Project Description

Interview with

AMY VEE

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

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The name of Amy Vee’s beguiling new album might suggest music concerned with the surface of things, but Same Skin cuts far deeper. It’s a seductive and sumptuous exploration of both the ever-changing and constant elements of the soul. Vee’s 2013 debut record Fits and Starts emitted pop radiance, was steeped in folk conventions and built around her acoustic guitar and the stinging purity of her voice. But this latest outing conveys Vee’s vocals as an instrument iridescent as it floats through the spacious, minimal production of openers ‘Same Skin’ and ‘Ten Years’.  Haunted textures echo in the distance, weightless over kinetic experimental beats and electronic accoutrement. Same Skin is a stark and stirring sojourn.

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you start writing music?
I grew up around music and the industry. I started studying piano at around 5 or 6 and continued all through school.  My Dad, my youngest brother, my Grandfather – they’re all (still) working musicians and my Dad has also been an agent, an artist manager and a venue manager.
I first started writing in my teens, but it took me a while to build the confidence to perform any of my own material.

How would you describe your sound? 
An audience member recently described me as “a demonic Steve Nicks”, which I love. I guess I have a slightly dark and downtempo indie style, with a few folk elements, but also more recently dabbling in some electronic sounds too.

Why do you think people resonate with your music?
I would like to think it’s because it makes them feel something… a connection to something in their experience or story or past.

Which music did you grow up listening to? How has it inspired you? 
I was heavily influenced by 90s music. Radiohead, Massive Attack, Air. But also 90s singer songwriters like Jeff Buckley and Ani Di Franco.

Your new album ‘Same Skin’ has just been released.  Describe its origin and evolution. 
I released a couple of digital singles over the last few years and it wasn’t necessarily in my plan to do an album. But in 2018 I won a competition that allowed me to record a couple of songs at the new Studios 301 complex in Sydney. I released another digital single as a result of that project and had some strong support from my followers and I felt like I owed it to them to back it up and also to be able to offer the new songs in a variety of formats. I had plenty of new material in the works but not the immediate means to record them, so I launched a crowdfunding campaign. People really got behind it and the result was the new album, which I’ve released on CD and vinyl as well as the usual download and streaming services.
In terms of album content and themes, the track ‘Same Skin’ came from my feelings about age… that the outside changes but the motivations, desires and passions still exist. I named the album after this track because the album represents me as a person as I am, right here and now; my growth and everything I’ve learned and where I feel like I can continue to learn.

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Do you have any more new music in the works?
Definitely. Being out on the road again has given me a lot to draw on creatively and now it’s just about finding opportunities to consolidate those ideas, but yes, there will most certainly be more coming soon.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I’m in the middle of the Same Skin album tour right now… I’ve just played shows with my band in Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle (and solo in Canberra) and now I’m heading off to play solo shows in Lismore (Friday 1 November) and Brisbane (Saturday 2 November). I’ll most likely be announcing 2020 shows very soon and I’ve got a couple of new projects coming up in the new year. You can also expect a new music video from me in the very near future.

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
That’s a tough one. Perhaps David Bowie? Such a significant contributor to culture and music.

What’s next for you in 2019?
After the tour I’ll be putting my energy into planning for next year. There is so much I want to do but trying to approach it in a more strategic way so I can keep things sustainable for my music and also for my sanity.

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why? 
I’d be interested to see what it’s like performing in Japan. I have a few friends who’ve toured there quite successfully and I hear the audiences are really amazing.

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Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist?
The music industry evolves so rapidly that I try not to tie myself too specifically to notions of success. If I’m around long enough to sustain a comfortable career in music then I see that as a win.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? 
The connection. When you lock eyes with someone, or they smile, or you see an expression on their face that shows they’re immersed. Those moments are pure gold.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – Radiohead OK Computer (I have many many favourites and this is probably a cliché but I will literally never tire of it).
Artist – Elbow (again, there are so very many, but I cherish this band hard)
Movie – Labyrinth
Place to visit – UK (family, music, culture, history)
Venue to play – Love my home-within-a-home, Lizottes Newcastle.
Food – I’m an ice-cream FIEND
Drink – Espresso Martini
Person in History – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?) I think I might be a cleanskin forever because a) I’m indecisive and b) my moods change like the wind, but if my hand was forced I’d probably get something to honour my children.

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Check out AMY VEE below
Website | Facebook  | Instagram  | Twitter 

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AMNPLIFY – DB

Dave Bruce

My nickname is “The Amnplifier”. Why? Because around here my focus is on being a conduit for providing greater outcomes that people come here for. My day to day “work” is living in the moment, and I love helping others concentrate on finding their connection to themselves through their experiences.

Why start a music environment? The truth is I love music, I love writing, and I love life. I work with musicians every day, and I feel certain that I will be until they put me in the ground. I have been managing people in businesses of some sort for over thirty five years so along the way I have developed some “wisdom” from my regular and constant “observations”.

Amnplify your experience. That is what we want you to do here, and if you want to let me know why you do, or don’t, shoot me a message on Facebook.

Hope you enjoy yourself here and find something that hits you somewhere.