VOCK

PROFILE

Adventurous

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STANDING room space was at a
premium at the packed-to-the-
rafters Railway Club last Friday.

Hoisting a brew posed a challenge, but it
paid to be tall in the crush.

The object of all that
attention: a small woman
with neon pink hair high-
lights. Veda Hille’s riveting
attraction as an artist flows
from a seemingly mystical
connection to place and a
candid sharing of self. She
conjured some dazzling
magic on stage this night.

With Ford Pier on gui-
tar, Martin Walton on bass
and Barry Mirochnick on
drums, the musicians who
helped shape the potent
soundscape on Hille’s latest disc Here isa pie-
ture (Songs for E Carr) imprinted the live
offerings with jagged energy.

Hille lists among her influences Glenn
Gould; The Rheostatics, Thelonius Monk
and Robin Holcomb. Much like Rheostatics,
she rewards those who listen actively with
engaging lyrics and adventurous music.

Veda the spooky, Veda the sensual, Veda
the poetically enigmatic, Veda the scrappy
bitch. Depending on the prismatic shift of a
soul’s perspective, it’s all there.

She’s just embarked on a tour across
Canada with the band. Hille will be.on the
road for the next six months, with solo stints
in Germany and Switzerland included.

Neda Hille?

. Michael Becker

imbs

This journeys ends in’ New York Cin,
where she'll link up “in an intimate fashion”
with her new label, The Boom Ling Record
Co,

The signing came after she mer Bottom
Line Record Co. president Hank Medress at

_ the Toronto Folk Alliance Last
year. ‘The label deal forges a
path for her into the U.S.
market.
Says Hille, “Fve been looking
for the right peaple to work
with. Pee been wanting to
work in America and Pm very
happy thar it’s a small inde-
pendent company with an
interesting staff and they seem
io really dike whac Pde and
they trust me. There’s no
question of them having any
creative input.

“They really like the way I do things. So
I'm really hoping they can make the music
available to the people who might fike it
down there.”

She almost dismisses a talked about move
to New York. “It’s just a rumor. Pm con:
stantly moving actually. PH just be where |
am at any given moment. It’s nice to came to
where something is very familiar, We'll see.
T'll probably spend a lot of time there (in
New York).”

The West Coast is under her skin. Hornby
and Gabriola islands are favored haunts.
“Water and rock and selt are really good for
me. I dream a lot richer when I'm out of the
city and a little more exposed to the elements.
They are very good places for me to ge and
clear things up. Your thoughts doa’t hit too
many walls, I find.”

The process of sifting through the essence
of the life of Emily Carr. to tay the ground-
work for ker third studio disc, helped dis-
mantle some of those walls.

She wrote the songs over a period of three
to four months in the summer of 1996.

“It was a very short amount of time for
me to write that many pieces, although I do
consider it to be just one long thing.

“T really found it good for my writing to
stop writing about myself for a change. I
think I’ve really taken a strong step forward.
I’m not so interested in delving into my per-
sonal life as specifically. ;

“It will always be there, but ’'m more
interested in writing about other things,
other people. Ie’s a little drier and Pm not so
vulnerable, which feels good.

“There’s a certain amount of vulnerability
and [ don’t think Pl lee go of it, but f guess
I'm wary of over-indulgence in terms of

VEDA Hille puts music to the life of Emily Carr

ee

exposing myself and assuming that exposing

on Here is a picture. The disc is being distrib-

nvself is an interesting thing.

“A lot of young songwriters that are

around right now are not really writing abour

Friday, Ap

rare

Photo Mark Mushet

VEDA Hille said farewell to Vancouver for a while with a tight show at the
Railway Club last week. She’s touring Canada and Europe over the next few

months.

anything. Thev're just cucting their chest
open and showing it and it’s a limited value,”
she says.

The music for Here is a picture (songs for E
Carr) was commissioned for Mascall Dance.
The dance company will be rouring the work
through fringe festivals. Hille and band plan
to play live “hopetully for a November run at
the Fire Hall” with the dancers.

Her sense of being a Canadian musician
grows stronger with increasing international
exposure. “The more [ travel out of Canada,
the more I realize I like being Canadian. It’s
a tricky line these days.

“Culturally [feel more influenced by peo-

ple from many other cultures like people
trom America and England. The Canadian
landscape is important to me and nv writing.
That’s one of the reasons also why I don’t
want to move to New York. | want to con-
tinue to be informed by the spaciousness we
have here if possible.”

She’s working on a new record. Hille put
down some new material on four-track
recently at Hornby Island. This time out
she’s collaborating with her present band
line-up and Quebec City based Christof
Migone.

“Ein recording with hin in Quebec City
in April. He works on computer with sound.”

uted in the U.S. by The Bottom Line Record Co.

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