Q & A: Adam Cousins on his Path to Pursuing Country Music, his Latest Single, “Young Again” & his Goals for This Year

6 min readJul 1, 2021

Featured: Canadian Country Artist Adam Cousins.

With roots stemming from the small-town of Brussels, Ontario is Canadian country artist Adam Cousins. His musical sound offers a contemporary twist on classic country, highlighting the traditional instruments of the genre, which he tastefully pairs with his trademark acoustic vocal performances. In 2018, he made his debut on the Canadian country music scene with his EP “Dirt Road”, which features a collection of songs that speak to the small-town lifestyle he’s familiar with. The EP reached radio airwaves across Canadian soil and surpassed over 40K streams (Cousins). In March 2021, he released his single, “Riding The Waves”- which was produced by the highly sought-after CMAO producer, Shawn Moore. Now, Adam has released his follow-up single, “Young Again”- A song that transports listeners back in time to the “good old days”.

Recently, I spoke with Adam about his path to pursuing country music, his latest single and his goals for this year.

Kyla Pearson: For those who are unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us a bit about your path to pursuing music? What made you want to become an artist?

Adam Cousins: I grew up in a small town playing in little pubs around a few towns. Once I moved to London 4 years ago for work I met a few people in the industry. I soon started a band and we were playing in shows all around southern Ontario as well as some weddings. My love for performing grew. I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life at a young age….. Once I released my debut EP “Dirt Road” and people started singing the songs back to me I was hooked.

Official single art for Adam Cousins’ single, “Young Again”.

Kyla Pearson: Recently, you released your second single of the year, “Young Again”, which takes the listener back in time to their favourite memories of their youth. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the song?

Adam Cousins: The story behind this song is all about my parents. How they are getting a little older now and seeing their kids growing as well. They think back to when they were 18 years old and wishing they could go back and just appreciate life and experience it again. Being able to carry on and be teenagers again, going on first dates and being free. My parents are always seeing my sisters and I constantly on the move and being busy. They always have the stories of “Oh when we were younger…” and you can just see their faces light up thinking back to great memories.

Kyla Pearson: Can you tell us a bit about the songwriting/recording process that went into making the song?

Adam Cousins: I wrote this song with a guy named T J Simpson. We got together at the start of covid and wrote over a zoom call. We knew it was instantly a hit. I made the mixtape right after the session and played it for a few people and it was already getting stuck in their heads. A few months later I was in the studio with Shawn Moore and he immediately gravitated towards recording it first. The rest is history.

Kyla Pearson: You also decided to go the more traditional country route with this single, highlighting the drums and acoustic guitar. What inspired this stylistic direction?

Adam Cousins: Traditional country has always been a favourite of mine. The 1970s to early 2000s is what I grew up on so generally that is the vibe I wanted as my sound. we added a little pop into the mix as well with some synth which was very interesting and something new for me.

Kyla Pearson: In relation to the song, what is one of your favourite memories from the Good old days (and maybe you’re currently living them!)?

Adam Cousins: The past 4 years have definitely been the good old days. My family cottage is around Lake Huron and it always feels like home. Being on the water is where I find peace and ease. Being with my family is a huge part of who I am and I am so grateful to be making memories that will last forever.

Kyla Pearson: You also released the official music video for the song, which was produced and shot by Derek Lamoureux. Can you tell us a bit about the creative vision behind the video? What was the filming experience like for you?

Adam Cousins: Derek Lamoureux… What can I say? He is amazing. Derek and I met about 3 years ago on the set of my first music video “Dirt Road” and we have been friends ever since. He has always had big dreams for myself and wanting to push me out of my comfort zone to get the best video possible. We have now shot 3 videos together, “Dirt Road” “Riding The Waves” and “Young Again”, and every time has been a better experience. We were wondering how we could bring “Young Again” to life and I think we nailed it. He actually called me on a Thursday afternoon around 1 pm and we were shooting that night at 6 pm. An hour and a half later we got everything we needed and had the perfect shots using all the natural light of the sunset. I couldn’t have asked for anything better! I love trying new things and I think the production of my videos has made me create and think like I thought I never would. It’s very challenging but all worth it in the end!

Kyla Pearson: With live music starting to be a reality once again as lockdown restrictions begin to lift, what is one venue or show you’re looking to perform at? What live shows do you have coming up that fans can catch?

Adam Cousins: Right now we are currently working with a couple of breweries just to get back into the swing of things. Nothing is set in stone yet but we will have some news very soon! All of the shows I was looking forward to this summer did end up getting cancelled, but have been rescheduled for next year! We hope to see everyone out there and play once again! I miss the fans, and performing so much… One day we will return!

Kyla Pearson: Lastly, what is one goal to hope to achieve by the end of the year? Do you plan on releasing more music?

Adam Cousins: The goal I have is ultimately just to get out playing again and doing what I love. We have also pushed “Young Again” to radio all across Canada so hopefully, we can get picked up and played as much as possible.

I will let you guys in on a little something…. I am headed back into the studio in August for my next project. I can’t tell you many details yet but I am absolutely ecstatic about what we have in store. Every day I am working harder to produce the best possible music for you guys to enjoy! I can’t wait for the next level!