Jazz pop singer/songwriter Roxi Copland returned to Des Moines at the beginning of November after moving to Vancouver this past summer. While, sadly, she will only be in town for 2 short weeks, Roxi has a lot planned for her time back. Amidst her busy performing and recording schedule, Roxi was gracious enough to squeeze some time in to talk to Examiner about her continuing musical journey.
Examiner: Take my readers back to how you first came to Des Moines, and then tell us what prompted the move to Vancouver…
Copland: I first came to Des Moines shortly after graduation from Grinnell College in 2005 – I’d been hired as the vocalist for an R&B cover band in the area. I worked with them for a little over a year before deciding that I wanted to sing and play my own songs, which is when I started performing under my own name. I lived in Des Moines from the fall of 2005 until last summer, when my husband, who had just received his PhD in Rhetoric, was offered a job teaching at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. I’d been looking to spend some time touring the West Coast, and I’ve always been a huge fan of traveling and meeting new people, so we headed to Vancouver.
Examiner: Compare the Des Moines music scene and the Vancouver one. What is similar, and what is different?
Copland: The two scenes are similar in that there’s a huge amount of talent in both areas. Des Moines’ metro area is a little over a half million, whereas Vancouver is 2.3 million, nearly five times as large. So there’s a large amount of diversity in the creative scene, which is fantastic. Vancouver is very much an international city, and always has some sort of arts festival or similar event taking place. The Canadian government (as well as the provincial government of British Columbia) actively supports its artists – there are a number of grants that artists can apply for in order to help fund their albums, installations, films, etc. In return, these projects enrich the lives of Canadians and make the cities more vibrant, and support the economy due to the huge number of people that visit to be a part of these events and performances. I’d love to see Iowa support its artists similarly. It’s been hard for me to watch Iowa’s arts funding be continually slashed – I think it’s incredibly short-sighted and a disservice to Iowans.
Examiner: What about Des Moines do you miss?
Copland: The people, first and foremost. I’ve made a lot of great friends here over the years. When people find out that I used to live in Iowa, they’re curious about what I think of Des Moines, and I strive to be an ambassador of sorts and tell people outside of Iowa about all the amazing cultural growth that’s taken place here during the last decade. I miss my two favorite restaurants (Alba & Miyabi 9), hanging out with and supporting other musicians in Des Moines, going to a Cubs’ game, the Des Moines farmer’s market, and spending a Sunday meandering about the East Village.
Examiner: Any funny Canada stories you can share?
Copland: I don’t know about funny, but I can share a few things I’ve learned and dispel a few myths about our northern neighbors. I think it’s funny that friends in the States often ask me about life in the ‘Great White North’, seeing as how the Vancouver metro only gets a few inches of snow a year. It rains a lot, but the area is far more green than white. Canadians generally don’t say ‘eh’, unless they’re from rural areas. They’re absolutely incredulous when I tell them how much health insurance costs in the U.S. – most of them have never paid a co-pay in their life, as their health care is paid for by their taxes. I’ve been made fun of repeatedly for asking where a bathroom is – it’s a washroom. I’ve also received odd looks when asking for the ticket at a restaurant; they always call it a bill. Shopping carts are ‘buggies’, a rain gutter on a house is an ‘eavestrough’, and a garbage disposal is a ‘garburator’. It’s more of a linguistic adventure than I anticipated.
Examiner: Now, you are back in the Des Moines area again for 2 weeks to do some recording. Tell my readers about that.
Copland: I’m in town recording my new stripped-down solo acoustic album at Capp Audio Productions and doing a few shows while I’m here as well – I’m excited about this recording project for a number of reasons. It’ll be my first solo recording, as well as my first full-length album. I’ve been doing a lot of solo touring, and fans have asked for an album that reflects the sort of intimate performance I do when I’m playing on my own – it’s my hope that this album will capture that. There are a couple of brand-new songs on the album, as well as several that were only released on a very limited basis. There are also a couple fan faves that I thought would work well acoustically, and possibly a surprise cover or two. None of the songs on the album have ever been released acoustically before.
Examiner: Any idea when we might be able to get our hands on the new album?
Copland: Release is scheduled for late spring/early summer of 2012, and I’ll be heading out on a month-long tour then in support of the new release. Rumour (there I go with the Canadian spellings) has it that the official release party may take place in a certain favorite city of mine in Iowa...
Examiner: What does Roxi Copland do for fun?
Copland: I’m kind of an epicurean – you know, a real food and wine lover. I also love hanging out with friends and family (ok, most of my family) and playing with my bulldog, Odin. Traveling is another favorite of mine, which works out particularly well, since I spend a lot of time on the road playing music for people.
Examiner: If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing right now?
Copland: Trying to become one. I think some people have a choice and others don’t. It’s kind of like breathing for me – I can’t see myself doing anything else.
Examiner: You have a show back in Vancouver on the 22nd, but nothing listed on your website after that. What are your plans for the holidays, and what can fans expect from Roxi Copland in 2012?
Copland: I’m going to take some time in December to do what normal people do around the holidays – hang out with friends and family and go skiing. And I’ll be spending January writing new tunes to try out on a few more shows in the northwest before the acoustic album release and supporting national tour in mid-2012.
For information on concerts, CDs, and everything Roxi, check out her website: www.roxicopland.com, and don’t forget to follow her on Facebook and Twitter, too.
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