Aline Deanna On the Making Of “Wildfire”
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your "Wildfire" and the story it tells?
“Wildfire” is my favorite song on this record. It has a dark moodiness that is undeniable and reflects its lyrics perfectly. I had friends protesting the logging of the old growth forest in Fairy Creek. Their courage to leave their everyday lives to stand for something they believed in so deeply reminded me of my doukhobor ancestors. They were fierce pacifists that protested against war and violence and accepted dire consequences, even death, to stand up for what they believed to be right and true; that one shall not kill or enslave another living creature. Though these moments have decades separating them I couldn’t help but recognize their parallels. How many of us turn a blind eye to suffering just because we are able to?
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in this "Wildfire?"
“Little white lies don’t mean to much, spend their time collecting dust”
This refers to the societal norms we adopt without question that do not serve all of us equally. Prejudice beliefs happen gradually over time, they are nursed through generations. Sometimes it is hard to spot but then suddenly like a plague it's touched all of us. As I learnt more about my family’s history and the Doukhobors’ culture of pacifism I’ve realized that perhaps peace is something I have taken for granted. We can not fight for it retroactively, it must be intentionally cultivated.
“But as the rust sets in it spreads through us and moves like wildfire”
This all may a little grim but if you stick with me till the end the true sentiment of the song is exposed in the last verse.
“Oh my the world is so damn dark, sometimes all you need is just one spark.”
Feelings of hope and courage have the power to spread much faster. Change can happen and we hold the gateway to it, all we need to do is turn the key and walk through the door.
How do you feel this "Wildfire" represents your artistic identity?
I used to write mostly anecdotal songs that were in reference to my own life and experience. Recently my songwriting has started to shift into more storytelling inspired by outside influence. I’m currently working on a collection of songs inspired by my doukhobor heritage. I conducted interviews and collected stories of my family history and doukhobor heritage. Throughout this process I learnt so much about myself, my family history and our country’s history. This is the first song that I’m sharing from this collection and it’s very close to my heart. I’m so pleased with the production on this song, the entire world and mood that was created illustrates my vision of the music to a tee which is just such a treat.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
I was always enamored with music, but for me it really started with the violin. I saw someone playing at a family dinner when I was 5 years old and I couldn’t stop begging to learn. Finally after two years my mom put me in Suzuki when I was 7. It was hard to find someone to take me at the time because I was told I was too old to learn Violin! I ended up playing classical Viola until my teen years. When I was 9 someone gifted me a guitar. An Art Lutherie Parlour, I still have it and love it. I never thought much of it but slowly started to pick up chords and learn covers. I always loved to sing but I never felt that I had a worthy voice, I just lacked so much confidence. Eventually I joined choir which is where I learnt most of what I know about singing and harmonizing. It’s such a journey being a musician because no matter how hard you work if you don’t possess the confidence and trust in yourself you will never reach your full ability. When I went to jazz school in post secondary I was still so shrouded with self doubt that I couldn’t perform without almost passing out from fear, I thought I would go into production instead and work behind the scenes. But as I grew out of my shell and earned more confidence in myself my path has led me to being a fulltime musician. Maybe I’m a bit of a late bloomer compared to some, but I’m very pleased that I finally made it to a point where I truly enjoy performing and sharing music with an audience. I think the world needs music now more than ever and I’m so grateful to be in a position to share my songs with the world.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
I think what I enjoy most is storytelling, I love to hear people's reactions to my music and stories. Once you write a song and release it into the world it’s not really yours anymore. People start to create their own relationship with your music and what it means to them. I think this is so beautiful and it really inspires me to keep going. Music has also been a really fun way to explore the world and travel. The best thing is meeting all the amazing people out there that love to support live music because they are always the coolest. I can’t believe how many strangers open their homes to us on tour to host and are just so incredibly generous. It’s really special to experience the community in this way.