Interviews
Tyler Wade talks with Leif Vollebekk
- by Tyler Wade
Digg this interview.
Add to del.ico.us.(2008-11-21)
I recently had a chance to be a part of a special show, one I won’t soon
forget. There had been a double booking at The Press Club and promoter
Bobby Kimberley devised a last-minute solution: his friend's
living room. So everyone crowded in, took their shoes off at the door, bought $2
Steam Whistles and enjoyed the scintillating sounds of Leif Vollebekk.
I didn't feel right about a review because I had to leave early and missed the second
act, but I did want to delve deeper into who Leif Vollebekk is and what he's
about, and get the word out to see this man perform.
Leif, I assume your name is of Scandinavian descent. I know it as a last
name, other than Leif Eriksson. Are you discovering something before anybody
else will? A little history of you, please -- what did you want to be when you
were growing up?
Well, my father had the Norwegian parents and he wanted to keep those
roots somewhere in my name, I think. It's a bit of a mouthful. I have no idea if I'm discovering anything. It's hard enough keeping up with what's already been found, you know?
What I wanted to do when I grew up? Not too sure. I knew I wanted to play
the violin like my grandfather.
You recently finished an album. What's its title? Talk to me about the
process: where did you record, who produced or engineered the album?
Some songs have a full band behind you -- who were they? What's it like for
you to complete an album? How does it feel?
The album's called Inland. The title just fit nicely next to every song,
kind of grounding them. I wrote the songs over the course of a year or two,
and felt they needed to be recorded before I forgot why I wrote them. I set
up 10 days to record and mix the album at Breakglass Studios in Montreal. I
arranged the songs and Dave Smith, who co-owns the studio, set up the mics,
pushed the buttons and mixed it all. He's a wonderful engineer.
Jake von Wurden is on bass and Jeff Asselin did the drums on a few tracks.
I'd heard them play some jazz at Petit Chicago in Hull. And I knew Jake from
a while back. They just had the right lightness of feel that I was looking
for. I think you can really hear it on “Don't Go to Klaksvik”.
What's it like to complete an album? I'm not too sure...it felt finished
before I walked into the studio. I just had to commit it to tape. It's been
both so strange and so natural to see it in people's hands. They get this
nice little plate of food but they have no idea what the kitchen looked
like.
You're from Montreal. You sing some songs in French and some in English.
Do you ever find it difficult or frustrating to play for audiences that may
not understand? Does the music speak for itself? Do you find it sad that outside
of Canada we're seen as bilingual?
I'm actually from Ottawa, originally. Only moved here a few months ago.
But to answer the question, I think most French-speaking people are familiar
enough with English to work out the words…and sometimes just by singing in
French, it says something in English. If that makes any sense.
Your song “Quebec” -- it sounds like an angry one, discovering a loved one with
another man, a friend. "When a woman moves on it's just best to move away…threw off your chains and then they landed on me." The lyrics in the song
are memorable and passionate. Do you write your best songs when you're upset? Why?
I didn't really mean for it to sound angry. The line is actually that when
she moves on "it's best she just move away". It's a lot easier if they do
the movin'. Songs seem to just write themselves if they're any good. I'm not
sure how much my mood has to do with it.
The Blacksheep Inn is one of your favourite venues to play, why is that?
Are there other venues you'd love to play and haven't yet? I love the
Blacksheep -- why is it special for you? Why did you choose to release the CD
there?
Well, the Blacksheep is out of town and that means if you're there, it's no
accident. So the kind of people that come tend to be really interested in
hearing you play. And that's all you can really ask for. And the staff is great.
Your influences seem to transcend time from Gershwin to the Arcade Fire.
Your music is certainly rooted in folk acoustic and Bob Dylan is obviously a
strong influence- - the writing, the words, the harmonica and the singing
style. Does the diverse selection help you? You play violin, piano, guitar --
anything else? Who introduced you to all this music? Do you thank or curse
them?
It's just so hard trying to catch up on everything good that's been
written and sung. You do your best, you know? I certainly don't curse
anyone. And I can get by on piano and guitar, it's true, but the rest of
those instruments like banjos, violins and sitars -- I just do little things
that I think work and I hope the real players aren't in the audience...
Also, I have never heard of this Dylan person... Is he famous or something?
He sounds quite interesting...
What are your dreams or aspirations for your music? Do you make music to
have fun? To tell a story? Do you want to be the next Canadian
favourite? Why do you write music?
I write because I have to, but I play because I want to. As long as I
can fill a room, that's all I'm really looking for. It would be nice to
play L'Olympia in Paris one day.
Leif releases his album November 27th at The Blacksheep Inn, Wakefield, QC.