Viana Valentine discusses her dreamy debut album 'Fever Dream'
By Tiara Grace
Viana Valentine is an indie pop artist based in Rhode Island. Her debut album “Fever Dream”, invites listeners to release their inhibitions and fall into a dream-esque state through both ballads and lyrically-persuasive pop songs. We spoke about her roots, her connection to wolves, and what it’s like to perform live. Valentine has made her mark similarly to other solo artists, having started out in a band and branching out on their own, but what makes her unique, is her ability to be truthful and honest about where she is now and where she plans on going in her career.
Ease Up:
My first question is what inspired you to start putting out your own music?
Viana Valentine:
So I was in a band. I've been in bands since I was 14, so I've been doing original music for that long. Basically, I kind of was playing music with the same group of guys for almost a decade. Around 2015, my band, Royal Street, disbanded and broke up. Then it was just kind of, there was really no other option. I was like,” Well, I'm going to keep doing this.” So that was when I decided to start writing some solo stuff. I had kind of always written songs, but I had never put anything out under my own name. 2020 was when I started really writing solo stuff and planning to go ahead and put it out because there was just so much going on that year. There was so much to write about. In 2021, I started releasing stuff. So anything musical, it's just always been like, it just feels right. There's never really been like, “Oh, the band breaks up, so I guess I'll just stop”. It's like, “Oh, no, I'm just going to keep going.” It's just a way of life.
EU:
Yeah. Since you said you were in a band and you kind of had to find your own voice as a solo artist, how was that transition? You kind of touched upon it but I'd love to know more about going from being a member of a multiple person group to being yourself, essentially.
VV:
Yeah. It's a process. It's a journey I'm still going through, figuring it out. Right. When you have so many people to collaborate with and you have so many different ideas kind of bouncing around and people to bounce ideas off of, that's what you get used to as a creative. That's what I got used to. So once it was just me, it started off with a lot of just exploration. I put out a bunch of different singles and kind of just was like trying to find my sound and find what made me feel good and what felt like it was an accurate representation of me as an individual. And at times it felt lonely, to be honest. Just not really having you can bounce ideas off of people and you can chat with your friends or other creatives about what you're doing, but it's not the same as having people that have equal stock in what you're doing, people that you're chasing that dream together. So that was something that I had to get used to for sure, was kind of those moments of feeling like, oh, I don't really have someone to bounce this off of.
VV:
Now I kind of see that as it's really freeing because I'm like, wow, I just get to make the music that makes me happy and makes me feel good. So now I'm kind of at a place it's been years, right, of figuring it out. But I'm in a place now where I see that as something really fun because I'm just kind of like, oh, well, I get to make whatever and make music that feels good just to me. And I think that's been something that, especially with this new album, has been really I don't know what the what the word would be if it would be exciting or comforting, but I've kind of gotten to a place now where I'm like, I feel like “Fever Dream” is the best representation of where I'm at right now, just as my own person. So I feel like it's come full circle. Now I'm more comfortable with making music on my own, where at the beginning, it was tough, it was definitely a big transition. But we grow, we learn, right? Yeah.
EU:
I actually wanted to segue into your album because I listened to all the songs, and my favorite so far on it is “Evergreen”. That one really stuck out to me. I just find the lyrics to be very smart, and it was also very comforting to listen to. I wanted to know, was that the vibe that you wanted people to take away from this album? It kind of has a dream-like vibe that I got. So what's your perspective on that?
VV:
Yeah, I wanted the album to be a conversation when it comes to my lyrics, I'm not trying to make things too complex. I want you to feel like you're chatting with me and because the thing that I love most about making music is connecting with people. So Evergreen was just that. And I love that you connected with that one because that was why I wanted to end the album with it. I wanted to feel like we had that last little chat, you and I, and talked about it's a very real thing, just embracing change and not being scared of I don't want to be Evergreen. I don't want to stay the same forever. And that can be really scary to think about because we find comfort in familiarity. But as you grow and you evolve, there's something really beautiful that comes with that in learning lessons and facing adversity and facing tough times and saying, well, if I never went through that, I never would have been the person that I am now. Evergreen is a great example of that kind of like raw, close, kind of intimate, conversational vibe that I was that I wanted to go for with this album.
VV:
And then I think every song has just a little different piece of me, which I like doing. I don't really like to box myself in and say, well, I have to make songs that sound this way, right? Like, I have to make this type of music or this genre, but I think everything works well together. Evergreen is definitely more of that straightforward kind of rock ballad. And then Fever Dream is a little more like alternative indie. And Hello Depressed has that dream pop vibe and PVD was just kind of like a love letter to the city that I grew up, I spent my early 20s in. But yeah, so I think that the conversational and the intimate aspect of it is something that I just really wanted to make sure ran through the whole album. And then all the other pieces are just like pieces of me from being in those bands growing up and you see that in PVD and Evergreen and then now kind of embracing the more indie pop side of me with the rest of it and just seeing kind of where it goes. I'm really happy with how everything came out and I'm really excited about it.
VV:
It feels like the release that feels the most me out of anything I've ever done. So I'm really happy about that.
EU:
Yeah. And also, speaking of Hella Depressed, when I listened to it, that was the first song I listened to. I know that it was a standalone single that was recently released. One element that I really enjoyed about it, I think the production quality is just amazing.I literally clicked play and I was like, “Oh, this sounds really good already.” Also with the lyrics, I want to know the process of you writing that specific song and then jumping into the booth to record it. What was your thought process going into that?
VV:
For sure. So that song started with actually my producer Greg, who at the time was living with me. So we actually record everything in my house. Okay, so my vocal booth is my closet. So I literally have foam up in my closet and I'm resting my phone on my boots if I want to use lyrics, if I need to remember a line or something but that particular song, Greg actually had that in his head. So he had started off and he was like, oh, I have this melody and I have this song idea that I really want to show you and I think that it would be really great. So we sat on my piano, he kind of played it out for me and I was like right away I was like, oh yeah, this is a Viana Valentine song. This is great. Greg gets me and he knows me, we've been friends for years, but he wrote it and he is in a band of his own, Secret Gardens. It's a post rock instrumental so he's like, “This won't work for me, so let's make it.” I'm like, “Hey, you could do it, but you could turn a corner”
VV:
So after him just playing me that melody and the chords, then he and I just went and started writing the rest of the lyrics together. So that second half of the chorus is very much me talking about driving with my dog, and I always have to shout Riley out, my pup, in every song. She needs to be somewhere in there. We went ahead and just built the song out, and then we did that downstairs, and then we walked upstairs to the studio room and just started production on it. I put some keys down on it, and then Greg just really kind of went super hard on it and just produced the shit out of it, which was great. He knew what he wanted right away, and we wanted, like, a mid tempo that dreamy, obviously, like, that dream pop vibe. But after we sat with it, we were like, who. It almost has, like, “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac with just the sway. It's not really like, a dance song, but it's kind of like that fuzzy guitar riff in there. So we were really happy with the way that it came out as far as the overall vibe.And then yeah, then just got in after writing all the lyrics and everything, got in my closet and locked myself in and did the rest of the vocals. My cat always tries to paw the closet door open, so we literally have to physically lock myself in. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic.
EU:
Cats cannot record, unfortunately.
VV:
No. He'll sit outside and meow. That was very much a homegrown thing, which was really fun.
EU:
Yeah, I love that. I love that you mentioned Fleetwood Mac. I heard that and also, you have a grasp on your influences. I think that's really important. Do you have any other musical inspirations that you want to shout out that kind of bleed into your music?
VV:
For sure. I mean, I listen to everything, but I would say as far as musicians that I connect with and kind of look up to that are doing their thing right now, definitely. I've always been a huge fan of Paramore growing up. Being a female fronting band kind of just comes with the territory, especially at that time. I'm only a little bit younger than her, I think, so she was definitely a role model for me back in the pop punk days.
VV:
When I was, you know, like, 14, 15,16. But now still, you know, Haley's stuff and Paramore, and I'm such a fan of their new album.Then Maggie Rogers, for sure. Phoebe Bridgers. I love Lizzy McAlpine. I love Fleetwood Mac. They're the OG, for sure. Stevie Nicks is a queen. Yeah, I would say as far as my musical influences, it's kind of that core group, and I love to see that they're all doing stuff together now. It's really exciting to see Phoebe and Paramore, like, opening up for Taylor Swift, but I would say, yeah, kind of those female influences. I love a lot of different male vocalists as well, but I think that I just naturally connect with kind of like people that are singing about similar things that I am and I can see myself in.
EU:
Exactly. Yeah, totally get that. I see that you are a Rhode Island native, so we have East Coast representation. Of course. I wanted to ask you what your experience has been performing live. I saw that you were in New York a couple of months ago, so could you give me a little bit of insight into that?
VV:
Yeah, I love performing live. I love writing music and singing in general, but performing is where I feel like it just all comes together and you get to connect with people. That New York show was really fun. We actually just drove. That's the great thing about living in Rhode Island is you have Boston an hour away. I'm not afraid to hop in the car and just drive to gigs. New York is a three hour drive. I'm driving there tomorrow. It's super easy. So I kind of just rounded up the boys and I have three great musicians that play with me. We got in my SUV and we just headed down and did the show. And you never know what you're going to walk into, right? People are coming. You have a number, you have ticket sales. At the end of the day, it doesn't mean anything until you're on stage and you see what the night brings you. As soon as I walked into the venue, there was a disco ball and I was like, “Hell yeah.” I was like, Regardless, this is going to be great. It ended up being a packed room and such a good vibe.
VV:
Just sometimes you play for people and I'll get off stage and I'll just say, they got it. They got it. They understood the assignment in a way where it's like they showed up to enjoy and to be part of a moment and part of an experience and kind of I love when people just ride the wave of what you're bringing to the table. So you connect with people. People are swaying, they're moving. I just love when I see, like, we played hella depressed and there was one person in the front row that just had their hand on their heart and was just, like, swaying, and I was like, that's drinking their hand. That was exactly what I wanted to see, a smile on their face. So I think when you walk into a show, especially out of state, it's so nice to just have people be open to you and open to what you're bringing to the table. And that was one of those nights, and those nights keep you going for sure.
EU:
Yeah, that's awesome to hear, especially in New York. I feel like New York has such a diverse range of music scenes, so that's really awesome that you have that experience there. This is kind of off topic, but not really. I was scrolling through your instagram and I saw that you have a very big affinity for wolves. I wanted to ask her about her connection to the animal, why their presence is so important to you, because I just found that so unique. So let me in.
VV:
Yeah, I'm a crazy wolf lady. So I work at Wolf Hollow, which is an educational center in Massachusetts, and we have nine wolves on property. So we actually do have resident wolves, and I do presentations and I run their social media, and it's a giant piece of my life. I think the reason that I fell so deeply in love with wolves I mean, I love dogs. I've always had dogs growing up. But I think after learning about wolves and learning about how misunderstood they are and how people just have this preconceived notion of what the animal is about and they have all these crazy negative stereotypes and stigmas attached to them. After learning about the truths behind them and how wolves actually act and what type of animal they actually are, I just fell in love with them. And I wanted to teach people and show people that they are so not the big, bad wolf. We get in there and they are just the sweetest, most loving animals. And in the wild they're just trying to survive like we all are. And I think we can learn a lot from bulbs, especially about working together in a family and relying on others to survive and being resourceful.
VV:
There's so much! I could go on for hours because I love them so much. I'll be at a party or something and someone will be like, oh, you work with folks. I'm like, don't get me started. Like, I'll go forever. But I know it's something that I'll never stop fighting for them. Wolves have a really bad rap in our country and unfortunately they are just consistently they'll become protected and then their protections get wiped away. You can never really relax when you're a wolf advocate because even if they're put back on the endangered species list, a month later they're taken off. So I know it's something that I'll have to stay consistent with for the rest of my life and I will. But yeah, it's been cool getting to know all the different wolves we have and they all just have such I mean, they're adorable. I'm biased, but they're so cute and fluffy and amazing. But beyond that, they all just have these super complex personalities that are really fun to get to know. And I just consider it an honor, honestly, to be able to get to know those guys and speak on their behalf.
EU:
Yeah, I think you should include one of the wolves in your upcoming music video. I think that would do really well.
VV:
A little bit of a wolf howling type thing.
EU:
Yeah, that'd be fun! What's next for you? Where do you see yourself within the next few months? I know summer is coming up. Do you see yourself performing live? Anything else?
VV:
Yeah, so right now I'm performing a lot, but as far as original stuff goes, I'm taking a little bit of a break from performing. I'm trying to just build my live show up. So I've been doing some kind of stripped down stuff, but right now I'm actually just getting right back into writing and when the wave hits, you just ride it. So I've been feeling super inspired and you never really know when that's going to happen. When it does, I go ahead and roll with it. So it's looking like just continuing to write and then I'm planning a few bigger performances that I really want to put some time and effort into, probably for the end of this year, early next year. So I'm excited for that and something I've learned is just to not force things and to enjoy, because when you put time in and you enjoy what you're doing, it translates in the final product. People can tell when things aren't authentic, people can tell when you've forced it. And I've done it before and as I grow older and as I do this, I've been doing this for 15 years now.
VV:
If you're not enjoying it and you're not taking the time to give yourself space, to let the inspiration hit you, to really feel like you're putting your all into your product and what you're putting out there, it just doesn't resonate well at the end of the day with you or with others writing and taking time and just growing and hoping that the next batch of songs that I write are even better than the ones I'm putting out now.
EU:
Yeah, that's awesome. Staying productive, I think that's key in any industry, but specifically with artists and creatives, just keep going. Also just taking a break too is also a really big thing, for sure. A lot of artists are starting to advocate publicly for that. So that's really awesome to hear from you.
VV:
Yeah, I've been seeing, and I'm sure you've seen too, just different artists say, like, Miley Cyrus, “Hey, I don't think I'm going to tour for a little bit.”
VV:
And even Lizzy McAlpine, she postponed a leg of her tour.I think it's our generation too. Like, we're just understanding of the fact that there is such a thing as mental health and you only have the bandwidth to do so much, especially when you're expected to be creative. If you're an independent artist, being creative is only the tiniest snippet of what's expected of you. So it can be overwhelming, but I think I'm in a place now where I'll stay consistent with my workflow and continue and just keep up that momentum but I'm not putting the same type of pressure on myself that I did when I was younger because I don't think it translates to good music making. At the end of the day, when I'm 80 and old as shit and sitting in my rocking chair, I want to still be jamming my song and be like, “Yeah, that's a good one.”
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