Meet Vancouver singer/songwriter duo Reid Jamieson and Carolyn Victoria Mill.
Reid is a regular on CBC/PRX’s Vinyl Cafe, and winner of the grand prize for folk in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has recorded with Cowboy Junkies, Samantha Parton (Be Good Tanyas), Sarah Harmer and various members of Blue Rodeo. Reid can often be found performing his saucy wife and songwriting partner Carolyn Victoria Mill. Along with the Lennon win, the duo wrote their way into the Vancouver Folk Music Festival by winning first prize in the Pickin’ a Folk Star Contest, and have placed as finalists in several competitions internationally. This creative couple have just released a new album (their first singing together on disc) titled Juniper’s Kitchen which they wrote and sang every song together.
20 Questions with Reid and Carolyn
1. Your first job.
Reid: Skeet shooting club in Ontario where I walked in front of loaded shot guns daily. Great preparation for the stage!
Carolyn: The classic babysitting (it’s a job!). I just wanted to be able to afford my own jar of dill pickles that I wouldn’t have to share with my sisters.
2. The job you always wanted as a child.
Reid: Toy tester all the way.
Carolyn: I wanted to be a dermatologist for a while, and then to dress people for award shows.
3. Your pet peeve.
Reid: People asking me why I’m not famous yet.
Carolyn: People asking me why Reid isn’t famous yet.
4. Your hero.
Reid: Right now, Harry Belafonte.
Carolyn: Jack Layton. And anyone that goes into politics for the right reasons. (yo Spencer!)
5. Your biggest indulgence.
Reid: The vegan crispy chick’n burger from the Loving Hut truck by the Yaletown Roundhouse.
Carolyn: Hot baths. Lots of em.
6. One thing no one knows about you.
Reid: Thanks to the internet, nothing comes to mind.
Carolyn:  I hold very little back. Perhaps my exact weight…
7. Three things you would want with you on a deserted island.
Reid: CVM, cold beers, dental floss.
Carolyn: Reido, wifi, a big hat.
8. The one word your best friend would use to describe you.
Reid: She says ‘precious’.
Carolyn: He says ‘solid’.
9. If you were not a performer what would you be doing right now?
Reid: Drawing little pictures.
Carolyn: Helping people make better food choices.
10. Hero or villain.
Reid: Hero. They sleep better at night.
Carolyn: Hero, though villains do dress better …
11. Your life’s motto/mantra.
Reid: Everything counts.
Carolyn: Embrace and thrive, resist and die.
12. Your favourite song.
Reid: At this moment: ‘New Kid In Town’ – Eagles.
Carolyn: ‘Under Pressure’ – David Bowie/Queen.
13. The last book you read.
Reid: Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 70s by Tom Doyle.
Carolyn: Serena by Ron Rash.
14. If you were a cartoon character what cartoon character would you be?
Reid: Spiderman.
Carolyn: Bugs Bunny.
15. What will it say on your grave marker?
Reid: Nothing. I’m getting cremated and tossed in the sea.
Carolyn: No fishing
16. Who would you most like to have dinner with?
Reid: Paul McCartney.
Carolyn: Albert Einstein.
17. Your idea of happiness.
Reid: A balanced life free from neurosis and regret. Plus a frosty IPA.
Carolyn: Good health and honest friends. Plus a big bathtub, daily massages, and a fancy bidet.
18. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your twenty year old self?
Reid: Ask more girls out. I mean ANY girls out. Just do it.
Carolyn: Dump his ass. The ex I mean.
19. The one thing in your life that makes you most proud.
Reid: A song well sung.
Carolyn: Quitting smoking for good.
20. To be or not to be?
Reid: Be Bop A Lula.
Carolyn: Be kind.