AEA: Cora Camille (of Final Veil)
Cora Camille of Final Veil was kind enough to some questions about the experiences of her band, Final Veil, at the 2023 Artica festival. You can familiarize yourself with her musical background and the group’s history, as well, via the Final Veil website. There are additional links and a video featuring the band’s journey at the end of this Q/A.
How did you come into awareness of Artica? What was your first experience with the event?
My first experience with Artica was many years ago, I think it was in 2009, when I performed as a bellydancer at a benefit show to raise money for the Artica festival that year. Many great local artists that I know have been a part of it for years, and I applied for my band Final Veil to perform at it this year. We were all honored to be included in this year's festival. My dad is a sculptor and socializes in circles with some of the people who created the event many moons ago. I have always loved the true creative spirit of the artist community that puts on Artica.
When did Final Veil first perform at Artica? What was the reception like? And did you play on one of the more professional stages that've come into being of late, or were you playing on a loading dock or dirt pathway or the like...?
We played for Artica for the first time this year. We were on the Community Stage which is a professional stage. The weather was amazing all weekend, and we played on Saturday afternoon and there was sunshine and a cool breeze that was energizing. The crowd was paying attention and receptive to our sound. It was fun to see a group of guys dancing in the crowd to our more danceable songs. I especially appreciated that several of the other artists in the event came to watch and hangout during and after our set.
It was great! I loved the creativity, the avant-garde nature of the whole thing, the cool industrial setting and sculptural quality of so much of the surroundings, and the open attitude of everyone involved. As an artist, I felt like I could be myself and rejoice in not being mainstream in our approach to music and it was well-received.
As both a performer and someone who likely walked around the grounds before/after your performance, are there any particular installations or pieces of art that really caught your attention?
Nothing can top the "Our Lady of Artica" structure with its magnificent size and impressive construction. The breeze was blowing her cloth flags a lot while we were playing and I couldn't help watching that the whole time from the stage, very majestic. I loved the turtles, too, especially the big turtle that had two people inside of it that was walking around the festival grounds throughout the day.
And same question, re: music, in that you've likely caught acts playing before or after your shows. Have any caught your ear, in particular?
I was very intrigued by Miss Fluid who performed right after us because she was blending a lot of elements that I have been curious about working with, particularly the singing bowls along with singing and dancers; so artistic and original. Our friends in the band Raw Earth had their last show with that band name at the festival which was a bittersweet thing at this year's festival, too.
I would imagine that you play in a variety of festival-style settings. How does Artica compare, be it with the AV techs, the audience, the "feel" of playing to those big open fields, etc...?
The sound man was impressive. He not only mixed our sound well, but he was very attentive and paid attention to the sound throughout our set which we really appreciated and you don't always get that level of professionalism and attentiveness at other events. The feel of playing in a big open field was so freeing to me, I literally made a happy giggle at the end of each of our songs that I have honestly never experienced before. It was a great energy and vibe that I felt from everyone and everything there.
Where can people find out about Final Veil online?
You can find us at www.finalveil.com and also my YouTube channel Cora Camille. We have a Final Veil and Cora Camille Facebook pages and I am on Instagram at @coracamille1. Our Final Veil page on Instagram got hacked so don't follow that one (lol)!
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