Artist Glimpse - Mississauga's Arlene and the People
/Presented in partnership with Mississauga Music and Modern Mississauga Media.
In conversation with Mississauga native, award winning singer-songwriter Arlene and ultra talented guitarist/musician and producer Kevin Dvorak. Together with Jan Bilek on drums and Len Dvorak on bass, they are Arlene & The People.
Rob Aguiar: Hey Arlene and Kevin! It’s no secret, I have always been a big fan of Arlene’s voice and watching you two perform as a duo has been pretty special. I was lucky to catch two of the full band performances over this past year and I’m super excited about your new music and this new journey. I’m grateful for having the opportunity to chat with you today. Thank you so much! Let’s jump right in! How did “Arlene & The People" come about?
Kevin Dvorak: It has slowly evolved over the years starting as a musician for hire during her previous solo work, then becoming the music director, and eventually producing and arranging the song “Home with You” on her 2018 EP. I eventually recruited Jan and Len (with whom I have a long history with) to be the rhythm section. The chemistry between the three of us gave the live show more consistency and emotion. I know this brought a lot of excitement to Arlene because prior to this, it was a revolving door of hired musicians. Now for the first time Arlene got to experience what it was like being in a band woodshedding and reshaping material to make the songs translate even better live. When it came time to work on new material, Arlene approached me to write with her as she wanted to move in a new direction exploring other musical avenues by incorporating some of my musical influences with some of hers. Sonically it was a departure from her past solo work. As time moved on through the writing/pre-production it became clear this should have a name of its own, hence “Arlene and the People”.
RA: Arlene, how has collaborating with Kevin, as a songwriting partner and guitarist, shaped the evolution of your songwriting process and the themes explored in the music?
Arlene Paculan: I’ve known Kevin for a while, and he’s become one of my best friends. Because of this, he understands what I want to accomplish as an artist, and he constantly challenges me to use my natural abilities and most importantly he reminds me to get out of my head and trust myself. This ongoing process is both therapeutic and magical and it has made our songwriting journey a beautiful authentic experience. The main lesson learned is to always be true to myself and to remain honest in my creativity.
“Now, I’m open to write about my insecurities, things that keep me up at night, the turmoil and pain that people often mask up in everyday life while balancing it with the positive light that I naturally share.”
RA: Have you found that exploring new musical paths and pushing creative boundaries has been liberating or has it been challenging in terms of staying true to your artistic identity?
KD: It’s quite liberating for me. Pushing the musical boundaries is what keeps moving the evolution of music forward. It does come with its fair share of roadblocks that can be quite deflating at times. Overcoming these roadblocks is where artistic growth happens. These are the most satisfying moments for me.
AP: Pushing creative boundaries has been the most liberating for me as an artist. I feel as if I’m a teenager again, writing about those emotional battles inside of me that I would keep to myself. As an adult I used to feel as if I had to play a part and my previous albums were quite safe and on the surface. Now, I’m open to write about my insecurities, things that keep me up at night, the turmoil and pain that people often mask up in everyday life while balancing it with the positive light that I naturally share. I found that going back to writing about the things I’m afraid to talk about has been incredibly freeing and it has helped me become more honest as an artist.
RA: Having heard some of the songs live, your new EP delves into vulnerable themes of mental health. As a listener, a vulnerable lyric provides me with comfort and always sparks introspection. Can you share any specific lyrics from the EP that hold particular significance for you and explain their meaning?
AP: “I’m to blame for this cause and pain/But I’m a saint to those far away/This is how I choose to live/Above all this, all this I forgive.”
This is the chorus to Everything Off Balance. Most of my lyrics I write are about things deep in my heart and mind that I don’t usually want to talk about. I initially wrote this chorus about a character from a tv show that was in a lot of turmoil within himself and would hide it from his loved ones, and even himself. When I would practice singing it on my own, I realized that it was me that I wrote about and what a revelation it was! I bawled my eyes out when that happened. It brought a lot more emotion to the song and I hope listeners feel that when they hear the recording. For those that need help feeling any feelings, this chorus can be a reminder to love yourself, despite the things you feel uneasy or flawed about.
“It got to a point for me where I started to question if I could actually do this? Instead of throwing in the towel, we persevered through it and eventually came up with the foundation for the song Safety Net.”
RA: Arlene, as an artist, how do you navigate the fine line between vulnerability and self-protection when sharing personal experiences through music?
AP: Writing lyrics is always a great escape for me because I can write about deeply personal things but keep it ambiguous and vague so that it’s relatable with the listener. Oftentimes the meaning of my own lyrics changes over time depending on how I’m feeling that day or who I’ve interacted with.
RA: In addition to your new EP, you have also worked on a documentary that gives us a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of artists as they live and work through the development of a creative project. Were there any particularly challenging moments during the creation of your EP that stood out to you as particularly meaningful or transformative?
KD: The most challenging moment for me was at the beginning when we first started to get together to write. All the ideas we were coming up with were uninspiring and not interesting to even pursue. We both hit a creative block at the same time. It got to a point for me where I started to question if I could actually do this? Instead of throwing in the towel, we persevered through it and eventually came up with the foundation for the song Safety Net. This broke down the barrier and all of a sudden, we started to have more new promising ideas flowing out which we then narrowed down to a few to focus on for the EP.
RA: Looking ahead through the summer months and beyond, what is Arlene and the People going to be up to. Where can we find your music and watch you perform live?
AP: Follow us on Instagram for updates on where to see us in the future and our upcoming releases!
RA: Thanks Arlene and Kevin for giving us a glimpse into the many layers of your creative minds and artistic journeys. I’m very excited about the release of your EP and look forward to continuing to follow the band’s evolution beyond this EP!
AP: Thank you for your incredible support, Rob!
