Hildur Victoria
Charlie B. Ward
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The name conjures a baroque chamber-orchestra vibe, and in its own way, local indie quartet Hildur Victoria does not disappoint. The band’s lush instrumentation—provided by guitarist Joe Clark, bassist Jef Sundquist, and drummer Jeremy Hanson (also of Tapes 'N Tapes)—provides a scenic sonic backdrop for singer Margaret Lane’s sweet mezzo-soprano. Imagine a slowed-down Fleet Foxes fronted by a calmer Tori Amos, and you’re in the right ballpark. The band is set to headline the Varsity Theater tonight as part of La Nouvelle Femme, an interdisciplinary showcase of fashion, art, and music from emerging female artists. The A.V. Club caught up with the quartet to talk about its atmospheric sound, its upcoming record, and the ups and downs of being “female-fronted.”
The A.V. Club: Where did the name Hildur Victoria come from?
Joe Clark: It’s my great-grandmother’s name, her first and middle name. I think we just wanted something that didn’t classify us, something personal that didn’t say, “Oh you’re that category." Just a good classic name.
Jef Sundquist: And I’m a big fan of grandmothers.
Margaret Lane: It was either that or Herringbone, and that is actually going to be the name of the EP/LP.
AVC: What tipped the scales?
ML: It was a numbers game. I was pushing Herringbone so hard, and it just didn’t win.
Jeremy Hanson: Herringbone reminded me of Fishbone, a kind of ska jam band.
ML: And we didn’t want that. That was the wrong kind of classification! [Laughs.]
AVC: References to grandmas and fish aside, how would you describe your sound?
JC: For some reason, whenever I get asked this question, I always throw the word “psychedelic” in there. It’s not psychedelic, I don’t use any effects pedals, I just want people to get that feeling out of it. I just don’t want to get too specific, because as soon as we get into describing out sound, it all sounds different to you than to other people. I always just say “psychedelic indie rock.”
JS: It is semi-instrumental. There are beautiful vocal parts by Margaret, but we can all hold our own musically. There doesn’t have to be a focal point. It’s not like, “Here’s a hook, here’s a catch.” It’s extremely harmonic.
AVC: How did Brett Bullion from Tarlton end up producing your upcoming EP?
ML: He asked! [Laughs.]
JS: After the first show with me being in the band [at the Turf Club in July], he approached us after the show and said, “You guys sound great playing together. Are you thinking about recording?” And we’re like, “Yeah.” And he was like, “Can I record you guys?” “Sure!” I have a mutual friend who is now playing in Tarlton, so it is this mini-community that has developed. It’s great because you’re friends and you have this creative outlet. It’s just—
ML: Comfortable.
AVC: What’s the story behind this La Nouvelle Femme show?
ML: [Fashion designers] Ashley [Wokasch] and Luci [Kandler] of Calpurnia Peach and a fine artist by the name of Ema Cook and I, we came up with the idea last year. We got this idea to have an event showcasing female artists, not in an overly uppity female-empowerment kind of way, but just a chance to show what we’re doing as young people and emerging artists. So we compiled these different artists and put together this really cohesive event that we had at the Rogue Buddha. We had low expectations, but we worked our asses off and it sold out, so this year we doubled the amount of artists and changed the venue to something larger.
AVC: The Twin Cities have a number of great bands fronted by female vocalists. Do you find that helps to create a sense of community, or is it more competitive?
ML: I don’t think it’s competition; I’ve never really entertained that notion at all. It’s not something I’ve considered because, regardless of gender, it is doing what we love, and I just so happen to be female. I think there is a certain aesthetic that people tie to female artists; it does add a different element to it. It can be good because it can attract some more attention, but it can also be detrimental as people can have difficulty looking past that fact. I’m just one of these dudes, hanging out and writing music, but when you put it in the context of La Nouvelle Femme, it can do brilliant things because we completely inspire each other and we help each other get a leg up.
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