We have the chance to ask Venior herself a couple of questions about her current projects and plans, to get to know her better and know where to look for her next.
1/ Hey Venior! We know your name, and what kinds of art you do, but can you tell us which artistic form best represents you? Or which branch of art you would love to be remembered for most?
Hey! I’ve always seen myself as a musician first of all, but for a few years I’ve also focused a lot on painting, so they both represent me well as an artist, but if I could choose only one form of art to be remembered for then it would be music, even if I really love both the visual and musical expression!
2/ How does music fit into your artistic identity? Would you consider a musician first then other things? Or a musician among other things?
I feel like music is the foundation for my whole art world, and from there I love to go into different mediums like painting and clothing design, but music is what creates the soundtrack to everything I do. The way I have worked while creating my album is that I first write music and after that, I create paintings that represent the message in the music.
3/ Do you have a songwriting process? A certain place or mood or procedures that get the creative juices flowing?
I usually try not to think too much and just start with the first idea that comes to me. Usually, I start with a beat or a soundscape that I produce, and after that, I write melodies and lyrics to it. But it can be different depending on how I feel, sometimes I have a melody idea already that I then create a production around. What’s most important is that it’s fun and creative. I have made my studio into a very inspiring place with a lot of plants and colors and that’s super important to me, to be in a place that is full of life. For my next album, I also plan to work outside in nature more.
4/ How would you describe your coming album? What do you aim to achieve with it and what do you aspire for it to be?
I call my own music style “Freaky Punky Pop”. It’s a mix of a lot of different genres like experimental pop, R&B, hip/hop, afro-beat, and soul, but I think I’ve created something unique and coherent. The album has a clear storyline. It’s about humanity sending out a message to aliens, asking for help to get us out of the mess we’re in on planet Earth. And this is where the album title comes in, Free-K Revolution. The message becomes a movement of change that grows so loud that the aliens catch the frequencies. And at the end of the album, they answer our call… What they answer you will find out when you listen to it.
And that’s also what I would like to achieve with it in reality. Change on planet Earth, for humanity to start living in tune with mother Earth and not destroy and kill ecosystems.
5/ How does ‘Feed My Mind’ fit into the album? Do you believe albums should be coherent projects from start to finish? Or should songs always be able to stand on their own regardless of whether them being parts of an album or not?
Feed My Mind is a part of the revolution of how we live on planet Earth. Instead of being so obsessed with appearance and good looks we should be obsessed with what’s going on inside. The song focuses on the relationship with others and how that needs to change if we really want to change the way we live on Earth.
I think the best is when albums are both coherent from start to finish but that the songs also can stand on their own. Good, strong songs that become part of something bigger and more complex.
6/ What are your plans for the release of the album? Do you plan on playing live? Or taking a break or maybe sitting down to write another album?
I want to play live! I’ve been so much in the studio the last years creating music so my plan is the play live a lot next year. I want my music to reach out to people and for it to resonate in the world. So hopefully I get a lot of opportunities to play. That’s what I’m focusing on now.
7/ Do you have other general plans? Where can fans find your artwork or be more exposed to your work outside of music?
Well, something I also plan to do is create an art book for the album where all the paintings are included as well as the lyrics to the songs, for those who want to dig deeper into the story of the album. Right now you can also buy my paintings on my webshop that you find on my website venior.com. Everything related to my music and art can be found there.
Thank you a ton, Venior! It was fun getting to know more about you and it was also fun to get introduced to your soulful music.