We caught up with the Berlin-based piano whiz, Vava Quail, to discuss his dreamy debut album, “Beloved Ashes.” He dove headfirst into the nitty-gritty of his music, explaining how he crafts his soul-stirring melodies and the stories behind the writing and recording of the album.
Check out the full interview:
What time did you wake up today? Was it out of choice or necessity?
At seven, out of choice. I’m on holiday in Southern Italy and got up to see the sunrise.
Who are you and what do you “do“?
This is one of the most difficult questions I’ve ever heard! One reviewer wrote about “Beloved Ashes” that my music translates feelings into songs. And that’s exactly what I try to do. I really have an urge to express my emotions through art, especially a certain sense of longing that’s hard to describe.
Describe your music to someone who has yet to hear it…
Waves of piano sounds come in, then many vocals, then everything is stripped down to a single piano and voice, then a strange lyric tries to catch your attention, then things are getting almost too sweet, then okay again.
Out of your own tracks, which is your current favourite and why?
I think ‘Paris‘. I want my songs to feel as free as possible, especially with regards to song structure, and with ‘Paris’ I often have the feeling that it worked well. Also, in the final line „there‘s a nightmare coming closer“ I think I can hear a bit of that longing that I’m trying to express.
Can you share a bit about your musical background? How did you first get into music, and when did you realise it was your passion?
I somehow wanted to learn to play the piano when I was a kid. My parents were a bit surprised, they aren’t musicians themselves, but they made it possible. I also joined a choir and every theatre group I could find. When I was about 16 I discovered that, as a singer-songwriter, I could combine so many things that I love: singing, playing the piano, composing, arranging, writing and telling stories. And it definitely helped me process the complex emotions of a teenager!
Living in Berlin, a city rich in history and culture, how does the urban environment influence your creativity?
I love living in Berlin. I live more or less in the middle of the city and I often cycle through the Brandenburg Gate, past Hotel Adlon, Friedrichstraße, Museum Island… Of course, many unbelievably horrible things have happened in this city, but also many wonderful things, and there is such a profound sense of history, of relevance to this place. And then of course the immense cultural life! I enjoy that it’s possible to decide last-minute to see a play or a concert and then experience something absolutely crazy and world-class. I feel very alive in Berlin and that of course can fuel my creativity.
I was intrigued by the mention of “Franz Schubert, football fields, a walnut tree, sharks, and waterfalls” in your press release. Can you elaborate on how these diverse elements came together to create a cohesive narrative in your music?
These are all elements of the major theme of the album: Memories, desires and dreams of my past. I love playing around with words, sounds and song structures to create new meanings, new connections. When I am reading this line myself now I have the feeling that it‘s a strange but lively collage of images, and that’s what I hope for the album in general.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process? Do you have a specific routine or approach?
I don’t really have a routine, it’s slightly different every time. But I often sit at the piano and improvise, both music and lyrics, and record this on my phone. And then I often listen to it while taking a bath. It can be quite hilarious because I usually sing in a mix of fantasy language and English. And sometimes something sticks and I use this to build more music and lyrics around it.
Given the personal nature of your music, do you find it challenging to balance vulnerability with the desire for artistic expression?
Yes, definitely. But I feel that there is not much of a choice, that I cannot have authentic artistic expression without vulnerability. I feel that there is a lot of energy in vulnerability and anxiety, and this can be used for the good. But it can be like playing with fire and it’s immensely important to take good care of yourself.
As a singer-songwriter, you often work intimately with your own compositions. How do you balance the solitude of solo work with any collaborative efforts you may engage in?
I wrote and recorded “Beloved Ashes” entirely on my own, in my own bedroom. I think I needed to do it like this, so I could really find my own voice, and experiment and revise things as much as I liked. But shortly after release I went to Northern Norway to visit a friend I hadn’t seen for many years. We sat on the sofa, there was a snow storm outside, and we casually sang Auld Lang Syne together. She sang beautiful spontaneous harmonies and this small moment absolutely warmed my heart. After all this time alone with “Beloved Ashes” it reminded me of the beauty of making music together. (I was quick enough to capture that moment on my phone and you can actually find it in my Instagram story highlights.) And so, yes, I hope and think there will be collaborations with other artists in the future.
You’ve mentioned the grand piano as your companion for 22 years. Can you describe the emotional connection you have with this instrument and how it influences your creative process?
It’s traveled with me from place to place, and I know it very well. Hardly anyone else has ever played on it. It can be very rich and warm in the bass but also very brilliant. I just love its sound and the touch of its keys. It was important to use exactly this piano for “Beloved Ashes” because the album is so personal. And there is more of the piano in the album than you might think: The atmospheric sound layers that I use throughout are not synths – they are actually audio recordings of acoustic sounds from that very piano.
Your lyrics are presented with particular emphasis, offering an elegant narrative to your listeners. Can you share your perspective on the importance of lyrics in your music? What do the words mean to you, and how do you approach the process of crafting meaningful and evocative lyrics that resonate?
The strange thing is: When I listen to other artists, lyrics don’t seem to be very important to me. Often it’s only after years that I realise what a song is really about, after listening to it a hundred times! It’s the opposite for my own songs. When I made the album I often thought about the tension that lies between being very specific in my lyrics and leaving room for imagination. For example, in the opening track ‚”Sugar” our hands didn‘t just touch, they touched ‚in an A Major chord‘. But what happened then? And how is it connected to ‚that party in the garden‘? And has it all really happened or is it just imagined? And has there been a garden party in the life of the listener that made a lasting impression on them? Do they feel reminded of this and do they now bring their own feelings into the song? But there’s also another level: For me a lyric has to sound good! It must be a joy to pronounce it from the beginning until the end: ‚u-n-r-o-o-t-e-d‘.
Do you often make significant changes to songs during the recording process, or do you try to capture the essence of your original demos as much as possible?
I didn’t make demos for “Beloved Ashes” at all. The songwriting, arrangement and recording went more or less hand in hand. In the beginning I just had some preliminary lyrics, some melodies and chord progressions, often from piano and bath sessions, and then I started recording. I recorded every single sound in my bedroom, so I didn’t use anyone else’s time or space, and I had absolutely no time limit. From the beginning until the end the album was in a kind of constant metamorphosis. I experimented a lot and went through an insane amount of takes, versions, and re-workings. Lyrics, keys, melodies, chord progressions, entire song structures kept changing for about two years until I finally had the feeling that things were in the right place. It was very chaotic but I had a lot of fun.
How do you know when a studio session is completed?
I would say I have an almost endless energy to make adaptions, so it’s really difficult to know. But I think as soon as there’s the slightest doubt that maybe I should really stop taking more takes or trying new arrangement ideas, that’s the sign that I’m really done. And then I make about five more versions and then I stop!
Can you share an anecdote or challenge you faced during the recording process that ultimately contributed to the album’s uniqueness?
There was indeed a key moment. I wanted to make an album using only my voice and my piano, with very few exceptions. Somewhere along the way I got a bit frustrated, the piano started to sound dull. Then I remembered one thing a piano professor once told me. It’s very simple: As soon as you hit a key, the only thing that happens with that note is that it gradually fades away. That’s of course oversimplified and too technical a description but you see what I mean. I wanted to bring another kind of energy into this music. I decided to turn some of the piano recordings around, to play them backwards and to see what happens. Now every sound of course started quietly and grew bigger and bigger into dramatic bursts. It was a new world. There was so much energy in this sound, so much longing, even threat. Now you can hear a lot of this in “Beloved Ashes“.
What was the first record/tape/CD you ever bought?
I’m not entirely sure but possibly a recording of Robert Schumann’s Spring Symphony. About the first non-classical record I wish I could tell you it was The Beatles or Bowie or Radiohead but it was really ‘Where Do You Go’ by No Mercy.
First concert you attended?
A classical music concert with local musicians. First non-classical concert? Don’t tell anyone but Britney Spears in her ‘Oops I Did It Again’ tour. I was very, very young and I loved the show.
What was the last song by another artist that got stuck in your head?
St. Vincent’s ‘Slow Disco’. I love the string arrangement and the vocal loop in the end. Also, Anohni’s ‘For Today I Am A Boy’ popped up again and stayed for a while. And only recently I discovered the small but spectacular ‘On and Ever Onward’ by Dirty Projectors and Björk!
What was the last show you paid and queued up for?
It was Björk on her Cornucopia tour in Leipzig, Germany, last Novemebver. But I didn’t have good seats. I actually brought an opera glass but Björk and her show were just too far away
Outside of the musical realm, are there any authors, visual artists, or other forms of art that inspire your creativity?
William S. Burroughs’ novels have always encouraged me to think in more drastic ways, and they remind me we don’t need a linear narrative to create meaningful art. I have a pop art poster of him in my living room. And recently I visited an exhibition by Dagie Brundert, a Berlin artist, she makes Super-8-films and crafts very weird and funny objects. She also develops her analogue photos in organic soups of her own recipes. There’s a lot of craziness, spontaneity and fun in her work and that spoke to me.
Can you share a sneak peek or hint about any upcoming projects or surprises that we can anticipate?
A couple of months ago I found out that my great-grandfather played the violin and that it was still in the attic of my parents’ house. It’s now in Berlin with me and it needs to be restored but I’d like to see what I can do with it, and also to find out more about my great-grandfather along the way. It would be a journey even deeper into the past, to a time long before I was born. But at the moment this is just a vague idea and I don’t know if I’ll really do it.
If you could record any cover in the world, what would it be?
Very difficult question, but one would be Sufjan Stevens’ ‘The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!’ I remember driving around in the car with his ‘Illinois’ album on, many years ago, and doing extra rounds and extra rounds so the moment wouldn’t end. This album has stayed with me ever since. But I’d rather make a version together with Sufjan than make a cover by myself.
If you could have any fictional character as a band member, who would it be and what instrument would they play?
It would be Jar Jar Binks. Imagine! Jar Jar Binks and Vava Quail! He would play some alien instruments, definitely something flute-like and some strings, and we would have a lot of fun together.
If you could bring any artist back from the dead, but in exchange you would have to send a living artist down, which artists would you choose and why?
Please let me bring two artists back and no one down! One would be Franz Schubert. He died when he was only 31, in 1828, and left us incredible music. He is of course very famous for his songs for piano and voice. I’d really love to know what kind of songs he’d write in 2024, and I’d do everything to be invited to a living room concert with him and his music. Number two could be Lotte Lenya. She was such an eccentric singer (and, I guess, personality) and I would like to see whether we love or hate each other, it must be either this or that. And if we do get along, she could tell me all about the Roaring Twenties in Berlin.
If your music were to be featured in a film, whether hypothetical or real, describe the kind of movie it would be. Who would be the director/actors, and what themes or scenes could your music complement to create a memorable cinematic experience?
It could be a bittersweet coming-of-age film with a bit of a surreal and sinister twist. Or a dark and slightly apocalyptic art house movie. Maybe I could make music that sails in there like an ambivalent angel. One blog made a TikTok video along with their review of ‘Beloved Ashes’ and they used the beginning of my title track with scenes of Batman! I had to laugh at first but I loved that and felt strangely honoured.
Looking ahead on a positive note, envision yourself exactly five years from now. What do you see yourself accomplishing in your musical journey, and what steps do you believe are essential to reach those goals?
“Beloved Ashes” is the very first Vava Quail album and I’ve only just released it. I’d love to keep the project very alive and see it grow in a natural way, by getting more people involved, through collaborations with other artists and possibly other art forms. I hope it will be a colourful journey with unexpected twists and surprises, a lot of intense, sincere and funny moments, shared with many people. In the end it’s probably all about love and connections.
A big thank you to Vava Quail for sharing his time and insights with us. His take on the making of “Beloved Ashes” and his creative process was fascinating. We Can’t wait to see what he gets up to next!
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