Cowboy Junkies have always been masters of mood, weaving intricate, haunting soundscapes that feel like they’ve been plucked straight out of the ether. On their latest record, Such Ferocious Beauty, the band has turned their focus inward, exploring themes of loss, mortality, and the bittersweet tapestry of life. Vocalist Margo Timmins sat down to discuss how this deeply personal record came to life and what it’s like to sing your way through grief and hope.
Timmins, speaking with a thoughtful warmth, shared how the record emerged during a time of profound change for the band, particularly following the passing of their father. “He had dementia, and we watched him slowly lose his memories, his sense of self,” she explains. “It was a long goodbye.” The album opener, “What I Lost,” captures the essence of that experience, with lyrics that paint a picture of a life fading into fragments. “It’s hard for me to sing,” Timmins admits. “But I wanted to get his loss and our tragedy into the performance.”
Despite the heavy themes, Timmins doesn’t see the album as entirely morbid. She highlights the duality of life—the juxtaposition of joy and sorrow. “During COVID, when everything stopped, nature came alive. There was this overwhelming presence of life around us even as we dealt with so much loss,” she reflects. That connection to nature is embedded in the record, with real bird calls and ambient sounds captured in the farmhouse where the album was recorded. “It wasn’t a studio trick,” she laughs. “We’d stop recording to watch a warbler or a porcupine wander by.”
The sparse arrangements, especially on tracks like “Hell Is Real,” amplify the emotional weight of the lyrics. “I was scared singing that song,” Timmins admits. “You have to be in the right mental space to capture that fear and tension.” And yet, for every song that feels like staring into the void, there’s something like “Shadows 2” or “Knives,” which inject a sense of groove and lightness into the mix. “Knives started as an acoustic song,” she shares. “It evolved into something really unique, but it took some work.”
Even the album’s ending leaves listeners with a sense of quiet reflection. “Blue Skies” abruptly cuts off, almost as if to echo the fragility of life. “You’re here, and then you’re gone,” Timmins says simply. “There’s no final answer. Life just is, and then it isn’t.”
Cowboy Junkies have spent decades mastering the art of restraint, and Such Ferocious Beauty continues their tradition of letting the spaces between notes tell as much of the story as the melodies themselves. For a band that has always thrived on subtlety, this record feels like a bold statement: that beauty and ferocity often live side by side. It’s not just an album; it’s a meditation on what it means to keep going when the weight of the world feels unbearable.
And for those still hungry for more Cowboy Junkies, Timmins hints at unreleased treasures in their vault. “There’s no complete album like the Sharon sessions, but there’s a lot of stuff,” she teases. With this band, you get the sense that even their leftovers are worth savoring.
Such Ferocious Beauty is out now, and if the title didn’t already give it away, it’s an album that refuses to let go—even long after the final note fades.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
