“If there’s any consistency it’s a triangle between what I know, what I see, and what I imagine” Beloved folk-pop Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega comes to Edinburgh soon as part of her continuing international tour.
Suzanne, do we find you in fine creative health?
Yes, I’m starting to write new songs again. Before Covid I was busy with my play ‘Lover, Beloved’ – based upon the life of writer Carson McCullers. I premiered a new version of the play in 2018, before spending 2019 filming a screen adaptation.
The film, “Lover, Beloved” premiered March 2022 at the SXSW Film Festival
Covid proved a block to song writing, but since lock-down ended my creativity has blossomed again, thankfully!
Now you have a new show on the road, ‘An intimate evening of Songs and Stories’, what can your audience expect?
The show will be a mixture of songs, old and new, some many people won’t know. It’s me and Jerry Leonard on guitar, and a nice, wide spectrum of material.
Are you still enjoying being on the road as a musician?
Yes, it’s still great. In recent years, I’ve done several tours through Europe, but in 2020 we had to postpone the planned Summer tour due to Covid, and when we came back the next year I got Covid in Holland! I had to quarantine, but thankfully I was able to pick up and carry on. At the same time I’ve been doing dates for Einstein on the Beach with Philip Glass…really it’s becoming one long tour to make up for what we lost during Covid.
Do you notice any difference in how audiences in different countries react/interact with you?
Yes, a little. Some countries are more reserved, others more extravert. I’d say the Scandinavian countries tend towards the more reserved for example. One of my favourite shows of the whole year, however, was playing in Glasgow. It was such outpouring of joy and affection both ways, from the moment we began the show. By the end they were up and dancing before the stage, and streaming down to the front!
Would you say your approach to songwriting has changed with time?
I’m always experimenting. My ways of writing have changed a lot since I began; I’ve never had a particular formula. If there’s any consistency it’s a triangle between what I know, what I see, and what I imagine. I’ve actually just written a new song, the first in 6 years, and plan to keep creating. I think this new group of songs will be be informed by the years of enforced sitting home staring at the news, experiencing and feeling the situation in New York which was hit very severely by the pandemic.
I didn’t leave the city, and it had the most strange, and intense atmosphere. That’s stayed with me.
During your travels, now they’ve begun again, has Edinburgh stood out to you at all?
I’ve played Edinburgh many times, and I just love the stateliness of the architecture, and the atmosphere. The weather seems perfect, I think of the stone buildings against the sky. It’s very dramatic: I like it there.
It can feel as though there are two schools when it comes to gigs: the ‘no chat, just songs’ model, and the story speckled set. Where would you say you fit?
There’s nothing pure about the shows! I tend to chat, and explain where a song might have come from, or share an anecdote to show how I wrote it. Some songs are so serious, you know? I do like to find some humour to lift it. When I was young, I tried a total music show and it failed, so I’ve never done it since. It was busy enough, but everyone just stared straight ahead – I didn’t like it.
Do you have any survival strategies when on the road on tour?
Generally, if I’m on a tour longer than 2 weeks, my husband comes out to visit, which is very helpful. When he’s not on tour with me, we talk every night on the phone, usually for an hour. I’m also a Buddhist, and I find that helps keep me grounded wherever I am.
Before we say goodbye, could I ask if you have any favourite songs in your current sets?
I do like doing ‘Queen and the Soldier’, it’s remained a fan favourite. It doesn’t matter how long a gig is, how long we’ve been on, it’s always fun to do. There’s a newer song, ‘I Never Wear White’, where I get to pretend to be a Rolling Stone for a while, it’s the exact opposite of ‘Queen and the Soldier’! Of course we always come to ‘Tom’s Diner’ at the end, and it’s a really joyful moment. It’s only become more and more glorious over the years, now we have overlays of the audience’s memories. All these years since the record launched, they get up because they have their own memories, whilst younger folks have heard it sampled through remixes. It’s just such a beautiful overlay of memory and feeling through time.
An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories with Suzanne Vega will open at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall this Sun 19 Feb 2023.
(Featured Image: Suzanne Vega media ©Suzanne Vega)
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