29 March 2015
Mina's Veil Interview
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Husband and wife duo, Mina's Veil, create atmospheric and emotive soundscapes etched with the grandeur of the Victorian era. Hailing from New Zealand, they released their debut album, 'Bleak December', at the end of last year. You can read our review of it here.
The band's name, a nod to Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', gives them an air of gothic mystery that perfectly suits their ethereal sound. "We loved the idea of something that was hidden behind a veil...this idea of her mind being kind of on another plane, so although we can physically see her, she’s hidden and out of reach." How did Mina's Veil come into existence? Brad: I’d been wanting to do something like Mina’s Veil for a while, but I’d been pretty busy with other projects, and hadn’t taken the time to fully explore where something more orchestral could go. So I decided to finally do it, and asked Demelza if she’d like to ‘join my band’ as a vocalist - before I’d even written anything for it! Demelza was keen and she started writing all these beautiful songs and suddenly this idea was taking shape. It was a turn of events I didn’t really expect, but I love it. Demelza: Brad asked me to be the vocalist in his new band and then I kind of took over and started writing a lot of music for it. It was totally unintentional - I gave Brad a song I had written in high school (The Silver Doe) and he really liked it. I started playing around with some other ideas, and suddenly I had a bunch of songs written. Brad takes the skeleton and turns them into these big orchestral, finished pieces. What are your musical backgrounds? B: We both learnt to play the piano when we were kids. When I got to high-school I was finally permitted by my parents to start learning the drums (something I’d wanted to do since I was about five), and through that started playing in bands. We had a really supportive environment for music at my school, probably a little too supportive; I skipped several classes over the years because I was too busy playing music. D: I had piano and theory lessons for 8 years. I also had classical singing lessons for 7 years, and have been in dozens of choirs and a lot of stage productions. When I was 17 my parents said they would buy me a harp or a car… and obviously I chose a harp. But I’ve never had lessons for it so I’m actually really bad at that. Singing is definitely my forte! What are your influences, and how do you portray these in your music? D: When I start writing music I’ve usually got a story or an image in my mind that I’m trying to convey, rather than trying to stick to a particular genre of music. I was largely raised on classical and church music, and I think that comes through in our music. B: The big things are film music and some of the symphonic metal that’s out there. I was a big Cradle of Filth fan during my teen years, and also got heavily into Dimmu Borgir, Nightwish, and the like. But my biggest love for some time has been film music; Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Elliot Goldenthal, Wojciech Kilar… I could go on. Those guys all excel at creating atmosphere and mood that you don’t need to be watching the film to enjoy. I try to bring that cinematic feel into our music. What draws you to the Victorian gothic aesthetic? B: Without wanting to sound like a cliché, it’s always been something I’ve loved. One of my favourite stories as a kid was Hound of the Baskervilles, and I loved all the Sherlock Holmes stories (both inside and outside the canon) that dealt with the ‘supernatural’, even if there was always a rational explanation. I love mystery and the idea of uncovering secrets, and the Victorian aesthetic seems to be full of that; mist, dark alleys, forests and moors, trapdoors and secret passageways, and of course an interest in the occult and the supernatural which seems to pervade so much of the literature and art from that time. Living in New Zealand, too, most of our architecture is much newer, especially in Wellington, so all these landscapes and scenic elements take on a much more fantastical quality. |
Photo credit: Kat Adele
Photo Credit: Lenscraft Photography
Photo credit: Maddy Clayton
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D: The Victorian gothic aesthetic captures a gloominess and dark elegance that nothing else can match. All the glamour and opulence and romance is just gorgeous, I find it impossible not to love it. I adore the costuming - corsets and brocades and petticoats and lace - it’s all so delicious. There’s something about the beautiful costumes and architecture and landscapes contrasted with all the melancholy characters in the literature that I find really compelling.
Can we talk a little about the novel you're writing? How do your music and writing complement each other?
B: Well, it’s a Gothic novel (surprise surprise) set in the 1880’s in Paris, and the protagonist is dead. It’s a slow process working on it, fitting it around music and family life and a day job, but I’m happy with how it’s going and am hopeful I’ll be able to make the time to finish the first draft this year.
I think they both come from the same sort of place inside me. One of the biggest challenges with the writing is trying to give it that same sense of brooding, misty atmosphere that we try to give the music. I’d like to think that one day you’d be able to sit down and read the book and listen to our music at the same time. I have had thoughts about doing something musical that reflects the story, like a concept album, once it’s finished.
What's the gothic music scene like in New Zealand? How has your music been received at home and further afield?
B: We've been received fairly positively here, and we've sold a couple of CDs overseas. It's early days yet though. The scene here ebbs and flows; I’m 30 now and have been a part of it since I was about 17. Over that time people have come and gone, and there’ll be periods of lots of activity and then times when there’s not much going on. It’s always very close-knit and friendly and pretty inclusive. New blood is always welcome. Wellington is great too because it’s so physically compact so getting to shows and parties and other events is usually very easy, which encourages people to come along. The most difficult thing is probably for bands; the scenes being small, you don’t want to play in the same place too often.
What have been the highlights for Mina's Veil so far?
D: Our first gig was amazing - we had such good feedback, people had such nice things to say and it was such a genuine surprise because our music is so vastly different to the bands that usually play at Valhalla (our awesome local metal/goth/alternative venue).
B: I think generally the highlight is just how well we seem to be being received. We weren’t really sure if we were going to put the CD out but we had a very positive reception at our first show and that’s encouraged us to take things further. Then favourable coverage from people like EGL and Mister Owl all helped out.. we’ve sold a few CDs to Australia, Europe, and the US, and while things aren’t exploding they’re certainly going well.
What plans do you have for the future?
D: Write more music and perform more shows! I’ve got lots of ideas for new songs and I adore performing live. I would really love to make some music videos - so many of our songs have such a strong image in my head it would be awesome to see those visions realised.
B: Mainly we want to just keep writing and playing music together, in whatever way we can. I’d love to be able to go on tour; it would basically be a family holiday with gigs on the side, but I think that’s a way off yet. We’ve been asked to write a score for an indie video game that’s in development; if we get more opportunities for things like that it would be great too.
Can we talk a little about the novel you're writing? How do your music and writing complement each other?
B: Well, it’s a Gothic novel (surprise surprise) set in the 1880’s in Paris, and the protagonist is dead. It’s a slow process working on it, fitting it around music and family life and a day job, but I’m happy with how it’s going and am hopeful I’ll be able to make the time to finish the first draft this year.
I think they both come from the same sort of place inside me. One of the biggest challenges with the writing is trying to give it that same sense of brooding, misty atmosphere that we try to give the music. I’d like to think that one day you’d be able to sit down and read the book and listen to our music at the same time. I have had thoughts about doing something musical that reflects the story, like a concept album, once it’s finished.
What's the gothic music scene like in New Zealand? How has your music been received at home and further afield?
B: We've been received fairly positively here, and we've sold a couple of CDs overseas. It's early days yet though. The scene here ebbs and flows; I’m 30 now and have been a part of it since I was about 17. Over that time people have come and gone, and there’ll be periods of lots of activity and then times when there’s not much going on. It’s always very close-knit and friendly and pretty inclusive. New blood is always welcome. Wellington is great too because it’s so physically compact so getting to shows and parties and other events is usually very easy, which encourages people to come along. The most difficult thing is probably for bands; the scenes being small, you don’t want to play in the same place too often.
What have been the highlights for Mina's Veil so far?
D: Our first gig was amazing - we had such good feedback, people had such nice things to say and it was such a genuine surprise because our music is so vastly different to the bands that usually play at Valhalla (our awesome local metal/goth/alternative venue).
B: I think generally the highlight is just how well we seem to be being received. We weren’t really sure if we were going to put the CD out but we had a very positive reception at our first show and that’s encouraged us to take things further. Then favourable coverage from people like EGL and Mister Owl all helped out.. we’ve sold a few CDs to Australia, Europe, and the US, and while things aren’t exploding they’re certainly going well.
What plans do you have for the future?
D: Write more music and perform more shows! I’ve got lots of ideas for new songs and I adore performing live. I would really love to make some music videos - so many of our songs have such a strong image in my head it would be awesome to see those visions realised.
B: Mainly we want to just keep writing and playing music together, in whatever way we can. I’d love to be able to go on tour; it would basically be a family holiday with gigs on the side, but I think that’s a way off yet. We’ve been asked to write a score for an indie video game that’s in development; if we get more opportunities for things like that it would be great too.
Article written by...
Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. She has a degree in Creative Writing and is a published horror and fantasy writer. She loves punk and rockabilly, roller derby, and creepy foreign horror movies.
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