If you've been following LG 104.3FM's vanCOVER then you know that they've called on local artists to record covers of songs from the 70's or 80's which have influenced them as musicians, and the winners so far have been amazing.
Each month a jury selects a 1st place winner who receives $5,000 and a 2nd place who receives $1,000, and throughout the year a number of live showcases featuring the winners will be held that you can (and should) attend.
Here's Chersea's version of The Bangles' Walk Like an Egyptian, this month's $5,000 winner!
We asked her a few questions about this track and her influences...
How did you choose your cover song?
My producer, Cody Taylor, and I were thinking about doing a cover. We had spent a lot of time discussing what kinds of songs we should try to attempt and I mentioned The Bangles early on (Peter Gabriel a close second - the resultant winner was decided by a coin toss). Plus this song is unique, interesting and anthem-y performed by an all woman cast. However, during the recording process we found out that The Bangles didn't actually write the song; that Liam Sternberg did. So when I found this out I decided to cover the song and recreate the madness by adding my own "one time at band-camp" feel to it; even performing the trumpet and clarinet to give it that special vibe. Fun Fact about me though - I can't whistle. So I might have to call up a special guest to do it for me when I perform it live hahaha. Fun fact about this song - another reason we chose it is because it won't be nearly difficult as other songs to loop live. I will perform it with my loopstation - solo - with vocal harmonies and instrumentation, and it is going to be a lot of fun. I feel so lucky, everything fell into place and we finished it so fast. It was such a great time!
When did you first discover The Bangles?
I can't even remember to be honest. It feels like they've been in my life forever. I must've been around 7, 8? I don't know! My dad loved the song and that's what got me into them. They have some incredible hits: "Manic Monday, "Eternal Flame", and "In Your Room" just to name a few. But "Walk Like an Egyptian" was my absolute favourite. I loved everything about the song and the production, and even at 13 I was thinking about eventually covering it. It was nice to finally make that a reality!!!
If you could perform live as one 70s or 80s band or artists, who would it be and why?
Definitely Depeche Mode. They're one of my favourites. I'm the kind of performer who needs to perform songs that I love, or songs that I want to hear, and Depeche Mode would be such a fun time. They're also a huge influence and you can hear some of that in my original work... but yeah. It's kind of a bizarre artistic infatuation I have with those guys. They're typically in a similar genre to me as well (Synth-pop, new wave, dance pop) so they fit in perfect with a set like mine. Ideally I would open for them, then perform afterwards - I couldn't choose between my own set and theirs. That's just cruel... hahaha. They also changed the world with their music, and are known as (arguably) the most internationally remowned electronic band in the history of music. Having a title like that can make any musician tingle, and to perform to a crowd who believes it would be incredible.
Has music from those decades inspired your own music, beyond this recording?
Being a one-person-band my influences directly affect my writing style. I grew up listening to music from the 70's and 80's and I continue to try to write like my influences. Like Depeche Mode I enjoy writing dark, fairly dense lyrics that require interpretation. I think Depeche Mode taught me to heal via writing; their lyrics are so beautiful and sad, while their music is synthy and ‘poppy’ suggesting something completely different, thematically. Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins are two of my favourites as well. I loved them both in Genesis and I love them both independent from one another - I was actually leaning towards doing "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel for this cover (next time!). Queen is also another personal favourite because of their incredible vocal melodies and accompaniment, and their ability to write songs that speak to everyone. The first performance I ever played on bass was "Bohemian Rhapsody" in my Middle School band so naturally Queen has had a huge effect on my musical education. I also went through a huge Cat Stevens phase in university (NOT Yusuf…) and through the fluctuating dynamics of a student body, his music helped me through heartbreak, friendship, death, injury (I was a varsity hockey player) and studying – basically everything. “Sad Lisa” was a particular favorite. Also Hall and Oates for wonderfully genre-bending the music in the 70's and 80's, and David Byrne from Talking Heads for teaching me that having a "different" voice is okay and that I can write any which way I want to – even if it includes fringe haircuts and tape deck backing tracks. Last but not least David Bowie for changing my life with the song "Life on Mars?" suggesting he may be ahead of the times in understanding the teenage condition, and the feeling of isolation and insignificance. Although I wish I could list them all, these are probably the standout artists from this time period that I’ve obsessed over the most and that have been the most inspiring.
What's coming up for you?
This weekend I have Whistler Film Festival and I'm heading up there to perform with some other amazing BC artists like Rococode and HUMANS just to name a couple. It's a huge honor - I'm so excited to be involved and included - thank you Music BC!!! I also have a gig in Victoria for New Years Eve at a restaurant/bar called Lacey Lou's with my good friends Isobel Trigger, and I can't wait for that. It's guaranteed to be a party with those guys hahaha. As for myself and my business: I'm working hard on re-branding and figuring out how things are going to look with all of this new music we're almost finished!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited to release some of the material; it's a big change from the last EP but I can promise you it's for the better. I'm also working on developing my set-up, making it clean and morphing it slowly into the space-ship people always suggest it looks like. So I'm going to play off that and give the people what they want! You may also be seeing some new cabelling in my set. For those of you who have seen it, you guys KNOW it's a complete disaster EVERYTIME. I'm excited to fix this. Last but not least, I'm going to continue to press onwards in studio and in performance so that by 2015 I will have some tasty treats for all the senses! I hate to be cliche, but stay tuned and you'll find out!
Know an artist that you think should enter? Forward them the link to information (www.lg1043.com/vanCOVER/) and keep your eyes on V.I.A. as we'll be sharing the winning songs each month from now until August, 2015!
