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just feels good to carry on the history of this great song form, although we’re not strictly a blues

band. We do tend to be blues-inspired and it’s just good to carry on a purely American song form,
and I’m proud to do it.

BiTS: Are you acting while you’re singing? I guess that when you were doing Janis Joplin songs, it
was almost impossible to avoid doing some of her moves and that sort of thing.

HD: The acting training that I’ve had definitely served me when I’m singing on stage. Reading the
audience and putting some interesting emotional content in the song and just having a stage
presence. Just being able to keep the audience’s attention, so I do do a bit of acting while I’m on

stage singing.

BiTS: Do you have a favourite track on the album? A song that is a favourite of yours.

HD: Well, I like the title track ‘Money Ain’t Time’ the best, I think because that’s a showstopper and
it’s always fun to sing. It’s a very emotional song and that harkens back to whether I act while I’m
on the stage, which I guess I do,
especially when I sing that song
because it’s so emotionally charged.
That would be my favourite song.

BiTS: I’m not going to take any
more of your time, I’ve just got one
more question to ask you and that is
that I’m intrigued with your last
name, DeVestern. Where does that
come from?
‘Money Ain’t Time’ — Halley DeVestern Band
HD: Well, it’s a funny story. The
original name was Vestern and one

of my ancestors in the distant past, his name was Harry Deteria Vestern and he decided to change it
to Harry De Vestern. I’m not sure why. This was actually somebody who fought in the Civil War,
who was a replacement fighter when they started the draft during the Civil War. If you had the
money, you could get out of it and pay someone to take your place and my ancestor was somebody
who took someone’s place. I’m not sure where the original Vestern comes from, but that’s how it
became DeVestern.

BiTS: Okay, Thank you very much for that. Just one final question that’s just popped into my head.
How long before you’ve got a gig coming up? Is it some time still?

HD: Yeah, we don’t have any gigs booked right now, unfortunately, so we’re just trying to write

songs and figure out how to get back together and it’s tough because our other band mates have
pretty heavy schedules. They teach as well as play, so maybe when the summer comes, we’ll have
more things on the board.

BiTS: Fingers crossed that it all opens up a bit more in the fairly near future. Halley, I won’t take
any more of your time, I’ve said that three times already and then gone on! Thank you very much
indeed for talking to me. You have a wonderful day.

HD: Bye.