k.d. lang Joins Jane Siberry at Secret Society on Saturday
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
Jane Siberry
The show, part of a five-city tour that includes four dates in Portland, is described as “an experience like no other. Wonderfully insightful, spiritual, beautiful and funny.” And according to collaborator and Grammy-nominated musician, Peter Kiesewalter, Jane works by using “an entire evening as a canvas by painting with little snippets of songs and dialog and spoken word stuff, and weaving them all together..."
One of those weavers on Saturday night will be k.d. lang.
“I’m so happy at the prospect of having k.d. on stage with me. She is an epic talent and she brings such depth and warmth to everything she does,” said Siberry.
Of course, this is not their first collaboration. k.d. lang’s searing vocals accompanied Jane’s on her smash hit, “Calling All Angels,’ featured in Wim Wenders’ "Until the End of the World (1991)," "Six Feet Under" and "Deadwood."
GoLocalPDX spoke to Siberry about her upcoming show prior to her arrival jn Portland and here is what she had to say:
GoLocalPDX: What does it mean to have k.d. lang on the bill for the Portland show?
Jane Siberry: I toured with her a few years ago and we sang ‘Calling all Angels’ together in her set. It was odd to feel the shift in the audience when they recognized our voices together as often they didn’t know it was me on stage. In our show, she will be singing a holiday song and perhaps another song or two if I can talk her into it. it feels very special to have Sister Katherine join me.
“Calling All Angels” is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. What was it like to record it?
It was recorded over time in a few places and started more as a soft country arrangement but something wasn’t right so I kept working on it. When k.d. arrived with her little dog, we were in Vancouver at Mushroom Studios which had been built over a native sacred site. I’m not saying it had anything to do with it other than the fact that like many people, there is chagrin when one hears of that. k.d. and I were in separate vocal booths singing at the same time, which I thought was a good idea, but it wasn’t working. Finally we came out into the middle of the big room where we could see and feel each other (proximity is huge for how musicians work, I now understand) and we sang our final vocals then. When the arrangement had enough sustain and suspended feeling to it, I closed the books.
Is there a musician, a genre or style of music that you have been listening to more than others lately?
Lately I've been really getting into guitar solos, Santana. It may be because of what they play at my spin classes. I hope it's not because i'm going deaf. But I haven't liked guitar solos for a long time (or drums for that matter) so this is new to me again.
What do you think of the current music scene?
I think there is new music coming that will give us more what we need to programme ourselves forward but *I don't know what it sounds like. It may be here in smatterings but I'm not that in touch with what everyone is doing. I thought I heard a taste of what was coming once, when I was on hold.
It seems today that the only way musicians can survive is if they tour constantly. Is that true for you too?
I don't see how that can be. I can only make money if i tour solo. Beyond that, this tour for example, is a bit of a vanity project that I’ll have to pay off somehow afterwards. But it seemed 'in the air' to do this kind of show right now so I put my shoulder to it. I am in heaven working with other musicians and such fine ones. We are working hard and also enjoying each other so much.
You performed a micro-tour in very small venues throughout Europe. What was that like for you?
It was peaceful, intense, educational and interesting. I performed in homes so they were not limited to 'downtowns', etc. It was a chance to get a better feel for a community or culture. Here's an example: a salon in Finland, I stayed in their home in the suburbs, I watched their three sons play street hockey in the cul-de-sac of their street. Neighbours came and sat on benches with hands folded. i learned a bit of 'Finnish' and the kids learned some English. I spoke at their school, I was driven around to see the sights and learn about their culture. That was the first salon for many hosts and all did it with excellence. Although it is difficult for people to venture into the unknown and go to a house rather than a venue they know, people stayed for a long time after the concerts, making new friends, enjoying a 'home'. Because I stay at the home if I can, it is much less stressful than going back and forth to a hotel. People always understand the privacy thing and made me feel comfortable. This may make you laugh, but I did dress to terrify a little bit. I wanted people to be aware of the contrast between the home around them and the stage i would normally be standing on.
You had a very successful Kickstarter campaign for your latest project. What was that process like for you?
It was nerve-wracking. No one likes asking for help in the form of money. At least I never have. It seems life (music) should generate life (more music). That would mean 'health' to me, or harmony with the universe. Something I can imagine seeing in nature (which is my main reference book). But I tried Kickstarter after much discussion and it was successful. Then the unforeseeable happened in that I ran into some glitches that didn't allow for me to meet the release date that I'd given my best guess for. That old fork in the road where one has to decide whether to make a deadline or to make it the best. Fortunately, people seem to 'get' that about me and only want me to release it when it is the best it can be. and I really appreciate that about the people who enjoy my music.
Can we expect to hear any of your holiday-ish songs at your Portland show?
“-ish” is a good description. It will be the strangest holiday show anyone has seen, I think. It has a dark side, grueling side but in a weird way it is re-enacting the 'christmas legend' in an exacting way—escent and rebirth— with very little mention of the main 'buzz' words. We will have some very special guests and each one will be worked in according to their own gifts. Bergerette will be adding their dimension of 'French medieval and Renaissance sex pop' as one example.
What else should we know about your upcoming show?
Because of my email list, i am able to access so many talented people (and they, me). So someone is set-dressing the room to add to the magic. We're doing a mixture of songs, many of them mine, some written just for this show with regard to the hoes and hoser (healers and heroes) aspect. If people like story-telling, they'll really enjoy how the show tells a story. I’m performing with 4 highly talented musicians, peter kiesewalter (he is the only person that i know of that got the rights to do a musical adaption of ‘The Sound of Music'), Rebecca Jenkins (she is featured on ‘When I Was A Boy'), Kevin Fox (cellist extraordinaire) and Ali Fibonacci (greek chorus). I love Portland and hope the news of our arrival reaches people who would enjoy the show. I think it is very much something “Portlandiers” would 'get' and enjoy. We are there 4 nights and each night will be different.
Jane Siberry's Holiday Hoes and Heroes runs Thursday Dec. 4 - Dec. 7 at The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell St. Portland, OR 97212. Doors open at 7:30 PM Thursday - Saturday, and 7:00 PM on Sunday. Tickets are $39.
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