Veda Hille

happy new year, folksens!

i hope you had a nice turning of the calendar. my posse and i went to cortes island (which my fingers keep typing as cortex island) and went for dramatic walks, threw gasoline on bonfires, danced in the kitchen, and played innumerable games. it was good, and now it’s done. and i’m excited to be back at work, thank heaven. here’s what’s going on at the moment: rehearsing with the band to remount the Emily Carr dance show, rehearsing with duplex for our gig in the frozen north, finally sending This Riot Life off to the manufacturer, getting ready for the big show with the University of Manitoba Choir in Winnipeg in february, shooting a video for Laboratory (running around in the woods with a polar bear head on), and getting started on a children’s opera. about trees. i guess i should get to the laundry one of these days too. and get a haircut. it’s going to be a fine busy year.

in other news, my husband’s band No Kids (formerly known as p:ano) is rocking the charts over at david byrne’s internet hangout. their new album comes out this spring, it’s called Come Into My House and it’s really wild. other music that i’ve loved lately (and am not married to) is the new pornographer’s album challengers, mia’s kala, clive bell’s London Listens to Beijing. and still obsessed with judee sill (thanks andy).

ok, time for tea and toast over here. good luck to you all in the newishness. xv

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last night i dreamt that donny osmond had a new reality tv show where he was a dentist. he was my shirtless dentist, attaching braces to me in front of the cameras. i keep dreaming that my mouth is full of stuff, broken teeth, braces, etc. but this is the first time that donny osmond has been involved.

this is not the new album cover. unfortunately.

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so, the fog is just clearing on a bright chill day here in vancouver. the household has been listening to a bunch of joy division, after seeing control on friday. beautifully shot, a movie that definitely lingers in the head.

but the living carry on. i’m getting stoked for a show at the gabriola poetry festival on november 23. there are official performances in hot tubs! i won’t be there in time to see alasdair roberts on nov 17, which is a shame. he’s playing at the surf lodge on the island, a place my grandmother used to dine at. should be a lovely show if you’re in the hood.

okay, i’m a slave to the email today. must go before my arms seize up. xx v

howdy folks

things are a little up and down over here, projects being proposed, projects being cancelled…..i feel slightly ill at ease. but i’m sure it will pass. here’s what’s going on:

our show from may 6 2007 at the wise hall is being broadcast on cbc 2 next saturday, oct 27, at 9pm. or you can go toconcerts on demand and listen whenever you want. i forgot to ask them to take off a few trainwrecks, but i hope you are forgiving. it was a fun night. the fits will be up later in the season, they’re holding them hostage at the moment.

i forgot to mention that there’s a little interview with me here on z recommends about good ol duplex.

me and the gang from theatre replacement are making a record of the songs from yufo next week, that ought to be some fun. expect that early next year, along with the 2 or 3 other releases i have planned. crazy.

vancouverites, don’t forget that we’re playing 1067 with fond of tigers and sandro perri, also on the 27 of october. there’s a map to the venue (it’s semi-secret) on the fond of tigers site.

the fits are playing in the afternoon! of november 18 at the railway club, at a great show in support of insite, the safe injection site here in dirty old vancouver. safety first.

okays, i got to have some breakfast and get downtown. more soon i’m sure. xv

oh, i’m in this issue of the vancouver review, although the article isn’t up on their site yet, because of course they want you to buy the magazine. should have a nice photo, my pal mark mushet is the creative director and has taken some of my faves of me. that’s an awkward sentence.

oh, i’ve been blogdelinquent. but there is no excuse for sitting in front of the computer in this weather. fall always surprises me, i know it is my favorite time but something happens when it actually appears, and it’s like i’ve been asleep for 10 months. finally awake again.

we went today to the apple festival. i tasted 20 kinds of apples, and settled on cox orange pippin, rubinette, bramley’s seedling, and calville’s blanc d’hiver. you can read about apples here or even better pick up michael pollan’s excellent book Botany of Desire. while looking around for a site reference for you on that one i was lured onto amazon and bought 4 books in the blink of an eye, so i’m not even going to look again. you can find it. and hey, another one of my favorite books is only $4.99 on amazon right now! brand new! kathryn davis’ The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf. incredible novel about bogs and opera and hans christian anderson.

what else can i recommend? the new christine fellowsrecord, that’s what. called nevertheless, she’s raised the bar again. right now i’m listening to the initial recorded arrangements by giorgio magnanensi of some neil young songs. i’ll be singing them with the cbc radio orchestra next spring, thrill of thrills. so many projects, actually. i’m working on some new songs to sing with the University of Manitoba choir in february, and tomorrow i go to edmonton to get working on a new project with playwright kevin kerr.

and please note on the shows page, i’m going to winnipeg spur-of-the-moment next weekend to play at the west end cultural centre’s 20th birthday party. the weekend after that we have a fine show in vancouver with sandro perri and fond of tigers. and now i’m going to hop on my bike and get down to The Darjeeling Ltd. autumn is the best.

hey gang. if you go to this cbc page you can read more about all the gould tributes going on this month, and the show that i’m playing. you can reserve your tickets for the taping on sept 28, and also read about the broadcast sept 29.

in other news, our cat was missing for 4 days. then we found him living with a family 2 blocks away. faithless!

halloo folks. the days continue to be glorious here, and my reliable september mood is steady. what’s been up? well, most exciting is the last weekend spent shooting an album cover under the artistic direction of my dear friend geoffrey farmer and photographed by una knox. geoffrey built a dada/constructivist grotto in our garage and put me in it. it is somehow simultaneously from the 20s, the 60s, and the nowies. it is always a grand moment for me when the album art takes form. a completion of the project that always surprises and delights me. we are aiming for a january release, although i can’t promise anything solid yet. at least that’s not so far away any more.

and soon (september 28) will be my show at the museum of civilization in ottawa! because i’m so darned civilized. this is the glenn gould “idea of north” tribute, where i and others have written new music inspired by the 40 year old radio piece. i’m happy to say i’ll be joined by actual northerners kim barlow and jordy walker to help me with the singing bits. i just found out that the show is FREE! you can contact caitlin crockard at cbc ottawa about it, or just email me at veda@vedahille.com and let me know how many tickets to set aside. and then you’ll be on my personal guest list. i wonder if they’ll let us wander around the museum in the night. oh, and i’m only playing a few songs. just to warn you of the concisement of it all.

is there anything better than september? i’ve had anticipatory dreams for a week now. the month of melancholy fire, the driven brisk, the beginning of the year. it’s a wet day, i have a 6 hour meeting to get to, and still i am full of excitement. here we go here we go here we go!