My Old Kentucky Blog 2008 Holiday Interview Series : Casey Dienel of White Hinterland

Casey Dienel's White Hinterland released two excellent works this year...Phylactery Factory and Luniculaire. Phylactery Factory was her official debut and maybe an even more aggressive release, Luniculaire, an EP of French covers (all sung in French as well, of course). Simple, haunting and beautiful with a musical direction that will appeal to fans of Jolie Holland and Joanna Newsome.

MOKB : Any special musical plans for the Holiday Season? Any specials songs or releases?

Casey Dienel : No, I'll be sleeping in a lot! I moved to Portland, Oregon a few months ago, but I've barely been in town because of touring--so I'm hoping to hibernate here for the next couple of months and get settled in. Make some new friends.

White Hinterland - Dreaming Of The Plum Trees
White Hinterland - Chant de Grillon

Read the rest of the interview after the jump...

MOKB : What have you been working on lately?

Casey Dienel : We just returned from our first round of touring in Europe--it was rather surreal and a pretty different change of pace from what we've been used to touring in the US. Most mornings, I managed to wake up before everyone else, and I'd go to the big open markets to gather breakfast and kind of clear my head out. It was beautiful! On any given day I could have roasted chestnuts in one hand, and dried strawberries of the woods in the other. We went to this lavish boat party on the River Spree in Berlin, which was unbelievably beautiful and overwhelming. We were able to have a day free in Paris, and Matt and I spent it running around the Bastille and Saint-Germain des Pres, eating and eating.

MOKB : What was your favorite album or musician of 2008?

Casey Dienel : It's a tie. For live band, I'd say High Places. Sadly, I haven't yet bought their record! I saw them play at SXSW, and they were just wonderful. Their live dynamic seemed really focused, and not exactly showy--but that's what I liked about it. They were both wearing sweatshirts that were a size too small, and they looked totally lost in their own music. It was all very dreamy. That's the kind of music I love most nowadays.

Casey Dienel : For album, I'd say Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. For whatever reason, I have a very hard time remembering of what's been released this year or last year--I'm the last to hear about bands and usually, my only introduction to a band is through friends or by playing shows with them. Bon Iver are friends, and this record is probably the record I've listened to the most this year. I'm really happy for them, they work so hard, and they're truly great people.

MOKB : What's the plan for 2009? What secret knowledge can you divulge?

Casey Dienel : Hard to say at this point, I've been toying around with the idea of writing a book. Every year is a surprise to me, and turns out very different than anything I'd previously planned. As for music, I'm not certain what's coming next. Matt's still living in Boston, and we've been corresponding a bit about new music--but it's still all up in the air.

MOKB : What is your most and least favorite things about the Holiday Season?

Casey Dienel : My favorite thing, which likely won't come as a surprise to those that know me, is the food. I like any excuse that brings my friends and family to the table. I love making cookies and gifts for friends. Last year, I made apple butter, I think. Right now, I've been making some nocino which I may give as trinkets to friends and family--I've been looking for some tiny bottles to strain it into. I like getting crafty with my gift-giving. There's a part of me that loves the weather around this time of year. Growing up in the northeast, work gets done when the weather gets colder. My boyfriend says I'm always dressed like it's the middle of winter, anyway, so yes, I love winter.

MOKB : What are your favorite holiday foods?

Casey Dienel : Tough one! I am a sucker for good chestnut stuffing or yorkshire pudding. My best friend is gluten intolerant and doesn't eat sugar, so last year I made her a gingery pumpkin pie with a crust made of hazelnut flour. I sweetened it with candied maple syrup--and it was really delicious. I like a good kitchen challenge. I don't like for anyone to go away hungry from the table on the holidays.

MOKB : Any special holiday traditions?

Casey Dienel : On Christmas Eve, my family gets together with some friends, and we have a gag gift contest. We try to see who can garner the biggest laugh. It's always at our friend Wendy's house. Last year, I found this giant and miserable painting of a victorian-era couple in a busted up gilded frame in an antique shop. They looked like death, bad teeth, very old, withered and essentially, toe up. So I brought it to the party on an easel with a drop-sheet, and then when it came time to present my gift to Wendy and her husband, I said "In honor of your marriage and welcoming us into your home year after year, I commissioned this painting to be done in your likeness..." Then we all peed ourselves.

MOKB : If you could collaborate with one artist this Christmas season, who would it be and why?

Casey Dienel : I would do a Christmas album only under the circumstance that it be with Neil Young. I also have a fantasy of going to Levon Helm's house in upstate New York for Christmas. I've heard he and his wife make a mean meal.

MOKB : Favorite holiday movie? song?

Casey Dienel : White Christmas or the National Lampoon Christmas Vacation. I still laugh during the part where they go to chop down their Christmas tree and Audrey's eyes are frozen. My favorite movie is Charlie Brown's Christmas, with the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack.
My favorite carol is probably "O Holy Night." I want to hear Pattern Is Movement's version of it, it's got to be very good.

MOKB : Santa or Satan? St. Nicholas or St. Paulie Girl? Kris Kringle or Kris Kristofferson?

Casey Dienel : Kris Kristofferson.

See Also: White Hinterland on Daytrotter


Previous: John McCauley of Deer Tick, Lord Phallus (Rob Crow) of Goblin Cock, Jon Visger of Mason Proper, Cassie Ramone of Vivian Girls, David Adamson of Grampall Jookabox, Casey Dienel of White Hinterland

--------------------------------------------------------

Official Site | MySpace | More MP3s | eMusic | Subscribe To RSS Feed