Getting to Know. . . VICTORIA VOX
 by Kathy S-B  ·  26 December 2007

There’s something about the sound of a ukulele that makes you want to smile and think warm thoughts and dream of Hawaiian vacations. But the uke is so much more than that.and those who know how to play it well, are a force to reckon with and Victoria Vox is one such musician. According to a music critic at the Baltimore Sun, “Vox is a real gem… Her music is at once timeless and heartwarming.” I’d have to agree. Vox’s forthcoming CD, Chameleon, is a departure for Victoria. She mixes and matches the guitar and the uke on this one so fans of each instrument can get an earful of both! Check Victoria out at her website.

Okay, I admit it. There are lots of reasons to want to interview someone but I have to tell you — anyone who has the guts to sing and play a ukulele while walking up and down the aisle of an airplane in mid-air…. Well, you’ve got my respect. How did that adventure come about? Check out this video.

Ha! That was a lot of fun! My mom had just given me that video camera and Stolie (friend / publicist) made sure to document that whole trip. Two girls, a ukulele and a guitar definitely made for good conversation. Ed (who was sitting next to us) was asking about my music… So we popped in my CD! He then said that I should give an “in-flight” concert. I loved that idea… but told him that HE’d have to ask the stewardess if that would be ok. Turns out everyone loved the idea. I think that some of the passengers didn’t really know what to think! Here, right in front of them, there was this girl walking up the aisle singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”! I had never “uked” on a plane before… and I’ll try just about anything once…

I’m not sure I want to ask about you playing the uke while driving video on the same link above. I hope you don’t make a habit of playing the ukulele while driving from gig to gig. The “Don’t Uke and Drive” keychain idea is very clever though. Have you gotten any flak from people who have seen this video and who have been totally amazed and perhaps a bit aghast?

I mostly worry mothers :) One guy in MA gave me a harmonica set w/ neck holder in hopes that I would play that instead… so I could keep my hands on the wheel! Some kid wrote that he hoped that I’d crashed in the video… I think that would have made a much BETTER video… at least it’d have had more entertainment value ;) Truth is, I drive with my knees even when I’m not holding anything… and… for as many miles that I’ve driven while touring, I would consider myself an excellent and experienced driver. Playing my uke at the wheel probably makes me more aware of the road since I know I’m multitasking. I don’t need to look at my fingers either. I’ve driven behind sleepy drivers, drunk drivers, reading drivers, eating drivers, and plain just not paying attention drivers.. oh, did I mention texting drivers!? They are the ones we need to fear :) But… if you still think uking at the wheel is dangerous, I do post my tour schedule online of you’d like to know when to say OFF the highway ;)

What prompted your love affair with the ukulele? How would you compare it to playing other stringed instruments like the guitar?

I’d call it a Love/Hate affair ;) I’d been playing guitar for 8 years when I first picked up the ukulele. My guitar songs were heartfelt and emotional. Then I heard IZ’s version of “Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World” and started to cover it… on guitar. My friend Dale Anderson heard me sing it, and insisted that I needed to play it on a ukulele. I laughed and probably wasn’t crazy about the idea. He then suggested that he give me one to try. Before I learned the rainbow song, I wrote my own tune, “Dreamin’ ‘Bout You”… The ukulele quickly became the highlight of the show… and I felt like my guitar tunes were looked over. Imagine me crying, “But I have guitar songs, too, and all they want is the ukulele!” So I thought I’d give ‘em what they wanted… a ukulele album! From that point on, I realized that I found a little niche… and that I shouldn’t complain. Sure, I play the ukulele… but it’s hip and contemporary ;) Now I have all types of songs on the little thing. It’s probably one of the most diverse instruments and I actually play it more than my guitar now ;) I love that it makes me people smile.

So tell us about your new CD, Chameleon. Is it a departure from your last uke-driven recording?

Ok! I’ve never worked so hard on an album before… and I’m so excited for it to come out. It’s produced by Mike Tarantino who did a bit of work on the ukulele album, Jumping Flea. Everything was done differently for this CD, and I’ve been there since day one to mastering to meeting with the company designing it. It’s also taking much longer than any of my other self-released CDs. Chameleon is definitely a departure from Jumping Flea, but I think of it more as the connector between all my albums. It’s where things start to make sense. I’ve been working at that part for a long time… and I’m glad it’s finally clicking for me.

You’re a Berklee grad. Any good stories about your days spent in Boston?

Hmmmmm… well, there was the time I smuggled my Cyprian bass player in a UHaul through Canada… driving from Boston back to Green Bay to record Victoria and the Ultra Pink Bicycle Incident! It’s a long story though… and just for the record, I smuggled him in to Canada, and then couldn’t declare him in the car going into the states, so I smuggled him back in the U.S.! Coming into the U.S. was a piece of cake, though ;)

But actually my days in Boston… I had a lot of good times… Open mics, parties, catching the T, and making some great music outside of school :)

Dancing for David Bowie definitely was a highlight… But, it’s not what you think! ;)

You’ve got a rather eclectic mix of influences: Talking Heads, Patty Griffin, Peter Gabriel and I’m always happy to see Jill Sobule mentioned. She’s a much underrated songwriter as far as I’m concerned. Are there any specific things that you appreciate about your musical heroes?

She IS underrated! Hope to meet her one day, though… And… I can say that we’ll both be appearing on the soundtrack of an indie film coming out this spring :)

I love music. All kinds. I don’t care what style a song is, as long as it moves me. I went through definite phases of what I was into. I remember wanting to be a rapper, a folky, a rocker and a chanteuse. I was also a band geek… and wanted to be a oboist and a trumpeter. I feel that I pull from all of that when I write a song. My iTunes player just went from Michael Jackson to Laurie Anderson. I don’t know how many people have those two artists in their CD collection!