Description
Recording for Cousin coincided with a particularly productive period for Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. Cate Le Bon encouraged the band to avoid live in-studio recording, opting instead for individual instrument recordings based on 2019 demos by Tweedy. Band members would collaborate and then focus on their specific instruments; for example, Le Bon and multi-instrumentalist Nels Cline worked together for two days on solo parts.
Tweedy invited Le Bon to produce the album after they met at a live performance, despite initially not planning to bring in an outside producer. Once she agreed, they discussed the album's sound and exchanged digital files of several dozen songs before entering the studio. From over thirty tracks, Le Bon selected 14 to work on, with "Ten Dead" written during the sessions. Throughout recording, Le Bon had specific ideas about each instrument's sound, and the band members were receptive to her guidance. Wilco also recorded and released Cruel Country in 2022 to allow more time for Cousin. Additionally, Le Bon's band recorded at Wilco's Loft studio, fostering a friendship with Tweedy.
Track Listing