Most of what went into “I’m A Vine” came from Tara Van‘s community. The Toronto soul artist recorded the single, released October 9th, at Apartment Sea Sound, the east-end hub run by her producer and collaborator Mark Calderone that was part recording studio, part tattoo parlour, and part intimate venue, and which no longer exists in the same form. Trumpeter Tom Moffatt, known for his work with Arkells, came into the studio to record his horn parts while Van sat in, and Nashville-based bassist Alex St Kitts sent in his bass from his home studio. The production took inspiration from Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings’ “How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?” Van says the song is about self-reckoning: embracing your strengths as well as your weaknesses, and learning to ask for help, something she admits she has a hard time doing.
This is a very human song, which is the highest praise I can give a song. Musically and lyrically, the whole package is so gorgeous it’s like a warm hug, and it has such beautiful energy, from the groove to the trumpets to the vocal delivery. This is exactly what a soul song should be. Narratively, the message really touched me on a personal level. We are meant to keep growing, all of us. We are meant to be en route, not just fall into one single box, and that’s it. We are meant to evolve and change all the time, and that message is delivered here in an incredibly musical way. This song is now on my soulful meditation playlist, where I listen to music and reflect on life.
“I’m A Vine” is part of an EP that Van locked in for distribution, and she says she wanted it to feel as full as her earlier song “Miles On It.” Calderone remastered it just before the EP was finalized. She announced an EP release show at Birdhaus in Toronto on October 21st, and describes the move toward soul and Motown as the direction that feels most natural to her, the place where her voice is happiest.