Viana is a singer and songwriter who has been passionate about music for as long as she can remember.
Growing up on a mixture of church gospel, classic rock, and jazz, Viana has honed her sound over the years as the frontwoman of pop-punk bands including Royal Street. Now, Viana is stepping out as a soloist and is ready to showcase her unique dark-alternative pop sound with the world.
On Friday (June 7), Viana unveiled her debut single ‘Wine & Flowers’, a captivating offering which gives us just a glimpse of her creativity and talent. She is most definitely an artist on the rise and we cannot wait to see what she does next.
We recently quizzed Viana about ‘Wine & Roses’, embarking on a solo career, her biggest life lessons so far and more.
Welcome to CelebMix, Viana! Please introduce yourself to our readers with an unusual fact about yourself.
Oh hay! Welp, my middle name is Valentine, I have crooked pinkies and I always carry wolf fur in my purse. Three unusual facts for the price of one!
You’ve just released your debut single ‘Wine & Roses’! How are you feeling about it?
I’m feeling really friggin’ excited. I’ve been on a bit of a break from releasing music after the conclusion of my band that I was with for years and years. Just a short break showed me how much I miss it and how it’s what I’m meant to do. I’m super ready to get my new music out there.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song?
The song is about looking back on your past. Reminiscing about what it was like to be completely innocent. Realizing that shit happens to us in life, and it’s all about how we harness the power of the bad moments for good. Learning how to move on from the negative energy of a rough situation is so important, but we’re always left with visions of the past. That’s alright, the visions might be a haze of a memory that reminds us of the steps we’ve taken to become who we are.
Why did you choose this particular track as your debut release?
To be totally honest, I’m sitting on a few different singles right now, and I could NOT choose which one to release first. I ended up going with this one, because I wrote it first, so it won the race.
What was the creative process like? How long did it take for the song to form from its early beginnings to the final product?
So, I was speaking with an older gentleman a few years ago. He was telling me about his memories and funny stories, and at the end of the conversation sighed, “ Yup, those were the days of wine and roses.” At the time I was going through a phase of writing the title of the song before anything else, and that one slapped me right in the face, I was so excited about it. I wrote the song shortly after, and finished it last year. All together probably a two year process. And yes, there was consumption of red wine during the making of this song…
Do you have a favourite lyric from the song?
“Keep the magic close, if it’s all you know. The wine will always flow. Color fades but love is set in stone. Keep the magic close.”
Do what you love. Keep doing it. Forever and ever. When nothing else makes sense, you always have your passion to keep you grounded.
There’s also a music video for ‘Wine & Roses’ coming soon, what was the filming experience like?
The filming process was so fun! I filmed the video with Burke Cullinane who made everything so easy and was amazing to work with. Also, it was negative one million degrees and I danced around in a bodysuit. Not a bad way to spend a week night.
What do you hope that people take away from your music?
I hope that people take whatever they need out of my music. I also want people in general to create what they want, stop caring about standards and what everyone else says. Everyone has an opinion, but only one counts.
You’ve been in the music industry for a while as you used to be in Royal Street. How does it feel to be embarking on your solo journey and having full creative control?
It feels much different. There are pros and cons. I miss my band, and having the guys to share the excitement with (they’re still the ones I show my solo songs to first). It definitely puts more stress on me, I have to do it all. At this point, I’m learning a lot though. I’ve learned to not overthink things, and go with my gut. I love being able to make my own decision and just go with it. I’ve ended up really liking being on my own.
You’ve got a diverse range of influences including Billie Eilish and Beyoncé. What is it about these female artists that inspires you?
I love watching all different powerful women harness their own vibe and run with it. Watching another boss lady get out there and make it happen is inspiring.
What’s the biggest lesson that you’ve learnt during your time in music industry so far?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that there’s no “formula” to making it in this industry. You could do everything right, and still not get where you want to go. The important thing is to keep working hard, and do what you want to do creatively. Don’t let others tell you what to create, because your passion is what makes you, you. You can’t fake that. Also, I’ve learned to stop comparing myself to other people that do what I do. It’s so easy to look at other female singers who are always perfectly made up on Instagram, and seem to really have their shit together, and feel inferior. I realize, whatever dude, I’ll walk around in my wolf tee shirt with no bra and put makeup on later. Being true to myself is enough.
What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
I’m going to release one million songs! Or close to…maybe a few less than a million…. I’m looking forward to finding my stride this year. I’m going to keep plugging away and creating. I feel like I’ll definitely hit some speed bumps but I’m ready to get them out of the way and start making things happen.
Thank you to Viana for her time! Keep up to date with her via Twitter and Instagram.
‘Wine & Roses’ is out now.