He has been a long-time supporter of the Music Health Alliance. “I am on the board of Music Health Alliance, and after COVID hit, I got in touch with some supportive artists and I got them to either donate a song that is very easy for them to record or something that they already recorded in their archive. They would generously donate all the proceeds, publishing and songwriting, to Music Health Alliance. That’s how it came about and it is going pretty well,” he said.
For his Songs From Quarantine digital project, he enlisted a number of his all-star artist friends such as Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal & The Milk Carton Kids, Elvis Costello, Ronnie Dunn, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Keith Urban, among others.
This collection of 13 songs is available exclusively on Bandcamp by clicking here. “The listener would have a 13-song experience, which is a real, intimate, and close relationship with the artist for that song,” he said.
The proceeds from this limited 13-song collection will go towards the non-profit organization, Music Health Alliance (MHA). It provides free healthcare advocacy and support to the music community nationwide, which includes critical mental health and COVID-19 resources and access to healthcare, medicines, and diagnostic tests, among other things. “I just love this organization,” he said.
On his songwriting and music inspirations, he said, “When I was 13 years old, I heard Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ for the first time, and I was hooked. Also, ‘She Loves You’ by The Beatles and ‘Hit the Road Jack’ by Ray Charles. My father was a local talent in Houston, Texas, and he was an inspiration as well. I hear music and it inspires me to want to make it. Then, I want to find my own source of music.”
Crowell added that in this day and age, Billie Eilish inspires him, even though he doesn’t make music that sounds like hers. “It really inspired me to tap into the creative place that Billie and her brother work from,” he said.
As a songwriter, he shared that he has been busy during the quarantine. Crowell is already working on the follow-up Songs from Quarantine: Volume 2, which will also help and support Music Health Alliance.
For young and aspiring singer-songwriters, he encouraged them to try to be true to themselves. “Follow your basic instinct, be true to yourself, and stick with it. Don’t be afraid, go for it,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said, “Where Do We Start?”
He listed Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Joni Mitchell as his dream female duet choices in music. “Chrissie Hynde would be a dream,” he admitted.
Crowell defined the word success as “knowing that you’ve done good work.”
Songs From Quarantine is available by clicking here.
To learn more about iconic country singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, check out his official website and his Facebook page.
