Interview: VAYA (Written)

Games, Brrraaains & Head-Banging Life bring you a written interview with experimental artist and creator, VAYA.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

Thank you for your interested in VAYA. I started I was 3-4 years old through classical method called Willems, a method born in Belgium. Then I continued at the Conservatory into a Choir till I was feeling bored by the level of the class. I was thinking about quitting but my mother motivate me to try something else. I did try the Saxophone but as it was on a classical path I gave up easily and then went back to singing class in a more ‘alternative’ school. From there I had to leave it because ‘music is not a job’. But it always came back and after marketing, promotion, management and accounting study and a career into fashion design (music rang back to my door almost constantly). I left everything behind and decided to pursue this risky road with my heart. It is still challenging but I don’t feel doing anything else.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

Really unique and experimental from the vocal print to the melodic part and the percussion and rhythm constructions and waves in particular on the second album. Some people from the metal music do really love our powerful energy but I can’t say we do 100% fits in this gender.

3. What’s currently going on in your camp? New releases? Tours? Etc.

We will be back on stage in Toronto for BRUTAL ( second album) in November. We have to announce the release of our second music video we made in Japan with Yumi SONODA and a new door to express our music will be through a Gallery exhibition during the same period of time so Fall will be busy.

4. What has been the most positive experience of making music to date for you?

Feeling love till tears come up to your eyes by sharing what is a part of your soul.

5. Likewise, what has been some of the more challenging aspects and how have you overcome them?

Music is a challenge as Life. It is a daily process of ‘overcome’. Faith and hope and Passion?

6. How do you handle the modern expectations of being in a band? Always online, having to put out content constantly, your success measured in likes and follows?

I am not in a band, I build projects and invite people into it. My video maker said she was grateful because our last project made her grow. Same with my designer for the new experience we are putting in place for November; she is spending days to solve technical process to realize this new piece we will put on the market. We all grow together. So more than a band I will say that we a re talking about a growing community and more there are people more you go over the the ‘limitless’ creativity. I am just the messenger of The Ideas up there. That’s it. And people choose to dance with it/me or not, to be a part of this (human) story and connect with new ideas, people, experiences. It is a forever process of ‘going out of your comfort zone’. So About the likes and follow I am not really into it. We are just super happy to share our creativity on severals dimensions.

7. What’s something that really ‘grinds your gears’ about the industry/business these days and what would you propose is done to combat it?

I am not really in tune with it. For example our music is not on any kind of Spotify etc… Just because we would like to invite people to enjoy our soulful projects with consistency and quality. The industry in any kind of art and music business is capricious. Just enjoy the wave when you are into it without any expectations because it can just stop/break anytime. And that is the game. I think today we have many choices as artists to share our lovable projects just stay in tuned with your deepest soul and don’t sell it to the ‘Devil’. Love is the answer.

8. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support your music?

Simply starting by sharing in different ways/waves our passionate projects allover the world. We would be really grateful.

9. Outside of the music, what’s do you do to relax?

I will be honest, it is hard for me to ‘relax’, beside of Music I am a mother of 4 beautiful children that I take allover the world with me in my projects. So ‘if’ I do have this time, I would say, meditate, empty my mind to leave space to the ‘renewal’. Have a walk in a park, watch the sky and the clouds moving around the sun and the stars…. And of course – sleeping.

10. Where can people find you?

So here are the different doors to enter in VAYA’s Sprit(s):

Official Website |  Instagram | Instagram

Our last live in Japan, November 2022 at KPAC, Kitakyushu