DENSE: Living in the present and preserving the past

The creative process of songwriting is often a double edge sword. While it can be lyrically rewarding and display the best of your ability, it can also be a dense, emotive process with the power to eat away at you. Canadian singer-songwriter Adam Cohen knows this feeling all to well, yet with the September release of his forth album ‘We Go Home,’ Cohen is ready to move forward with his his musical journey.

“Creating has been expected of me, having been brought up in a creative environment, by two creative parents. My obstacles were always about the quality of the work and it’s resonance. Those are still the two things that preoccupy, torment and reward me the most,” says Cohen. While the 41-year-old musician acknowledges the creativity within his family – particularly his legendary father Leonard Cohen, he is proud to carry on the Cohen family tradition and the depth that comes with it. “I’m waist deep in trying to honour the tradition to which I was born. It’s not always been easy. I had many years to make up for. But I’m celebrating my work now and the manner in which I feel it’s worthy of my name. I walk to work (the family business) with a pep in my step and pride I’ve never had.”

As Cohen prepares to release his album ‘We Go Home’ on September 15th, he enters a new phase in his musical voyage, where his use of lyricism and musical style is in it’s most natural and effortless form. “I don’t deliberate as much over the actual writing anymore. I’ve reached a place where the songs and lyrics either work or don’t, and the verdict is far more evident to me. This has represented a giant relief for me, of at least one of the dimensions of difficulty in writing. Now, will the song last in peoples heart or iPhone playlist?!”