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Heather Nova:,.A Modern Day 5lren
BY CHRIS HAYES
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EATHER NOVA SEEMS TO be one of tile lucky ones who has it all. Her childhood seems like a dream come true, splitting time living in Bermuda and traveling on a sailboat. She was probably adored by the guys due to her combination ofnatural beauty and creative intellect. She went to college in Rhode Island and then moved to Londau to take a stab at music. And it worked, as she was
Siren Heather Nova WorkGroup
discovered playing a gig in London. Her first album in the states, Oyster (1995) received critical acclaim and established a fan base. Her latest effort, Siren, released this summer on WORK/Sony, is getting the same with two singles already released. She has the talent to perfonn a live set to perfection, with power and energy, yet createan album that is beautifully seductive in its subtleties. Yeah, she is damned lucky. I had the opportunity to sit down with Heather before her show at the ::ieventh House earlier in October. After talking with her, I realized that luck is not involved. Her drive for arlisticexpression and doing what her soul tells her to do is what opened the doors for her. Not luck. Here is what she had to say. MR: Where were you playing last night? Heather Nova: I was in Cincinnati. When did you start the U. S. leg of your tour? . We did the month of July doing a week on Lilith Fair and then a few weeks of our own dates. After that! was back in Europe doing more festivals. I started touring in Europe back in March.
what to expect. I mean the atmosphere was incredible. I have never played a festival-type thing where there is so much camaraderie and support among the artists. I find that more times than not artists backstage are trying so hard to be cool that no one really hangs out together. I thought the camaraderie was really nice about Lilith. It was a really good week; I could have done it all summer. Would you rather have that situation, where you are one among many, or would you rather be playing where people are there just to see you? Of course it is really nice to do your own gigs. It is really gratifying when people come and know all'the words to my songs. But Lilith was good because I feel that when you playa gig like that you are sort of converting people as well, which is a challenge. And I like playing outside - it's my favorite venue. You said that you tour extensively and enjoy the live thing. Do you feel that playing live shows is your calling, as opposed to time in the studio? I like them both because they are accessing different parts of you. I like the studio because that is the time to be creative. Well, more so than writing, because I do that alone. I guess that is the solitary time. Then the studio is
where you bring it all to life, and I love that. But being on the road is where the songs are making the connection between you and the people. I believe that I perform best live. I think I play better live than in the studio and I always try to capture that when I go to record, but it is really hard to do because there is something that happens with the energy of a gig. It allows you as a performer to abandon yourself more. It is a pretty cool feeling.
Tell me how you got started. Everyone says they always have had a love for music, but at what point did you say "This is what I am going to do?"
I think it came when I was faced with the real decision that you have to do something. You get out of college and Hotels. But you know what! hate most? you say ISh-t, I can't waffle around It's air conditioning. Everything is air anymore. I have to do something with conditioned - the bus, the hotels. I like my life. I have to make a living.' I had real air. You know, you get these little gone to art school and had taken paintpet peeves. I like being on the road. I ing and a lot of film courses. The logical don't even mind the bus thing because thing was to go find a job in the film I have a great band and crew and we industry, because I was qualified to do have a lot of laughs. It's nice. that. But when it came right down to the crunch, that wasn't going to fill my I'm wondering about the crowds at creative instinct the way music would. your shows. I'm wondering if you I was writing a lot in college and made ever notice anyone at your shows who a demo tape. So at that point I said 'Fis there not because of your music, but -k it, I'm just going to try because if I instead are there because they think you are "hot?" Do you ever get anyonâ&#x201A;Ź"# don't try I will always wonder.' It didn't screaming at you because of looks inmake much sense financially or logically, but I didn't feell had much tolcise stead of your music? , at that point. It was at that point that I moved to England for a number of I get that every now and then. But not personal reasons. I wanted an advena lot. Maybe I just don't notice it. When I hear that, I do get upset because what ture and go somewhere new. I wanted to get way from a ... um ...a really psycan you do? It works for you and chotic ex-boyfriend. against you, being ...attractive. Yet, I So I moved there and started playing tiny gigs with my acoustic guitar and really p~ugged away at it. Then someone saw me play who ended up becoming my manager and then I got a record deal. It's been a long road; it's been seven years since I got started. It was one step at a time. The hardest part about it, as with any artist, is that your work is so much a part of you, and any rejection feels like a total kick in the face. It is hard to keep going after a rejection and keep believing in yourself. Does anything annoy you on the road?
Was Sirens released in Europe before it was in the States?
What was your childhood like?
Yeah. Tha t' s where I have done most of my touring. Sirens is actually my fifth album. I have built up a fan base over there really by touring and playing festivals a lot. For my last record, Oyster, I only was able to tour once in the States, which was disappointing to me because I really believe in the live thing. SO, for this record I am going to tour a lot more over here.
I was born in Bermuda. I go there to visit family even though I live in London. It was nice growing up there. What I miss the most is the life we lived there. It was very ~ple and the life I live now is far from that. We lived on a sailboat most of my childhood and Bermuda was homebase. Did you go to school?
How was playing Lilith?
Keep your eyes open for Heather returning this winter for a gig. It was actually amazing. I didn't know
really feel I have reached people with my music because of the fans who come and talk to me. They talk to me about the music and the lyrics and how it meant something to them. There are always going to be a few a-holes, but what can you do? That's life.
Sometimes not. Life was brought down to basics. We had no electricity or running water. It was nice in a way.