Interview with Singer-Songwriter Victoria Lord

Victoria Lord


                 From way up North comes an impressive debut by Victoria Lord. 'Cars Passing By' has a truly distinct feel, equal parts sadness and uplifting exploration, these are well crafted narratives which make for good companions on almost any night. 'Haunted  Man' stands out as one of the best tracks on an album full of really impressive, earnest songs. With a vocal styling somewhat similar to Innocence Mission's Karen Peris, swathed in a snowy gust of twangy-folk ambiance, you could drive for hours out on the open road with an album such as this one keeping you company.



AHC: What has this journey, this life in music, so far, been like for you, the highs and the lows, and what life lessons do you feel you've picked up along the way?

Victoria: It's taught me to be patient, to let things come my way but also to work hard, and acquire experience. Years ago, I wasn't ready to fly solo, especially on stage. Performing with other artists, recording and working on my first album are what made me ready. Generally speaking, I used to be much more anxious and impatient. The process of making an album is everything but linear, you have to let the songs breathe, to let them evolve as much as you also need to let yourself breathe and evolve.


AHC: What first drew you to music and what was your early musical environment like growing up? Were there pivotal songs for you then that just floored you the moment you heard them?

Victoria: From as far back as I can remember, music has been in my life. My father is a record collector and a music lover so I grew up surrounded by thousands of records, and listening to all sorts of things, whether it was Bach’s Cantatas or Bob Seger, Jazz, World Beat, everything.  He is still as passionate as he was, always exploring different genres, discovering bands and new artists all the time, and sharing that with me. It's really precious.

I don’t remember any particular songs standing out but I know that Leonard Cohen has always been there. My mother used to sing his songs when she was pregnant with me, then to put me to sleep, and throughout my childhood. I learned to play guitar with his songs; Famous Blue Raincoat, One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong, Who By Fire.


AHC: Do you remember the first song that you ever wrote?

Victoria: I played guitar a little as a teen but didn't write songs. Then I got into photography, and studied and worked in that field. I still make a living as a photo retoucher. When I was in my mid-twenties, I was asked to sing on my friend Sunny Duval’s album and then to tour with him. That same year, I joined a country-folk trio called Jolie Jumper. That's when I wrote my first song, Loaded With Love, about a woman out for vengeance.


AHC: Who are some of your musical inspirations? Which musicians have you learned the most from? 

Victoria: Of course, Leonard Cohen is a major influence, as is Townes Van Zandt. I've also always listened to a lot of female singer-songwriters. As a kid, I used to sing along to Tori Amos, Alanis Morrissette and Fiona Apple. I admired their strength as well as their songs. Over the last couple of years, the world has been blessed with so many great artists like Frazey Ford, Courtney Barnett and Angel Olsen. In Quebec, we've got Fanny Bloom and Katie Moore; I'm a big fan of their work.

I've also learned a lot about being on stage by playing alongside Mara Tremblay and Sunny Duval. They both have this eagerness to give the best possible performances, no matter what.


AHC: What do you think makes for a good song, as you're writing and composing, is there a sudden moment when you know you've found the right mix, that perfect angle of light, so to speak?

Victoria: I usually write pretty quickly when I have a light bulb moment. An idea for lyrics will come to me and that's usually held together by a melody. Sometimes, it's a chorus or a verse. Most of the time, it's just one sentence that I really love and I build around it. It then becomes a bit of an obsession, a melody in my head that plays over and over until I finish the song. When I don't forget the melody, it's usually a good sign that I'm unto something, that it's catchy. After that rush of the first draft, I can spend weeks or months working on a song, and on it's weak spots, until I feel that I've done everything I can.


AHC: How has your music evolved since you first began playing?

Victoria: The album that I just released is a collection of songs written in the same period, pretty much about the same story and they are by far the most personal work I've done. I think I just finally allowed myself to be vulnerable and authentic, and to do that through these songs. Oddly enough, even if french is my first language, writing in English is what made me more introspective.


AHC: Do you consider music to be a type of healing art, the perfect vehicle through which to translate a feeling, a state of rupture, hope lost and regained? Does the writing and creating of the song save you in the kinds of ways that it saves us, the listener?

Victoria: As a listener, I know some songs and artists have a deep impact on how I feel. I wouldn't say though that creating my own songs has the same impact on me. It isn't a necessity. I know it is for some artists, but to me it's just something that I enjoy doing.


AHC: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? On-tour, on-the-road? 

Victoria: There are so many! Philippe B. with Quatuor Molinari was one of the best shows that I've ever seen. It was perfect. Seeing Bruce Springsteen at Metlife Stadium also stands out.

As a performer, singing Le Bateau with Mara Tremblay, which is one of my favorite songs of hers, is always a special moment. Performing at Blackpot Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana with Sunny Duval was amazing. As was a gig at Café Gibard, a small but crowded bar in Tadoussac, Québec where things got crazy and out of control!


AHC: What would be your dream gig, if you were asked to go on tour and open up for one of your musical heroes or heroines? 

Victoria: Being a back-up singer for Leonard Cohen would be the ultimate dream gig. I saw him play with the Webb Sisters, and when they sang «If It Be Your Will», I was moved to tears.


AHC: Do you have any words of advice for other musicians and singer-songwriters out there who are just starting out and trying to find their voice and their way in this world?

Victoria: It feels a little silly to give advice since I'm just starting out. I do, however, think that we should never underestimate the importance of hard work. Performing live, playing guitar, writing songs, making albums, all of these things improve with practice. The more you do them, the better you get.  


AHC: Do you have any new projects in the works you'd like to tell people about?

Victoria: I just released my first record, Cars Passing By and I'm incredibly proud of it. It was a pretty intense and productive year. Most of the recording process and the album release took place while I was pregnant. The baby is due in December so I'll be taking some time off to enjoy this new adventure, maybe write songs about breastfeeding! Seriously, I am looking forward to writing new songs, in both English and french, to playing gigs in the springtime but, mostly, I just want to enjoy this wonderful time.



For more information and to purchase 'Cars Passing By' visit victorialord.bandcamp.com/


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