Interviewer: Scott Bremner
Photos by: Arkan Zakharov

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview singer/songwriter Angie Nussey, who took home the win in the ‘Best Folk’ category at last year’s Toronto Independent Music Awards (along with many others over the years).

The following interview is comprised of three individual sections.  The first focuses on ‘Word and Phrase Association’ questions while the second offers more-in-depth answers regarding her career and her thoughts about music. For the last bunch of questions we revisit Nussey’s last effort, ‘Little Tragedies’ as she currently works on the follow-up.

Want to know more? Read On!

Section I:  Words  & Phrases

1.     “And the winner is….”  – Evening gown.

2. “ I was on Canadian Idol and…” learning experience.

(Nussey was a constant in 2003- considered one of the 100 best singers in the country).

3.     “Music means to me… “  – love, comfort, and adventure.

4.     “This is the era of new media and …”  – I’m fascinated by it.

5.  “True happiness is…”  – Sharing love.

6 “The best thing about university was…”  – I met my lifelong friends there.

/”The worse thing about university was…”  - having to take summer school.

7    “My fans…”  – seem a lot like my friends.

8.    “On my next record….”  - I will work a lot more on my performance.

9.  “Hope Café Records has allowed me to…”  – Has allowed me to embrace the music business side as well as the artist side.

10.    “In twenty years I want people to people say (blank) about my music.”  – this helped me get through a rough time

11. “The forefathers/foremothers of Canadian music are…” K.D. Lang, Leonard Cohen, Rush, Bryan Adams, and Joni Mitchell.

12.    “Charity”.   “Helping.”
13.    “”Commercials.” “ Funny sometimes.”
14.     “Lively, Ontario”. “Family.”
15.     “Humorous”.     “ Smile.”
16.    “Folk”.  “Wagon.”
17.    “Touring.” “Rental Car.”
18.    “Songwriting”. “Bedroom.”
19.    “Gig.” “Organizer.”
20.    “MP3.” “ Amazingly small”.
21.  “Artist”. “Sarah Slean.”
22.    “Superstar.”” Florescent Pink.”
23.    “Independent.” “Single mom.”

Section II Questions:  Career and Music

1.    Over the years you’ve been nominated for and won several awards, including ‘Best Folk’ at last year’s TIMA’s. You also had the honor of being named ‘Female Performer of the Year’ in 2005 as well as 2006. What do awards mean to you?

I have an appreciation for awards because they can sometimes help legitimize your efforts in the eyes of the media or event organizers. I also think that awards such as the TIMAs bring a variety of artists
together, which would never happen under any other circumstances. There is always a difficulty in
having your art judged against others. These are our heart and souls being put out there, so to hear it’s
not “good” enough is hard for any artist. In all truth, I’ve lost a lot music awards than I’ve won.

2. If you could sum of the experience you had six years ago on the television show with ‘Canadian Idol’, in five words or less what words would they be and why?

“Stressful, intimidating, challenging, frustrating, emotional, confusing….whoops that makes 6 words…I’m always breaking the rules : )”

“Six years ago I was still struggling with who I was as a person.  I wanted recognition as a songwriter, but I would have settled for any kind of recognition at the time. In other words, I still didn’t know what kind of success would make me truly happy. I snubbed the idea of Canadian Idol while still, secretly, wishing for recognition on a larger scale. By having these two, conflicting feelings, it was quite an internal battle. “

3. What was the first concert you ever went too and what did you think of it?

“I think my first real concert was to see ‘Frozen Ghost’ and ‘Platinum Blonde” at the Sudbury Arena. I went to see it with my Mom. I think I liked it.”

4.    You started writing at age seven correct? Do you remember what the song was about and how you felt after you had written it?

“I actually have a recording (on one of those hand-held recorders) of one of my first songs. I’m basically singing about how I’m going to be famous one day but I can’t right now because I’m only seven. I think I was quite proud of it.”

5.    You’ve released four albums in the last 10 years correct? What did each one teach you and how will they affect your next release?

“Yup, there have been four releases and one, 10-song demo in 1999. I mention the demo because I think it was the biggest step. It got me in the studio and showed me how things are done. My second release, ‘Circumstantial Overload’ was a much bigger undertaking as I recorded it with a band and learned how to work with other people. The third, ‘Paint and Turpentine’   taught me the power of compromise as I learned how to work with a producer. This was also a real test on my ego because I was constantly being challenged to become a better performer both on stage and in studio. ‘Silly Songs – Live at Hugh’s Room’ was a fun album to make because it was done in front of a great audience and had a feeling of warmth to it. Lastly, ‘Little Tragedies’ which is still my pride and joy. I made this album after discovering the power of focus. I had a great group of people working on it with me and the end result was almost exactly what I had intended. It took less than half the time of the album before, but sounded a lot better in my opinion. “

6.    When do you hope to be done recording your next CD and when do you hope to have it released by?

“I started the pre-production on my next CD in February. This is a different project from the last few because I’m trying to record most of it in my home studio. I’m hoping to have the album done by November 2009. “

7.    You’ve taken part in concerts for the fight against HIV and AIDS. Can you explain how these opportunities came about and what it’s like when you perform for a cause and not just for fans?

(The musical event in question – ‘Angie Nussey – A Summer’s Evening of Song with Dudu Manhenga happened two years ago and was held in Zimbabwe with Manhenga as well as finalists from the country’s version of Idol, according to Quentin Evans of Hope Café Records).

“The concert in Zimbabwe was a fundraiser for woman dealing with HIV and AIDS. This is bit different than fighting for the cure. These charities raise funds that help provide education and support for woman who are dealing with HIV and AIDS. Many of them are looking after husbands and children who suffer from, or are carriers of HIV. They are taught how to avoid contracting the disease as well as given support for their losses due directly or indirectly from it. I wanted to explain this because my purpose surrounding charity support always seems to come down to the same objective: empowerment. I feel that there is much work to be done to provide equilibrium for this world and that equilibrium will only see light if all people feel empowered. A lot of the time I end up supporting causes because my friends introduce me to them. As was the case in Zimbabwe. There is a very special thing about performing for a cause that matches with your belief system. It gives you a much bigger perspective as to what difference you can actually make, and what kind of responsibility you hold to help make differences. “

8.    In twenty-five words or less can you explain what you feel about the festival circuit in Canada, ‘Canadian Music Week’ and why you think Canadians appreciate music so much?

“Festivals and CMW are fantastic events in theory, especially for fans, but they’re only as good as you make them. If you’re going just to get signed, you’ll probably be walking away disappointed but if you go to play and learn and share, you’ll probably love the experience”.
“I believe all people love music. Canadians are just sometimes more expressive about their love. “

9.    What music are you listening to currently and who is your favorite artist?

“A few moments ago, I was listening to Canadian instrumentalist, Ron Allen. I listen to him almost every morning. My favorite artist is Issa, formerly Jane Siberry. “

10.    How did you come to sign with your record company?

“ Hope Café Records was a dream that my partner and I had over a year ago. With Quentin (my partner) being a non-traditional marketing executive and me being an independent artist of 10 years, we thought we might be able to do something in combination. Our ultimate goal is to eventually have a Café that supports live music of all varieties. “

11.    What two tips would you give to up and coming artists?

“ Tip 1: One of the character’s in Ayn Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged’, put it most clearly as this: ‘For there is no more tragic a fool than a businessman who doesn’t know he’s an exponent of man’s highest creative spirit – it’s the artist who thinks that the businessman is his enemy’.

In other words, if you’re not willing to understand that in order to earn a living, you need to consider the tediously boring business side, then it’s best to find a day job and to play music on the side. “

“ Tip 2: Do it because you love it, and if you don’t love it then take time to investigate what it is that makes you feel this way. It could be as simple as changing a band member, or as complex as changing genres altogether.”

12.    First time you ever got on stage-how did it feel?

“I felt like I had the stomach flu. I actually threw-up just before the show. “

13.    How does it feel now to get on stage?

“I usually still feel like I have the stomach flu for most of the day before the show. But getting on stage is usually a release after a day of tension. “

14.    Where can readers of this article purchase your records?

“ They can get it online at http://www.angienussey.com. Thanks for asking : )”.

15.    Is there anything new and exciting happening at http://www.angienussey.com?

“We’ve been doing some fun videos lately. Some of them are for the ‘Gem’ video involving beautiful people from across the country.( I cry when I watch them even thought they’re quite uplifting). The other videos are similar to movie trailers for upcoming shows.  Next month we’ll be posting a comedic educational video on the ins and outs of’ Private House Concerts’. As well we’ve always got contests, and challenges for the fans. We’ve had fun putting it all together. “

Section III:  Looking Back on Last Work- Two Years Ago: ‘ Little Tragedies’.

16.     (The song) Grassy Knoll-Are you a history buff? What implored you to write this song?

“I’m not really a history buff although I’m fascinated with the past. I was reading a book about John Lennon and the FBI files. It was basically a book that argued the government involvement in the John Lennon assassination. A section of the book studied the circumstances surrounding the JFK assassination and it spent a great deal of time describing life and history of Lee Harvey Oswald (the man originally accused of the murder). I became interested in Lee Harvey Oswald at the same time I was tapping out this funny rhythm on guitar from time to time. Eventually I just blurted out my thoughts to the sound of the tapping, and out came ‘Grassy Knoll.’”

17.   How did you go about receiving funding for ‘Little Tragedies’?

“I’ve applied for grants numerous times over the years, but’ Little Tragedies’ was the first grant application I approached with the most clarity and vision. The truth was I was making that album whether I had to sell the shoes off my feet. I was lucky enough to get funding from the Ontario Arts Council and what a wonderful relief it was! “

18.     How was the writing process for the record different than the one for ‘Paint and Turpentine,’ which was released three years before?

“My writing process hasn’t changed much from when I was young. Playing and singing songs has always been a way for me to work out things that are going on in my life. It’s almost like writing little prayers and reading them over and over again. The difference in ‘Little Tragedies’ was that my prayers were more reflective of the positive changes I was trying to make in my life, whereas “Paint and Turpentine” reflected more of the things I was seeing and feeling in the moment. “

19.     ‘Don’t Give Up’, ‘Unwritten Pages’ and ‘Change’ have all won awards. Where does your drive come from?

“Truthfully, I actually don’t have much drive when it comes to songwriting.  In fact, I think it can be debated that I’m a very slow songwriter.
But, once the songs have been recorded, the businesswoman in me has been driven to get them out into the world….and I have questioned why that is? “

“When I was younger, I wanted to prove myself. I felt I had some good sounding songs and I wanted the world to hear them, and to respect me for them. As I get older, I realize there is no amount of respect from others that will fill the void of disrespect you have within yourself. Pushing so hard to have success made me tired, unhappy, and sometimes jealous of other artists with more “success.” It is such an awful way to move through life in this way. So, as my internal battle for self-respect evolves, I find myself driven to release material for the sake of excitement….almost like setting off one of those homemade airplanes with the rubber band powering the propeller.  I’ve got this song, you might like it, you might not, but it’s my baby and I love it. “

20.    Were Mrs. Smith and Matt Osborne inspired by real people?

“Mrs. Smith was actually based on a few different women and her story had started out with much more detail than what ended up in the song. But I think the small amount of detail allowed her character to have a more universal quality….which is what I ultimately wanted for her.”

“Matt Osborne was a singer / songwriter from Waterloo, Ontario.  He was a good friend of mine who gave me a huge amount of support in my early years of performing.   We had planned a small tour together, but he passed away just before it started. (Readers interested in finding out more about him can visit www. mattosborne.com, a memorial website). It came as a shock to many of the musicians in Ontario including me. The lyrics at the end of the song are all snippets of Matt’s songs. He was a truly gifted writer.”

Check out more from Angie Nussey at:

http://www.angienussey.com