Interview - Broken Deer

Recently, I had the honor of giving an interview with Lindsay Dobbin of Broken Deer. Linsday lives in Yukon, Canada where she creates some truly mesmerizing music. She describes her music as the "sound of decay." All of the imperfections of sound only add to the surreal charm of her music. For the willing, Broken Deer will carry the listener into uncharted territories of the self. You can listen to more Broken Deer songs at her myspace and you can purchase the album, “Our Small Going” directly from Gandhara Recordings here.

MP3
Broken Deer:Faces on the Riverside

MP3
Broken Deer:White Woman

1. How does life in Yukon, Canada influence your music? Does the landscape and culture play a role in your music?

They certainly do. Here’s a list of the highlights: quiet, pure sound, snow and ice, forests, cold, lots of dark, lots of sun, mountains, lakes, openness, wild, animals, eccentric people, artists and trades-folk mix, snow-shoeing, sliding, arts funding, spirituality, shamanism, out-houses, cabin dwellings, no electricity, natural light, candle light, moon and stars. It’s the kind of place that makes me feel insignificant and significant in the same moment. Powerful stuff.

2. You’ve released your album, “Our Small Going” through the San Francisco label Gandhara Recordings. They’ve released some interesting projects. What is it like working with the label? Why did you choose to work with them?

I really believe in the energy and intention behind Gandhara. It’s all about supporting spontaneous, strange, beautiful music, and getting it heard via sustainable means – releasing limited runs of hand-made albums or pay-what-you-can digital downloads. Also, the artists can influence the direction that Gandhara takes – it’s not a top-down sort of thing. The openness and collaborative effort is vital. It’s super-exciting to be a part of, and I’m looking forward to what develops over time.

3. Your music is minimal…what instruments do you like to use?

It varies. Mainstays are my voice and a hand-held recorder (it has as much influence on the sound as any instrument). In terms of other instruments, I’m open to whatever is around. I’ve used field recordings, guitar, drums, piano, keyboards, bells, and accordions, among others. Pretty standard stuff – but I tend to get interesting results through the recording process, where the source of some sounds are often concealed. The joys of working with tape!

4. Are there certain themes in your music? With me you talked about the “sound of decay.” What does that mean?

The content of the music is really informed by my process of responding to whatever environment I’m in. Like I mentioned above, the instruments that are around play a role in the sound and compositions, for sure. But I’m often writing songs that tell an unspoken story of a particular place, whether it be the external environment or my own inner world. I really play around in the deep, and that’s where everything comes from.

5. Was there a specific occurrence in your life that made you want to express yourself musically?

I didn’t grow up in a household with musical instruments and people playing music, as the classical story goes. I grew up in a multi-generational, rural home, and I somehow ended up with the record and 8-track player, along with loads of recordings going back to my great grandmother’s collection, in my room. For hours, I would sit alone doing nothing but listening to everything from Gladys Knight to Elvis to the Carpenters to James Last (party time!). The sound of those recordings made an impression on me, quite literally. I think as a result of that early experience, listening is my main instrument. Every other means of communication I feel like I’m putting an ocean through a straw – but processing the world around, especially through sounds, is the closest I can get to truly speaking.

6. Do you have any views about the artists place in society? Should art be a social movement or art for arts sake?

I believe in art for arts sake. I think art does have the power to transform individuals, society, and culture – but, on a basic level, I believe in the power of expression. For me, as an art-maker, my focus is always on transforming/healing myself and the immediate environment by means of creation. My body is the wee bit of universe that I’ve been give to take care of, and I think creative expression is a necessary part of life, in any arena. I think an artist in a community can remind people of the importance of this.

7. What era would you like to be reborn in? Why?

I’d like to be reborn as a whale. Why? Well, it just seems natural.