Wait, Who?

Seattle based Filk band, Vixy & Tony, first met at OryCon in Portland, Oregon.  They performed together for the first time in 2005 at Baycon and have been writing and playing songs together since.  In 2008 they released their first album, Thirteen, and received a Pegasus Award for Best Performer.  On this album is the song Emerald Green which received a Pegasus Award in 2007 for “Best Song of Home”.

(Now, this is where I need a “Tips from the Musicians” section.  Consider this a little bonus.)

Besides various conventions, Vixy & Tony perform at coffee shops, bookstores, and other venues throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Through years of playing for live audiences, they have learned many tricks which any aspiring musician (or even those who have been at it for some time) would benefit to know.  Play with confidence and don’t apologize for a song in advance.  If you make a mistake, don’t stop.  It’s most important to remember that the audience wants you to do well, and they will only recognize that you made a mistake if you let them know about it.  What they really want to see is that you’re having fun; confidence and a sense of humor can save you in a pinch.  If you record yourself practicing a song, you can see what needs improvement and what to try to avoid when there is an audience watching you.  And finally, when you’re practicing a song, focus on the parts that you have the most trouble with.  “An amateur practices until they get it right.  A professional practices until they can’t get it wrong.”

What Makes Them Nerdy?

The Filk genre is inherently nerdy.  Generally, it is folk music with a sci-fi or fantasy theme.  Vixy and Tony have both embraced this genre of music and it’s what inspired them to write their own original songs.  Tony explains, “once I found the Filk community, I discovered the high that you can get from an audience connecting with something you wrote rather than something you just covered.”  For Vixy, it was the storytelling quality of the genre that got her hooked.  She has found that the focus of a song should be on “the emotional moment” rather than trying to tell an entire story from beginning to end.  “Music, like all art, is about making people feel things,” so find what’s interesting and have a strong grasp on what feeling the song should convey.

Being that they regularly traverse sci-fi conventions, Vixy and Tony love things like Firefly, Doctor Who, Greek mythology, science, space, cosplay, and language, which then show up in their songs.  For example, songwriting met fanfic in the song Apprentice, which is Vixy’s imagining of the back story of Firefly character Inara.

Here is another of their songs that the Browncoats will get excited about – Vixy and Tony, joined by Heather Dale, Ben Deschamps, Betsy Tinney, and Sunnie Larsen, performing Mal’s Song at the Wayward Coffeehouse in Seattle:

Where Should I Start?

Spend some time over on the music page of their website.  There you can hear samples of the songs (to stream full songs, check out the links listed below in the Where Can I Get Their Music section).  Not only will you get a feel for what kind of music they play, but you’ll also find lyrics, guitar chords, and the stories behind some of their songs.

Where Can I Get Their Music?

Their album Thirteen can be bought on iTunes and Amazon, and heard on their Myspace page, Spotify, and Last.fm.  All of those songs and more are available on their website as well.  They are currently working on their second album, so keep an eye out for future information about that.

Dates of live performances are posted in the schedule section of their site.  Upcoming appearances include a show with The DoubleClicks in Redmond, WA on March 12th (details here) and at Norwescon in Seattle on April 17th (details here).  To stay updated on what Vixy & Tony are up to, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.  Head over to the other projects page of their website for details on things they’re doing outside of the band.

And I’ll leave you with just one final piece from Vixy (because I really like it): “I love the power of the internet to allow like-minded people to find each other, and to allow people to find the music they love.  Whatever kind of music (or art, or writing) you make, you can find the right audience for it on the internet, and what’s more, the audience can give you direct feedback if you have an online presence.  I’m not a rock star, I’m a secretary, but someone I’ve never met emails me to tell me that a song I wrote made them feel good… that’s just magical.”

(Photos by The One True b!X and Debbie Ohi.  Cartoon by Seanan McGuire)
Do you know a nerdy band that should be featured on Almost Nerdy?  Send me your suggestions at Sierra.Houk@gmail.com or tweet me, @SierraHouk.