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Art for Carr's sake >> Songstress Veda Hille gets out of herself and into Emily Carr by CHRIS YURKIW
Yeah, sure, it's all art. But "arty" refers to something specific, just as the word "art" itself tends to get used to describe painting. Interestingly enough, Veda Hille's third album, which began as a commission for music by the Mascall Dance company of Vancouver, is based on the work of Canadian icon/painter Emily Carr. But in a twist, Hille didn't take inspiration from Carr's paintings for Here Is a Picture (Songs for E Carr). "The paintings are overly familiar to me," says Hille, "and she's not my favourite painter. But her writing is where I found a real freshness and much more of the real person. I was more interested in the woman than the work." In fact, the project was rife with twists. First off, Mascall Dance didn't want instrumental music that often accompanies choreographies, but Hille's textured, minor-keyed and largely acoustic songs that are dominated by piano, guitar and cello. Hille then proceeded to pore over Carr's journals, published in the book Hundreds and Thousands, "re-arranging existing texts into new pieces" in a process she considers a collaboration, despite the fact that Carr died over 50 years ago. Often described as an eccentric, Emily Carr has also been called a misanthrope who took solace in living alone in the rain forest of the West Coast, and who took inspiration from nature. "The things I related to," says Hille, "were her incredible swings of moods--despair and then absolute ecstasy." Hille is taking inspiration herself from this "collaborative" way of working. She recently turned a couple of songs from her last album Spine over to remixers, including Torontonian Andy Stochansky (Ani DiFranco's drummer) and Quebec City-based sound artiste Christof Migone. The results will soon be released on a 7" single in the U.S. by the new Bottom Line Record Co., associated with the well-known club in New York City. "It's exactly what I needed in terms of changing my direction and developing my own writing style," says Hille of the Carr project. "I think I've explored the directly personal fairly well for the moment, and now I'm interested in making things up." Veda Hille with guests Lisa Gamble, Annabelle Chvostek, Alex Boutros, Dan McKell and Tiff at Isart this Saturday, April 11. 8pm $8
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You might remember a modest three-ring circus that rolled through town last fall called the Scrappy Bitch Tour, which featured a triumvirate of Vancouverites who are rising musical stars. There was Kinnie Starr, the scrappy, rapping poet kid. And Oh Susanna, who sings of Appalachian bitches and moonshined mountain men. And then there was Veda Hille (rhymes with Billy), the least scrappy and least bitchy of the lot. You could probably get away with calling her the arty one.