Veda Hille: a new kind of inspiration

When I came in the East Cultural Centre in Vancouver to go see Veda Hille, I felt like I was going to an art show opening. Unlike most shows I see where the crowd is predominantly mad teenagers impatiently waiting for the band to play, the crowd there was very diverse; I saw grey heads mixed among younger-looking heads. The audience was in fact very warm and the atmosphere had a personal if not intimate touch to it, as if Veda Hille was playing in front of her friends instead of fans. A few days after the show I caught up with her to get her latest impressions of what she's been involved in and what is next for her.

The Peak: What makes you sing, why do you like singing so much?

Veda Hille: I do like singing. It's always been a part of me and a part of my family when I was a kid. I like communicating with people and it just seems to be the best medium for me and it's more than singing too. Playing the instruments is important to me as well. I guess I like singing because you actually use your body. It comes naturally and I think it's an important thing. A lot of the stuff that I do I've had to work at it but the singing that I do always just came. So, I guess, it gives it an honesty. Peak: How do you think the show went?

Veda: I thought it was good. It was a very big day for me I was on an adrenalin high all day, I didn't feel very present but I was very happy with the band and the way we played together. Working with those people is such a pleasure. Peggy Lee, Martin Walton, and Barry Mirochnick are excellent musicians and the audience was very generous. So, I think it went really well, but I can't really remember all of it.

Peak: Do you always have the same musicians or do they change from time to time?

Veda: I had the same rhythm section but I have trouble keeping the same drummer. Barry's new but hopefully he'll stick around. Normally, I work with one of two guitarists either Stephen Nikleva but he also tours with other bands so when he's away I work with Ford Pierd. It's usually guitar and not cello but it's nice to be able to mix it up every once in a while.

Peak: Why did you choose to call yourself by your name and not by a band's name?

Veda: Well, when I first started to record and do this I just pulled together a bunch of friends to make the record, so it wasn't a band at all and I just called myself Veda Hille at that point. It never has been a band. Sometimes I wish I had just chosen a name so it had more of that feeling to it. But it wouldn't be really true, the musicians have always been very important in terms of the input to the music and the arrangement of things but it really is my project, so sometimes I wish that wasn't caring at all or that is the way it works. Once the records started coming under my name I figured there wouldn't be much point in changing it.

Peak: How long ago did you start?

Veda: I started writing about seven years ago. The first record came out in 1992 called Songs About People and Buildings and the first CD called Path of a Body came out in 1994.

Peak: Part of your show were songs from the Emily Carr Project. What is it exactly and how did you get involved?

Veda Hille: It's commissioned work by Mascall Dance, a Vancouver company, and Jennifer Mascall is the choreographer. [The choreography] won't be premiered till probably the spring of 1998. But she wanted the music done so that they can work on the choreography to the music. Then we're going to tour live and I'll be touring with the dancers. It's a long term project but I'm so happy with the songs. I didn't expect to get something in it that would actually end up being part of my set. I'm pursuing to record it on my own hopefully for this winter.

Peak: You seemed very touched by Emily's writings. Is this right?

Veda: Yes. She's a brilliant writer. As I explained at the show, I just used her words and rearranged them as was appropriate. Personally, I'm more moved by her writing than her paintings. I find her writing very direct, honest and spare. Very nice and spare. She had a quote that said she didn't have book rules so she made two: to get to the point as quickly as you can and never use a big word when a little one would do. I think that's great.

Peak: You were part of Under the Volcano, can you tell me what it is?

Veda: It's a festival put on in Cates Park in North Van. It's an excellent festival, it's entirely run by volunteers. It's quite anarchistic and political as well as artistic. This year they had two scenes: music of North American indigenous people and grrrlapalooza. I was in the grrrlapalooza part which was great. I have a lot of audience from the folk scene which is excellent they're really good people but when I play in that kind of setting and with a guitarist, I can really rock. I really like doing that. I appreciated being asked to be part of a rock fest for a change.

Peak: How do you feel about Spine?

Veda: I'm really proud of it. It was a hard record to make. It took a long time and for whatever reason not particularly about the making of the record this wasn't a very happy time for me but I produced this one a lot more. I had a lot more ideas about production when I went into it and a lot more ideas of how I wanted the album to sound like specifically. I felt that I found that. I think it's the best record I've made. The record is quite different than live. The songs are the same but I always make a big difference between the production record and live. So there's a lot of samples and loops and found sounds in the production one.

Peak: Why did you go to Ontario to record your album?

Veda: I wanted to work with a couple of people specifically who were out there and the studio that was there. I have a lot of friends in Toronto in music. I also wanted to be away from home so that I would only be doing that. It was a good thing to do but it was also difficult I ran up my long distance phone bill like crazy but I think it was the right thing because I got the record that I wanted.

Peak: Are you influenced by anyone?

Veda: Oh, lots of folks. Let's see right now:, lots of folks. Let's see right now particularly Annie Dillard. She's been a big influence on me. I tend to be influenced by writers. And then musically, I'm influenced by a fair range of people. There's a woman named Robin Hollcomb out of Seattle and I really do love the Rheastatics, Mac Jones, Liz Phair. I listen to a lot and it comes through in my music in its own funny way. I also get a lot of influence from my peer group in the visual arts which I studied. A lot of people I hang out with are visual artists. The guy who did the album cover, his artist's name is my name is scot, has been a real ally for me. His work is incredible. I feel like we're trying to reach the things just with different mediums.

Peak: Is there anything you would like people to know?

Veda: No that pretty much covers it, I'm proud of the record I'm happy that it's finally out and I hope you all like it too.

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