|
| Judith Lam : Email Interview with Judith Lam : April 15, 2006 |
|
1. How did you hook up with Cyclone? Brad Trew approached me through email about appearing on the Heart of Alberta comp. He had apparently found me through cyberspace, listened to some of my stuff, and decided to ask - I was thrilled and excited about working with him and being a part of Cyclone. I was particularly interested because Cyclone takes such a unique approach to promoting indie artists and really gives the artist the best opportunities. 2. What was the recording process like for the Cyclone comp? After I accepted to be part of the Heart of Alberta comp, I spoke to Brad about recording the two tracks in studio. He had a deal going with Jeff Muller at Alchemy Studio in Calgary, and Brad offered to play drums for me on the tracks. (I'm a piano and guitar kind of girl, definitely not a drummer!) My previous band-mates were off doing other things, so I really did need a drummer and a bassist. Before I went down to record, I sent Brad and Jeff a few different recordings (live and previous studio) of the 2 songs we were going to do and we discussed how they were going to sound. When I went down to record, it was a 3-day process. It was wonderful to work with Brad and Jeff (Jeff did the bass guitar and electric guitar stuff for me, as well as some additional acoustic guitar things) - definitely a rewarding experience. Brad was there even after he had finished laying down the drums, and was an objective ear for giving feedback about how it was going. All in all, it was a very smooth process - we took time to go over things together, and I felt that I was able to ensure that the songs were sounding the way I wanted them to. 3. How do you approach songwriting? I usually start off either with a catch-line, or a riff. I'll constantly write down lines whenever I think of them, or ideas for subject matter (I have a notebook that has plastic envelopes in it so I have little bits of paper and napkins with ideas on them!), and when little riffs or tunes pop into my head, I'll record them as well. It really depends on the song how it evolves - I can start from the lyrics, or I will start with the music, and sometimes both come at the same time. I will usually write a chunk, like a chorus, and then work it through, leave it, and then come back to it. For me, songs are either guitar-based or piano-based, as well… So depending on how I want it to sound, I will choose which instrument I want to be the core of the song, and write with it. So I guess my approach to songwriting is pretty variable. I know some musicians who will be very disciplined and spend a certain number of hours per day just working on writing - for me it is more in little spurts, and it really depends on how I think the song is going. 4. How important is it to you to be hands on about the non musical aspects? (cd artwork, promo stuff) This is definitely important to me because I think that everything contributes to what kind of image I want to portray as a musician. I'm a bit of an administration-freak so a lot of times I know exactly what I want and I'll put in the work to make it happen. I'm also married to a visual artist, so my husband and I will work together to develop how I want things to look. 5. Do you have any plans to record in the near future? I've just finished a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology, so I'm easing back into having a semi-normal life again. Working on my research didn't allow me to take time out to record and perform much. So, I'm hoping that in the next year, I'll be able to get back into the studio again. 6. Tell me about some of the charities you're involved in. Which are the ones you find you are the most passionate about and what is your involvement with them? The newest one I'm involved with is International China Concern, which is an organization that works with abandoned children in China. Right now I think this is the one that I'm most passionate about because my sister has been to China with ICC and will be going back there for a year, working specifically with abandoned kids with special needs. It is incredible what the conditions are like for these kids who really have no one - they have no contact with the outside world and many of them don't get the treatment they need. It is horrific enough to imagine so many abandoned children, but the kids with disabilities are even more marginalized. Right now I will be taking all the proceeds from my sales of the Heart of Alberta comp, as well as the juicy d papiers cards, to raise funds to support my sister's one-year term in China. Social justice is very important to me, and it's an integral part of my music, so there are other charities and causes I have been involved with because of this. The Women's Reintegration Chaplaincy is one that I was very active in - it's a program that helps women leaving federal prison reintegrate into their communities. I planned and headlined benefit concerts from them for 3 years, and also went into the prisons a few times to perform. ECOHH (Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness) is also an important local one for me, and I'll perform at events and take part in campaigns to the government on housing issues. More globally, my husband and I sponsor 3 children with Compassion Canada, and I've been a child advocate with them - recruiting other sponsors for these many many needy children. Basically, I try to get involved with as many things as I can because I think it's really important to be aware of poverty and injustice issues, both locally and globally. 7. Tell me about Juicy D Papers. When did you start it and what keeps it going? I started juicy d papiers, my line of handmade cards, about 2 years ago for a few reasons. 1) I love doing crafty stuff and it was a vehicle for that part of my creative self, 2) I wanted to do something extra in addition to my music to support certain organizations that are important to me. I like to think that the different creative abilities I have were given to me for a reason - and that I should use them for the greater good. So I decided to start up juicy d papiers as another medium to communicate with people about social issues. 8. Anything in the works we should know about? Well, just finishing my Master's degree, I am definitely gearing up for a kind of come-back. After taking some down-time, I am thinking about recording again in the next year or so, so stay tuned. We like to ask everyone this one: List any 5 songs in your most current (last listened to) playlist. - 'This Boy" - Franz Ferdinand - 'People Watching" - Jack Johnson - 'The Song That Goes Like This" - Spamalot soundtrack - 'The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" - Switchfoot - 'Green Apples" - Chantal Kreviazuk |