Feature: Vava Quail Decodes ‘Beloved Ashes’
Can you share any interesting or unique stories or perspectives on ‘Beloved Ashes?’
It all started when I took a walk through my hometown in rural Germany. I walked around and realized suddenly that I was so connected to the place - while at the same time everything felt completely foreign. For example, there was this smell of hot asphalt in front of the house where I grew up and it instantly catapulted me back to the time when I was a kid. (This is now in the lyrics as „the smell of the street in the summer“.) I continued walking and there were these intense memories from a long time ago. Memories of things that had actually happened, but also memories of desires and dreams. But the thing is: Everything looked and felt so different! Things had changed, buildings were painted, streets repaired, I had grown older, the walnut tree by the river was lying dead on the grass! When back in Berlin I first wrote a part of the title track. I realized quickly I had much more material and the story wasn’t over. So I decided to make a whole album.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for ‘Beloved Ashes?’
The origin of almost every sound on the album is either my voice or my piano but there are a few exceptions. For the title track, I made an arrangement of saxophone sounds (the lyrics start off with „Here I played the saxophone“). I used to play the saxophone as a teenager but haven’t ever since. I took the instrument and played along to some piano parts that I had already recorded. In the end I actually used the very first take - the very first time I played that instrument after 15 years.
What did you enjoy most about making ‘Beloved Ashes?’
That I was free to do exactly what I wanted. Although it sometimes took a long time to find out what that really was! But since I was on my own during the recording process, using only my own time, I could go through an insane amount of experiments with my songs until I finally got to places that felt right.
How did you get started in music, and what inspired you to become a singer-songwriter?
I learned to play the piano and sang in choirs when I was a kid. I always felt most connected to myself when making music. But also, as a teenager, I joined every theatre group I could find! Later I studied music, mostly the classical repertory. And while I love classical music, my deepest passion was always to tell my own stories through lyrics and music. It’s a combination of so many fun things: writing, composing, arranging, singing, playing, finally expressing everything in a record or on stage, with the additional fun of creating the visual dimension of a project. It’s incredibly multifaceted!
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
It’s quite different each time. I don’t have a standard process. But I often sit at the piano and improvise, sing along, and record it on my phone. Sometimes something sticks - a melody, a chord progression, a lyric - and then I take it from there and build a song around it.
