Response from Brendan of Vio/Miré

This interview was conducted through MySpace messages

How did you first start getting involved in the scene?

I suppose my involvement came from the discovery of the satisfaction of creation when I was much younger and playing in bands and things. In this sense, the scene is really more of a community that works together and supports one another. I feel generally detached from the scene in Providence in the larger sense, but very close with a small, subcommunity of artists and musicians and friends.

Do you know how this scene started and why?

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking here, but if you mean the music scene in Providence I think it is multifaceted. I don't purport to be an expert in the history of the scene, but I think that the presence of an art school, the small population, and the availability of outlets for creative processes were all contributing factors.

How would you characterize this scene? The people in it?

Some might disagree with me, but I (like to) think of music and art is Providence less categorically in terms of output (that is, the products of the creative processes necessarily sharing certain characteristics) and more in terms of the relationships of the people involved with one another. Most of the shows I see in Providence have at least one friend involved. Likewise, I feel that I could superficially describe the way many of the people look or act who are a part of the scene, but I don't dare characterize them all.

How would you characterize your music? Your friend's music? Evan described Annikki Dawns music as New Weird America, would you agree?

Oh, I don't know. I think that the distillation of music into genres is a confused enterprise. I don't find it very useful for discovering new music that I enjoy, because one "New Weird American" artist can be inspired while another vacant and frivolous. Describing my own music difficult for me lately because I can only describe what I have already written, not what I might write in the future. I like to leave myself as much freedom as possible for the future.

How and why do you think people start getting involved?

Their friends get involved.

Would you say DIY is an important aspect of the scene? What about Art in general?

DIY works well to fill in the gaps that are left. There are so few adequate performance venues in Providence, and DIY spaces have done very well to pick up a lot of that slack.

Are there any other music genres you feel people involved in the scene listen to? Genres that may have influenced you?

I don't know. I pretty much only listen to classical music.


I then followed up and asked him:
You say you mostly listen to classical music, yet your music has a "folk" sound to it... Do you think then you are influenced by your friend's music? Or do you also listen to stuff that influence what you create?

His response:
I think I'm definitely influenced by my friends' music. Many of my songs contain references to songs that my friends have written, and at shows friends of mine are constantly covering, reworking, or incorporating music and lyrics from other friends.