The singer of international club smashes Killing Time, Pray, and Forever, Tina Cousins also teamed with producer Sash! for the hits Mysterious Times and Just Around the Hill. More than five years after the release of her debut masterpiece, Tina is back singing about her "Wonderful Life" and what it's like to "Mastermind" a comeback.
(Disclosure: Ron Slomowicz is the webmaster for Tina Cousins.com)
DJ Ron Slomowicz: Let's talk about your new album Mastermind. "Queen of the World" kicks off the album with a really strong statement, and we get to hear you sing with new tones in your voice – raspy and low, up and down. Did you have more freedom to explore your voice on this album?
Tina Cousins: Yes, I feel a lot happier. I'm a grown woman now so it's nice to be able to have much more say in what I do and the songs that I sing. Not only that, but to be able to go through the sort of whispery deep stuff to really being able to belt something out, because anyone who knows me really well knows that I'm fairly loud anyway.
RS: Five years between albums is a long time, why such a long wait?
Tina Cousins: I got stuck in a really horrendous deal with some guys that I originally thought were going to be great to work with and they did nothing. There was an album sitting there floating around in the clouds somewhere that has never been released. It's soul-destroying to have so much success and then to have it taken away from you by someone - it's really, really hard and very frustrating. So to be honest, I'm lucky to have a second chance. I'm really proud of the fact that I put a little bit of my money and my heart and soul into this album, it belongs to me so no one can take it away from me.
RS: I noticed on the album there seems to be a tone change, the first album had songs that questioned the state of the world, while this album sounds like you're more in control, with songs like Mastermind and Come to Me. Was that a conscious decision with you choosing the songs?
Tina Cousins: Most artists want their songs to portray them to a certain point, so on this one, definitely. With Mastermind, I absolutely adore that track. We just had a couple of really wicked dance mixes done of it and I would be really interested to see what happens with that. I'm more ballsy now, I'm older, and it's good to have a lot of say in what I do. I dig my heels in and I'm as stubborn as hell!
RS: Hymn was originally recorded by Midge Ure and it's an interesting choice for a cover song, was this choice motivated by global politics?
Tina Cousins: I don't know. The funny thing was on the last album when we recorded a track called Pray, people sat up and took notice purely and simply because instead of just being a dance track, it had a lyrical content that actually meant something. Without sounding corny, the song says "I hope the children forgive us for the stupid things we've done." I think sometimes dance music gets pushed into the category where it's just something that you jump around to, and it's quite nice occasionally to have something lyrically that actually means something a little bit more than just dancing around.
RS: Well that's one of the many reasons why your fans love you, is the lyrics you sing, you bring depth to the music they dance to. Is this something you think about when you're recording music and you're finding songs?
Tina Cousins: Oh, thank you. Definitely, because it is important. You're always going to get portrayed and put in a little box, as soon as you do dance music - people just listen to the music and think "ah, it's a great track." But it's very rare that someone actually goes - do you know what, Tina can actually sing. It's a rare thing and and I think it's sad because I put just as much into singing a dance track as if I would if I was standing singing a full-on ballad. So, this time around especially, people have been very complimentary to me, I'm having a good time at the moment.
RS: I notice there's a reference in the song Mastermind to Killing Time, that was very cheeky.
Tina Cousins: Did you like that? I thought I'd got to get one in there somewhere, because everyone kept asking me to do another remake of Forever or Killing Time. I thought that was a bit of a cop out. That was the hardest decision because Killing Time worldwide did so well for me, it was phenomenal. For a small girl from Essex called Tina, that was a big thing. So it was having the balls and having a bit of courage to do something slightly different and I was terrified when I first played the album but I'm pleased with the results.
RS: Listening to the song Alive makes me wonder, are you single or are you dating?
Tina Cousins: I'm sort of in the middle at the moment. I'm looking for a nice, hunky man. Perhaps when I come over to America, fingers crossed that I will, you'll have to find me one.
