From porch concerts to topping charts, soul music group AV & The Inner City is a local, “all-female, vocal-centric” band like no other, and they’re bringing a new and unique flavour to Edmonton’s music scene.
Climbing to number seven on CKUA Radio’s top 30 and receiving awards including Edmonton Folk Festival’s Emerging Artist Award for their haunting acapella performances, the group is a band to watch. The Nugget sat down with lead singer and songwriter, Ann Vriend, to talk about their band, music and their upcoming EP release at the Roxy Theatre on Feb. 7.
AV & The Inner City was founded from humble roots during the pandemic in the inner city of Edmonton. It started with concerts on Vriend’s porch (with proper social distancing, of course) to bring the community together during a period many found filled with boredom and isolation.
“Because my tours were cancelled and postponed a lot, as everyone’s were, I decided to just put my keyboard on the front porch one Sunday afternoon and sing songs for anyone walking by,” said Vriend.
Vriend saw lots of foot traffic in her McCauley neighbourhood, so the performances eventually attracted crowds, as well as other singers. “It kind of got to be a new tradition suddenly,” says Vriend. Once she figured out how more artists could sing together two-metres apart, a new soundsystem helped turn the idea into something “like a little mini festival.”
The artists who gathered there eventually ended up forming AV & The Inner City. Once restrictions were lifted in 2021 the group began performing local shows at venues other than Vriend’s porch.
“I had no intention of forming a band by doing that, that first Sunday … it just sort of morphed into that,” said Vriend. Now, the band also consists of Mira Angela, Laurelle K, Crystal Eyo, Alenka Lundell, Jenn Dahlen and Stéphanie Odayen.
Since then, the band has been hard at work performing at local venues, festivals and showcases around the country, culminating in their Feb. 7 EP release and a future full-length album.
Having seven members creates a challenge, but in the creative process, Vriend focuses on making use of everyone’s voice. Their voices blend to mimic a string section, while piano and body percussion put a spotlight on their harmonies.
“Other than me at the piano, there is just all us singing and body percussion,” said Vriend. “It’s a challenge … it still sounds like a full sound, because there’s six [others] doing stuff.”
For new listeners, Vriend recommends the track “The Failer,” a song that teaches the audience that embracing failure is not a negative thing, but a way to learn and grow. “Anyone who is successful is someone who has learned how to fail” is a quote Vriend said inspired the track, and trying your best and showing resilience through challenges is an empowering message.
“Sometimes even if you try your best you might fail and make a mistake, but it doesn’t mean that was a waste,” said Vriend. “It just means you learned a lot.”
“The whole point of going to school isn’t really to get a piece of paper that says you passed a thing, but it’s that you learned a whole bunch and that you’re ready for the career that you’re going to do.”
The band also uses audience participation, creating unique atmospheres at their performances. “We really love singing together and we find that to be really powerful and cathartic, but also moving emotionally,” says Vriend. “So we kind of want other people to also get that chance to do that with us and feel that too.”
“It’s a really healthy thing to do together, and powerful.”
AV & The Inner City hopes their music “might pique the interest” of students and encourages anyone interested in music or theatre tech to listen (and participate) live.
“The whole point of going to school isn’t really to get a piece of paper that says you passed a thing, but it’s that you learned a whole bunch and that you’re ready for the career that you’re going to do.”
“I just hope that people want to see a show like our show,” says Vriend. NAIT students who find empowerment through faith, community and amazing soul vocals might just find what they’re looking for on Feb. 7 at the Roxy Theatre on 124 Street.
Students can purchase discounted tickets at theatrenetwork.ca and can follow @avinnercity on Instagram to keep up with the band.
Photos by Mathieu Durnford
