Quietly confident, Vancouver musician Selina Koop gives Sad Mag the scoop on how she got her start in the Vancouver music scene, what tunes she’s digging, and the genre she’s accidentally found herself defining locally with her band, Selina Koop and the Blank.
Sad Mag: Who are you?
Selina Koop: I am Selina Koop. I live off of Wall St. along the train tracks by the water, down in the East Village/Hastings Sunrise area. I like being by the water. I’m a piano teacher; I teach out of a studio and go to people’s houses. I also have a small gardening business, which is a nice offset to the piano. I’m trying to be a more articulate person so I’ve recently started writing about music for Weird Canada. The band [Selina Koop and the Blank] formed from meeting at VCC. We’re a bunch of folks that like dark music.
SM: How did you get your start in the Vancouver music scene?
SK: I moved to Vancouver about 10 years ago and rented a small bunk at the Butchershop Floor. It’s now known as Little Mountain Gallery. It was a meat shop renovated into gallery space. You could still see the meat hooks hanging from the ceiling. It was kind of a crazy time. It was awesome though because I met so many great musicians and artists that hung out there on a daily basis, there were always shows going on in our living room and art openings in the lobby. Pretty fun. I met a lot of people through that scene when I first moved here. I made some really good connections right off the bat. I also went to Capilano College and took a year of Classical Voice and later switched over to VCC and did my music diploma in piano, so a lot of connections were born there too.
SM: What music inspires you?
SK: At the current moment, I’ve been listening to a lot of Chelsea Wolfe. I’m getting more into some RnB; I love Frank Ocean. I like classical music too, but I mostly listen to the heavier, dark classical stuff. Experimental music as well, I’ve been listening to Matmos. I’ve really been digging Chelsea Wolfe though.
SM: I notice that experimental/jazz sound in your songs. Are you consciously doing a jazz/indie fusion?
SK: No, no, not at all. It’s just happening. I never really played jazz, I played classical piano. I guess I just like the sound of it—the harmonies, the more extended chords—that jazz provides. I write what I like and it just ends up sounding like that.
SM: What are you most excited about right now?
SK: Honestly, I’m really happy with these recordings we did at The Hive. That’s the thing I’m the most proud of right now. I’m also super excited for this show at Chapel Arts.
SM: Tell me about the Chapel Arts show.
SK: We’re playing with this band Jessicka, they have some really incredible players. It’s their release show, as well as the release of a fashion video Andrea Demers made for Sailov. It’s just going to be a big party – a lot of different groups coming together. Chapel has projectors in every single room; the video is going to be projected on every wall in the building!
Head to Chapel Arts (304 Dunlevy) on October 10th to hear sets from Selina Koop and the Blank, Jessicka, and Ben Rogers, as well as see the video premiere of the latest Sailov designs. More details, including ticket information, can be found online.