Diandra Interviews Crown Lands: Rock With Purpose

This Friday, Crown Lands make their self-titled debut, and it is a ROCK N’ ROLL FEST. The duo of Kevin Comeau and Cody Bowles have seen this genre, notorious for its raucous, rebellious behavior, as a beacon for marginalized voices. Thus, listening to their debut is like listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin or Iggy Pop speak to human equality and indigenous rights in between messages of just buzzing fun. In some ways, the record reminds me of the late, great John Lewis’ message: make good trouble. In essence, you are so much more interesting when you rebel for love and humanity rather than just to rebel, and in our interview, singer Cody Bowles, discusses that dynamic. 

Diandra:  What do you feel is the power of being Two-Spirited, and how does it elevate your perception of art?

Cody: Being two spirited, you kind of defy the binary imposed upon us by modern society. I feel both my feminine and masculine side come through at random: almost like a gradient slider that kind of shifts on its own. I suppose that contributes to how I see art from a different perspective, but I don’t have any baseline experience outside my perception of art so I really couldn’t tell ya. 
Crown Lands – The Witching Hour

Diandra: You have said, “If you are going to say something, might as well say something that matters.” Do you feel to be “art” or to have purpose, a person must speak against social/human injustice?

 Cody: I feel like it is truly honouring the path of a creator/artist if you use your art to tell a story or to integrate societal commentary in your art for people to digest and see things from a different perspective. It’s stuff like that which sways the cultural needle and pushes humanity towards its colourful future. One doesn’t have to speak out about social/human injustice, but it’s more a matter of wanting to either be the voice to start conversation, or elevate the voices of those who are speaking up about it if you yourself aren’t making art commentary about injustices that are happening right under our noses.

Diandra: With that in mind, what are the things your upcoming debut says that you feel matters? 

Cody: End of the Road highlights the Highway of Tears. The Highway of Tears is  a 720-kilometre stretch of Highway 16 – also known as the Yellowhead Highway. It is the road that links Prince George and Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia. An estimated 18-80 women, children and two-spirit people have gone missing on this road.  No one has been apprehended to this day.  All investigations have been controversially deleted by the RCMP.  It is a grim reminder of the horrors that Indigenous People bravely suffer every day at the hands of our Government.  We must stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. We must stand up for, and do, what is right. The National Inquiry into Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIWG) was published in 2019 and it declares that Canada has carried out a genocide under international law.  That is not to be taken lightly.  Here we are.  What are we going to do about it?  We owe them answers, and we owe them action.

Diandra: With the world confronting more its racial prejudice, how do you feel Canada must confront its own prejudices against Native tribes?

Cody: I feel like Canada should really take a look inwards and confront the roots of systemic racism interwoven into the highest levels of government that has been prevalent since the begging. To address that, defund the RCMP, and give back indigenous sovereign lands would be the first steps of any real confrontation.

ME: YASSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Diandra:When you look back history to now, there is a treatment of indigenous cultures as things of the past. How would you define being “indigenous” today?

 Cody: Being indigenous today is a lot different than it used to be. There are a lot of people off reserve (like myself), and they look just like any other person you couldn’t distinguish from a group. There is a whole other dimension as well, that being the use of sacred medicines, ceremonies, prayers, language, etc. People often face racism from a young age if they are visibly indigenous and dependent on where they live. I’m lucky enough to have grown up in Toronto, but still dealt with a ton of racism growing up.  

Diandra: To confront injustice means you also seek healing. What has music helped you heal about yourself?

Cody: Music has helped me when I was at my lowest of the low. It has helped me through a deep depression and through the best moments of my life. It has been there for me whenever I had nobody to talk to and is the greatest, life companion. 
Crown Lands – Spit It Out

Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory with music?

Cody: When I first heard 2112 by Rush. My father would play it on the drums, front to back, (no lie), and then after the first couple times of sitting in on these sessions, he whipped out the album and threw it on. It blew my mind and set me on this wild, musical journey. 

Diandra: Howlin Back is about the campfire tales that most spook you out. What are some scary stories or films that most terrify you?

Cody: Some of these terrifying tales actually were from my father late at night around the campfire. He would usually recount some alien or Sasquatch story and it always had me scared to walk in the dark or fall asleep.

SIDE NOTE: SHOUT OUT TO ALL PARENTS THAT PURPOSEFULLY TERRIFY THEIR CHILDREN WITH SCARY STORIES! Shout out to mine and Cody’s in particular (lol!) 
Crown Lands – End Of The Road

Diandra: Listening to your music, the classic rock inspirations are prominent. What classic rock artists and even films most inspire your vision as artists? 

Cody: Rush is the ultimate influence, but we’re really influenced by Led Zeppelin, Queen, Yes, King Crimson, and Pink Floyd to name a few. 

Diandra:  What do you give each other as persons/ artists that you most appreciate? Think of personal qualities. 

Cody: We’re both real ambitious folk. Kevin is a real workaholic and he loves to push me in ways that I wouldn’t naturally gravitate towards and vice versa. I feel like we kind of have a yin/yang dynamic, in personality, and it works out great. 

Diandra: Describe the moment you knew this duo was your path.

Cody: Honestly when we played our first couple shows! We had felt how the crowd reacted to just the two of us; that coupled with no more space in our tiny Hyundai Elantra made it evident that a duo was the right call for us. On top of that, our chemistry together is immaculate and we feel if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

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