UTG INTERVIEW: Norine Braun

Vancouver, BC’s own, Norine Braun, has a brand new album on the way following 2011’s No.8 and she took some time to speak candidly with us about her new effort, Conventus The Eye Of The Heart, along with many other things involving various unions, her goals, and the inspirations that have helped shape her work. Follow through the jump to get all the details from Braun herself.

From listening to your music, I get the sense that it’s always been a big part of your life. I could be wrong, but can you tell me about how you originally became interested in being a musician and how you got your start?

I have loved listening to and making music since childhood and I enjoy all styles of music. My mother says I was forever singing and making up songs about the world around me since I was a toddler. I began composing complete songs at an early age, around age 12. As a teenager I had a cassette player where I would record my new songs in my bedroom for hours on end. In high school there was a special program where students could create a project of their own initiative for credit and I took on the task of writing 50 songs in 3 months much to the surprise of my teachers. Little did they know, this was easily achievable for me because in my world everything was and is a song and writing songs was the one thing I loved doing most in my free time. My parents loved listening to music and had a large record collection, and music played a lot at home. I also had an older brother who played guitar and taught me rhythm when I was 10. Music has always been my expression, solace, spiritual path and my life. I remember pouring over albums as a child and teenager and fantasizing that one day I would make my own albums with my own songs and I suppose that is where the dream and musical path began.

I’ve only been to Vancouver once but I don’t think I could ever forget it. It and all its surroundings are simply gorgeous and I would imagine serve as a great inspiration in one way or another. Would you say that your location has played any kind of role in your music, writing, etc.?

Absolutely! Vancouver is a muse in so many ways. I live in Vancouver on the east side known as “the Drive.” Commercial Drive is a colourful confluence of countercultures which makes it a diverse urban experience in which to live. The Drive is home to numerous artists, writers, and great restaurants; some of which offer live places to play for local and traveling musicians and inspire creative expression. Vancouver is a beautiful city that has just about everything including a big dose of Mother Nature, twenty minutes from downtown you can be deep in forest, alongside a mountain canyon or out on the ocean. I often reference or write about places in my songs, for instance Spanish Banks, Lost Lagoon or Jade from Wayson Choy’s novel based in Chinatown have inspired my work.

You have a brand new album set to release very soon. What can you tell us about Conventus The Eye Of The Heart? Where does the title come from and what themes, lyrically, would you say are prominent throughout the album?

The title came to me from quotes that I kept coming across. The words “Eye of the Heart” spoke to me and I made an art piece and titled it as such. The cover of the CD is that artwork and these passages that touched me are inside the CD as well. I wanted to feel, smell, hear and see, but not see with my eyes and my mind only.

I wanted to see with CANTE ISTA – the eye of the heart. – Lame Deer, LAKOTA Ephesians 1:18-19, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power for us who believe. – Apostle Paul, The Bible

The path to reach the real includes the third element of removing the opacity or the veils that prevent the “eye of the heart” from seeing God and viewing everything as a theophany of God. Sufism – Seyyed Hossein Nasr – The light which shines in the eye is really the light of the heart. Look at Love with the eyes of your Heart. – Rumi. Conventus is Latin for coming together or union and the title track for the new CD. The themes centre around this concept of union.

Conventus The Eye of the Heart is born out of life’s unions and struggles. The past couple of years I encountered many unions in different disguises. I was diagnosed and cured of colon cancer. As I lay in my hospital bed last January, I listened to my roughly recorded demos of these songs and I let them show me the way to health. Music is my healer.

This past year I also embraced a most magnificent union, marrying my partner of 25 years on Halloween the anniversary of our first meeting. Witnessing my mother-in-law’s dementia advance with a great love and strength was another union of transformation. I looked at my own family of origin relationship and how my life’s journey as an adoptee has greatly shaped who I am. All of these unions, union of self and body, self and spirit, family union, union of love and marriage are found in the creation of these songs and my new album.

This music is not only my story, it’s also your story, in fact it’s our story, it’s everybody’s story. We have all known someone who felt lonely, defeated, betrayed, rejected, scared, and yet found the strength to get back up, fight and win. We all know when we find that union with someone, something or within ourselves we can overcome and celebrate and cherish everything. This is what Conventus is about for me. Conventus is a celebration of union and of life.

And how would you say that this album differs from your previous works? Any inspirations or events that had come into your life while working on this release that helped shape its outcome?

This album has a joyful, more positive vibe than my earlier works and I think the reason is a sense gratitude for all I have been given and in realizing how precious our time is here and I wanted to express this as best I could.

There’s a lot of open honesty throughout Conventus but are there any particular tracks that hold more personal weight for you or that you would say are the most important that you have written?

The title track for me was written before and after surgery and is about having something greater than myself be with me, not only in my darker moments and but also in my joy.

“How Would We Know” is actually a very old song I wrote for my partner when we first connected years ago. At the time she didn’t think much of the tune but when we were getting married last year we came across this old tune and both loved it. Maybe the song was ahead of its time when written but the timing was right to record the song. All the songs really have personal meaning for me.

I read on your Facebook that you recently had a little bit of trouble with a music video release? Can you explain what happened with that?

It was an embarrassing lesson learned for me. I was using an online creative marketplace forum and hired a freelancer to edit and create an intro for the video. Unfortunately the person who did the universe sequence at the beginning of the video didn’t own the copyright for it and I assumed wrongly he did and YouTube removed the video for copyright infringement along with a strike against me. Now I know the first question to ask when hiring is “do you own the copyright or is this royalty rights free material?” I am back to the drawing board for a new video now.

What can you tell us about the musicians you have backing you on this album? How did you choose them and how do you feel they helped push the album beyond what it would have been otherwise?

I am truly blessed with the musicians on this album! They are the same musicians that played on No.8 except my partner Alice Fraser who plays keys on Conventus. My previous producer James Bowers was focusing on his own music and no longer producing artists and recommended I contact Adam Popowitz artist/guitarist/producer for No. 8. Jamie thought I would like working with Adam and he had high regard for Adam’s work. We connected and I immediately knew Adam was the one for the project. Adam was excited about working [with] me and loved the songs and direction I wanted to take and he had superb ideas for recording. Adam recruited groovemeister Elliot Polsky to play drums. I had met Huggybear Leonard on a radio show earlier that year when we were both guests on the show. He offered to play blues harp if I ever needed that live or on a CD and so I jumped at the chance and asked him to join us. We had a great time recording No.8 and so when I wanted to record Conventus all the musicians were excited and eagerly joined in creating this new work. Alice came on board as she accompanies me on most gigs and was great to have her on Conventus too. You can hear their hearts playing, these musicians gave everything they had to each song and it is apparent on the recording how much they loved playing.

Are you currently playing shows in support of the release or have any touring plans on the agenda?

Yes! Both gigs have all the Conventus musicians playing its going to be great fun!

Eastside CD Release
Saturday November 2 @ 9PM
Princeton Pub 1901 Powell
Cover: Pay What You Want
Wheel Chair accessible

Official CD Release
Friday November 8
Early show — Doors 6PM, Show at 6:30PM
Cover $10
Railway Club
579 Dunsmuir

I am planning on a spring tour to promote the album and details are in the works.

You have quite the list of achievements in your career which is very impressive. Would you be able to pick out one or two highlights that you’re the most proud of or that have had the biggest effect on you and or your career?

My proudest career moment so far has been winning the Artists For Literacy, Songs Inspired by Literature international songwriting competition. My song “Conformity 451” was inspired by Ray Bradbury’s novel Fahrenheit 451. I feel the proudest part of this win was having Ray Bradbury hear my song, who then sent a lovely email to me, via his daughter. Mr. Bradbury said he liked the song and my interpretation of his novel. This acknowledgment was an absolute thrill and affirmation that I had written something the author not only approved of, but also liked. The process of capturing the essence of a huge novel into 3 verses and a chorus and bridge, was a challenge. The following is my quote on this process from Artist’s for Literacy site,

“I was inspired by Fahrenheit 451‘s cinematic qualities and strange dreamlike logic. Ray Bradbury’s insight and foresight regarding intellectual freedom with censorship and brainwashing at its core ignited me. He dared ask the question of being happy and fulfilled of his main character. The timeliness and contemporary feel of this novel was irresistible. I focused on the conformity aspect and how this creates the illusion of security and prevents people from looking for fulfillment and searching for freedom. I encapsulated the highlights of the novel and styled it into a rap rock funk ambient fusion to reflect today’s energy and world.”

For a small, obscure indie artist like myself, to join legendary artists on Artist for Literacy, such as: Bruce Springsteen, Aimee Mann, Suzanne Vega, Grace Slick, Steve Earle, David Bowie and Roseanne Cash to name a few, is humbling and such a great honour to be recognized among them for my work, as a songwriter.

Beyond all of those accolades, do you have any goals in particular that you’ve yet to obtain?

I have had a long desire to write and record an album/musical based on a First Nation transgender woman Kocomnepeca from the Kootenai nation during the fur trade era late 1800s. I first heard of her story over a decade ago and I have done some research on her amazing life and I would love to tell her story in song. Her story is so incredible and I am getting close to being able to write my interpretation of her journey here.

What do you have in store for 2014? Any big plans in the works?

Touring to promote and get the new Conventus album heard and then begin work on the next goal that I just shared with you.

And finally, what are your Halloween and further holiday plans for the rest of this year?

Halloween marks our first wedding anniversary, so Alice and I plan on going to out to have dinner where we had our wedding meal to celebrate and then it’s home to dress up to go to Huggybear’s Halloween blues jam. It is going to be a great night! Happy Halloween!

 

Written and conducted by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter

Brian Leak
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