Beach Practice by Veda Hille

In the early spring of 2020 I was getting ready to do a lot of things: open a theatre production in Dusseldorf, tour my solo show Little Volcano, and continue working on large musicals. And then, like many people, suddenly I was homeschooling my son, figuring out how to have zoom meetings, and going for confusingly beautiful spring walks in the abruptly still city. It was weird, but definitely not the worst apocalypse.

I wrote a note to the Cultch, my East Van home base, and started practicing on the good piano in the empty theatre. I wrote the songs that are now on Beach Practice in that limbo time, the period of suspension before the human world creaked back to life.

And then a really nice thing happened; Nicholas Krgovich told me that he was making a covers album of my songs. While I was plunking notes at the Cultch he was walking around Vancouver singing my old songs and making new versions in his kitchen. That album This Spring came out in spring 2021, and by then we were playing backyard and online shows and working on Beach Practice. I sent him rough demos recorded on the phone, really rough, and he built sounds and grooves around those early ideas. He made them into songs with the help of friends recording in their own homes, and then I came in at the end and just sang. It was easy, and fun, like two old friends hanging out because that's what it was.

And so here it is, another spring record. There will be a lot of albums coming out right now, with similar stories. We’re happy to be part of that crowd, the wave of music that might be one of the nicer side effects of these strange years. My memories of 2020 all seem to be in little boxes; seeing people online, leaning out the window banging pots and pans, organizing the fridge. Think of this record as another small box. For you!

Tracklist

1.	I Jump In	2:24

2.	Beach Practice	4:12

3.	Tracers	3:13

4.	Be A Tree	2:15

5.	John Cena Dream	1:31

6.	A Knife	3:20

7.	Free Radical	3:26

8.	Directions	2:09

9.	Time	3:43

10.	Coyote	3:20

Credits

released March 31, 2022

Produced by Nicholas Krgovich
Mixed by Joseph Shabason
Mastered by Joe Lambert
Design by Miles Wintner
Photos by Jennilee Marigomen

Veda Hille - singing, piano, casio
Nicholas Krgovich – singing, drum programming, percussion, keys, guitar, ukulele, midi orchestra
Aaron Olson – bass
Thom Gill - electric guitar, synth, singing
Joseph Shabason - saxophone, flute
Chris Harris - pedal steel
Ryan Peters - drum kit
Matt Rheeston - drum kit
Anders Hille Kellam – singing, directions
Jason Zumpano - 7 o’clock cheer recording

Veda Hille gratefully acknowledges the support of The Canada Council for the Arts. Thanks also to the Cultch, Cryptic UK, and the Offers & Answers crew.

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