It was at the Black Easter Festival edition 2016 that I witnessed 2 bands performing who urged me to rush towards the merchandise stands in order to buy any material by them I could find… after 1 or 2 songs already… The first band was our National Postpunkish Pride calles Whispering Sons and the second one was Evi Vine, who came to present her 2nd album Give Your Heart To The Hawks…
They were picked up by festival organiser (and founder of Peek-A-Boo magazine ànd IT-wizzard for Dark Entries) Ward De Prins to play on his beloved Black Easter. That same Ward De Prins came to pass away last year, being greatly missed by fellow music lovers and befriended artists alike. Some of his close friend came tot he idea to celebrate Ward with a new edition of Black Easter, inviting some of the best bands of former festival editions, not forgetting the great 2016 passage of Evi Vine…
Evi and her band will be performing material from their 3rd record Black/Light/White/Dark, but not before kindly answering our questions…
Dark Entries : The first time I saw you performing was on the Black Easter Festival, some years ago, the same festival and on the same location you will be playing (again) on april 20… The second time was a gig for Can’t Live In A Living Room (wich was in someone’s living room indeed)… I understand that you met Ward, the late organiser of Black Easter on a previous Can’t Live-gig…? Is that how you came to play Black Easter in 2016 in first place…?
Evi Vine : Yes, that’s right: we met Ward for the first time through Eddy and Anja who are amazingly supportive beings whom we love dearly and they introduced us to Ward. He was so kind to us and his enthusiasm for the scene was unstoppable and contagious. Black Easter 2016 for us was a time of transitions, GB our drummer had just joined and we were trying out a bigger sound which led us to where we are now with this album….so we are very much looking forward to return to BE 2019 and perform the new material.
Other people came accross your music via Joy Division tribute-album A Change of Speech, A Change of Style, where you contributed with a reworking of Dead Souls. How came this into life? Did it opened some doors…?
EV : We have had some great support from a dear friend & collegue Sven Affeld who was integral in our support tours with Phillip Boa, also NCN Festival. And being asked to contribute to the album havinjg opened doors …? I’m not sure but we have had some really positive feedback. There is a great deal of pressure taking on a track from such an influential band. Working with Danny Nolan aka 'Flint Kids' on production certainly gave it the dark edge .
You also came to sing with Goth supergroup The Eden House (feat. Tony Pettitt from Fields of the Nephilim, amongst other fine names)… How did you end up singing and touring with them…?
EV : I met Tony & Peter (Yates?) at Elektroworks… We were there to see our mutual friend Bob White perform with his band NFD, so the communications started from there … which led to me writing & recording Reach Out, In The Fire For You and The Dark Half with the guys.
In The Eden House you shared vocal duties with Monica Richards (Strange Boutique, Faith and the Muse, solo, …), so you are familiar with each other. She’ll be performing Black Eatser the same day as you… Long time no see…?
EV : Actually we don’t know each other that well. There was a really amazing performance where we were all together but maybe for just one show? In that time Amandine, myself & Valentine toured the first album just the three of us … but we are really looking forward to see Monica performing live again at Black Easter.
To play the Fields-card again: you already worked with Tony and now Peter Yeats (one time guitarist with Fields) worked with you on the single Sabbath, from your new album Black/Light/White/Dark… Do you have any harmless Fields-aneqdotes from them…?
EV : We have been working with Peter Yates for years. We have toured together as part of Evi Vine and of course Peter recorded on the 2nd album Give Your Heart To The Hawks too… We have a few stories but maybe over a beer one day … My lips are sealed! haha …
So we have Peter Yates but also Simon Gallup (Cure) working with you and the band on Sabbath… How come this into life and what was your experience with this…?
EV : Being in a space with Simon was so inspiring as I’m sure you can imagine … He is such a humble guy which makes the experience all the more fulfilling. The discussion to do something together has been some years in the making just trying to get the timing right. We feel so privileged…
The single Sabbath has a heavier sound then we are used from you (next single My Only Son proved to be more old school Vine again)… Also the videoclip has a more heavy pictural approach… The title Sabbath makes me think of a period of contemplation but I heard that the video is all bout transformation?
EV : Transformation / Metamorphosis … Who are we if we don’t shed our skins ... The only reason I can think of for being here is to learn, grow, be more than we were before .. step outside the fear … it’s not always easy … Craig Murray’s work is out of this world… We just adore him…
Would you say that the whole album deals with transformation in some kind or another…?
EV : Yes, I think so … The album is layered like always … The songs deal with the recent loss of loved ones … They pass into new dimensions and we remain … Transforming in the cycle or destruction & rebuilding from within…
Black/Light/White/Dark contains 6 tracks, so people would expect a short album. Wrong, I would say, because you’ll let the tracks breathe… (discuss… )
EV : We didn’t want to have as many constraints this time … We were recording for the first time as a band with Matt Tye on bass & GB on drums with everyone bringing something to the table … There are a few vocal based tracks but the album is not lead by stories this time, so yes > more room for the music to breath…
You and Steve are vegans… I know that veganism has a deep impact on a lot of things that I do in life… In what way and how much does this influences you in terms of your work as an artist…?
EV : I let you leave … Hmmm… to know the difference & the burden it become’s you can’t unclear things, you can’t unsee terrible things once you know you step into a mother level of understanding… For us there is no option…
GB is nearly there too… If we are talking about food then usually the communication works better one to one, as long as people don’t feel like they are being threatened or judged, wich sadly is often the case … Some get very defensive when it comes to the eating of animals/meat conversation. They feel like their rights are being compromised somehow > they trust the system and don’t want to have to rethink eating…We have become accustomed to instead of taking new information on such things they may never have known… People can get very defensive .. They have animal companions, see themselves as good and kind people, have no knowledge of industrial farming practices and have never known to question the system… So defences go up…
You are very weary about what’s happening in the world (politics, environment issues ,… ) and you speak out, being it in your lyrics (examples?) or during mid-concert speeches… As an artist you use your channels… Do you feel that people are open for this, I mean besides the music…? Do you experience moments that the message gets really across…?
EV : Our recent show in Belgium, where you were present, was a very special night > one fueled with emotion… Ward was as a brother to many...He was a dear friend to so many… The music community lost a friend and champion. It was a rare thing for me to feel as I did that night and I composed a spoken work piece reflecting the pain and love present in the room…
During the Living Room-gig I was in the company of a Lady with a lifelong carreer in dancing, also Butoh (a post-war Japanese dance-art, known for it’s transformating potential)… If you would use the skills and experience of someone like that, how would you put it into use…? I did see AmenRa performing with a Butoh-dancer onstage and it was very powerful …
EV : Yes we did met her there and I’m so glad you are reminding me … She was a very charismatic inspiring woman and I would defer to her experience … I’m sure we could create a living working piece with movement both musicaly and physicaly… It could be very important to film this … Maybe something for Craig Murray ??
Looking forward to your Black Easter-gig > what may we expect…?
EV : When we get on stage now as a 4 piece, the aim is to connect with each other musicaly and sonicaly….That’s what we are looking for, The moments where you feel it may explode or take a new direction or improvisation… We will be playing the whole lot of Black/Light/White/Dark possibly for the first time ever and that will be exciting for us to share. Mostly we are also looking forward to catching up and seeing old friends…
Well… see you folks there, for music ànd stories… !!
(interview by Jan Denolet)
