We speak with Orit Shimoni about the message behind ‘Winnipeg’, and her life as a musical artist.
What life events inspired you to write a song based on the message in ‘Winnipeg’?
The song Winnipeg is a true first-person account of what actually happened to me when the lockdowns of Covid 2020 came all of a sudden. I had been a nomadic, full-time, DIY touring artist with no fixed address for over a decade, who also happened to use public transit and not own a vehicle. I arrived by train to the city of Winnipeg where I had a couple of shows booked, and the entire world shut down suddenly and dramatically. All trains were canceled, and the call came to shelter in place. I was luckily taken in by my concert hosts for the first stretch. I had a year booked ahead of shows in various cities, and all of it vaporised into nothing. My truest love of all was being on the road, performing, and it was a devastating and scary blow to have it all disappear.
What parts of your own personality and outlook on life are found in ‘Winnipeg’?
I think I’m someone who often questions whether things are meant to be the way they happen. And I often find myself re-evaluating just about everything when there’s a long enough pause to do so. I question and test the boundaries of my known reality. The verses of the song tell the story of what happened, but the chorus really emphasizes the more existential questions, was it fate or a ticket that brought me here, which way will I go when this is over, is what I think is out there still going to be out there. I also think I’m someone who carries a lot of traumatic events in my proverbial bags, but still has a kind of hopeful and optimistic outlook on what could happen next. I try to leave this open in the song and video.
What do you hope your audience takes away from the ‘Winnipeg’ song and video?
As much as this song is a very specific pandemic story in its origin, I think it transcends that and can really just be about getting bumped off of the track we thought we were going to be on, and being forced to reevaluate. We all have had dreams that have gotten disrupted and had to figure out how to navigate from there. I think it’s a deeply relatable song on that level, and listeners can reflect and take pause to really reconnect with what their true destination is.
What part of production for the ‘Winnipeg’ music video was the most fun? Most challenging?
I filmed, directed and acted in the video, and once I chose the location, it was a question of me setting up the shots with a tripod, and then getting up and looking to see what was captured in the camera and correcting it – maybe the chair needs to be more centred, maybe my gaze should look a little more upward, so there was a lot of trial and error, which was laborious, (but also rewarding). As with any music video, I think the artistic challenge is to capture the essence of the song without being overly literal for every line, to help bring the meaning out but still leave plenty of room for the audience to interpret. I think of it as trying to use dream logic. I enjoyed having full control over the concept and outcome and took a lot of joy in editing the train footage which I filmed on the actual train to Winnipeg that I took once the lockdowns were lifted and I was touring again. It was a joy to get to come at the song and video with the original situation of its story come full circle with a happy ending.
What is the earliest memory you have of wanting to become a musical artist?
I can’t remember ever not being convinced that I was meant to sing. I sang in the crib before I talked. From singing in front of the mirror as a very little kid with a hairbrush in my hand as a pretend microphone, to picking up the guitar and learning to accompany myself in my pre-teens, and performing my first café gigs in high school. Going to folk festivals made me feel like there was a world of people moving around the world as artists, and I felt a very clear calling to be one of them. I started writing songs very young and it remains my favourite form of expression.
Who could you have not done the ‘Winnipeg’ music video without?
The incredibly beautiful house I filmed the video in belongs to my friends Bart and Helma in Rotterdam! Also, my dear friend Dietmar, in Germany, helped me figure out how to add old-fashioned-looking frames to the photo stills.
What is your next goal for your career as a musical artist?
My formula has always been “do the same and more”. I love performing for fans who already know my music, and I love performing for new audiences. I still love to travel and explore new spaces. I am always writing new material and imagining what kind of production I want for my next albums, so I think it’s safe to say I will always be able to say “New music coming soon”.
What would you tell young, aspiring musical artists looking for advice?
Dream big but love the small. There has to be a bottom line about loving the art itself, without expecting to be liked by others, or making it big. If you’re not authentically connected to your creative work or aren’t burning to express it for your soul’s sake, then it’s all just a gimmick for attention. That may work for some, but it isn’t for me. Persevere in your expression, keep it honest, know what it is you want to express and don’t be afraid to start with a small audience. When you’re real and good, it will grow, and your path will reveal itself to you.
You can watch the incredible video for ‘Winnipeg’ below, and find out more about Orit Shimoni and her music online on her official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
