ever-expanding digital landscape we now inhabit, vying for one’s attention is an even greater challenge. When one finds those rare moments, the most personal songs can have a universal resonance. This in turn motivates musicians to reach further within to send their message even further out.

How do you come up with the lyrics?

The lyrics sometime appear with a melody firmly affixed to them; other times it might be writing alone that is done on a scrap of paper, capturing an observation, or musing over a situation that has either been personally experienced or something that has resonated for someone else. Sometimes, the full body of the song will happen very quickly with the lyrics as a narrative. In that case, it’s about finding the right melody to reflect and represent the meaning of the lyrics.

What can we expect to see from Cold Harvest Trust over the next year?

The next year will see Cold Harvest Trust promote the release of our New Bones EP where we plan to tour a variety of venues in both the north and south islands of New Zealand. We will take every opportunity we can to play live and interact with listeners; win over new fans; and be active members in and contributors to the New Zealand music community. We also plan to release a video of our forthcoming single Flagships on April 30th.

What is in your CD collection at home?

The Band (Music from Big Pink), Leonard Cohen (Songs from a Room), Elton John (Honky Chateau), Leon Russell (Self-Titled), Willie Dixon (The Chess Box), The Phoenix Foundation (Pegasus), Spoon (Gimme Fiction), Wilco (Summerteeth), Okkervil River (I Am Very Far), The New Pornographers (Challengers), Blue Rodeo (Nowhere to Here), Gomez (Liquid Skin), The Velvet Underground (Loaded), Phil Spector Collection, The Shins (Chutes Too Narrow), Broken Bells, Cornershop (Handcream for a Generation), Elbow (Build A Rocket Boys), Family Cactus (Spirit Flags), Dictaphone Blues (On The Down & In), The Eastern (Hope & Wire).

Who would you most like to support live?

Any of the artists above (those who still exist). In particular, local acts Dictaphone Blues, Liam Finn, Family Cactus, and Crowded House.