Interview: Va Va Voom

1: How did you decide on the name, “Va Va Voom"?

 Va Va Voom is an old slang term from the 50s that was associated with car and beach culture. It is a noun that means the informal quality of being interesting, exciting, or sexually appealing. We felt that was quite appropriate for the type of rock n roll we make, and the aesthetic we were aiming for.

2: What inspires you to create?

 We have all been musicians since we were teenagers. And for some people playing an instrument is a joy in and of itself and that's great. But for us, we fall into that "artist" category where we all feel the need to express ourselves with our own personal style and flair, especially through music, and we feel that can be heard through the speakers for sure. We're just trying to tell our life experiences through music and hope it strikes a chord with others, the way music has meant so much to us over the entirety of our lives.

3: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a creative profession?

 You have to have something to say. Whether it's with your words, or your music, you have to have a desire to share your emotions with others. Without something to say, you're not going to play that note, or snap that photo, or drag that brush on canvas. No one can give it to you.

And perseverance. The creative /entertainment industry is always changing, and in the modern world with so much access to art and entertainment at all times, sometimes it feels like you're running in place, but if you really believe in what you're saying, you have to stay the course. Luck finds those who work for it.

4: Do you feel open minded about what you listen to? Do you like going out of your comfort zone?

That is such an interesting question, because I don't think there is much outside of our comfort zone (lol). If you dig deep on youtube, you can find us covering songs that range from Backstreet Boys, to The Temptations, and even Adele. As far as we are concerned, there are only two types of music; Good and Bad. and We listen to both sometimes lol. In fact, when we set out to make our last record (Va Va Voom is Coming Out Swinging) we got caught in the middle of the pandemic, just like everyone else, and instead of writing a cohesive album in a single style or mood, we decided to put out our music that sounded the most different from each other as singles every month for till the winter. So no matter how you're vibing, you can find a Va Va Voom song that fits. And of course, we do everything live, so our performances become a figurative roller coaster; complete with ups, downs, slow climbs and fast drops. We don't just play music, we put on a show!

5: What outlets do you find out about music from? (Record stores, magazines, samplers, etc.)

To be honest, I believe we stumbled upon this playlist via Wildstreet (thanks guys) on social media, and say what you want about Spotify's business practice, but to be able to get music out across the world in a matter of hours, and get it into people's ears - that's pretty remarkable. We find a lot of new music via curated Spotify playlists and recommendations. We're also avid listeners of different podcasts and internet radio broadcasts (whether live or prerecorded) and some of our favorite artists were discovered this way as well.

Hopefully once this pandemic blows over, we can start getting out to record stores again and hearing what's new and exciting, and of course showing up early for all the concerts we go to. Some of the best bands were openers at one point!

6: What is your favorite format to listen to music on? (CD, Vinyl, etc.)

 I'd have to say, at this point in time, streaming music has become the most convenient format. Whether you're out for a run in the park, in your car, on the subway, or trying to share some music with a friend. We all have our phones, and the ease of streaming, and accessibility, has become our most listened to method. However, we all have actual record players, and actual vinyl collections. Classic stuff and brand new records. And we still find opening the packaging and reading the liner notes and just dropping the needle really exciting, and an extremely rewarding musical experience.

7: What band/artist do you think everyone should listen to?

 Va Va Voom of course! LOL! But Seriously, everyone knows the "classics" so we'll drop some of our favorite newer artists. We have really been digging some of the stuff we're hearing from The Band Camino, The Maine, Ghostemane, and Modsun. Some local (to NYC) bands that we've been lucky enough to share the stage with that people should listen to are Wild Planes, Lizzie and the Makers, Station, and Craving Strange. Those are artists y'all should know right now!

8: What motivates you to check out a new artist?

Having accessibility to their music is always a big motivating factor. As we said before, we love our vinyl records, but if an artist doesn't have their music available to stream, it takes the wind out of the sails a bit. Following that, of course we have to enjoy the music (which includes the production) and if they are a great live act - that always sells it!. Personally, I'll make it my business to listen to any artist that reaches out to me personally. It's like saying "it's the thought that counts" and that connection will guarantee a listen, even if it's just one.

9: Who was the first band/artist that became your favorite band?

Wow. This is a loaded question. We are all different, and we all grew up on different stuff. But if we could name three other bands that we could find ourselves as a blend of, it would have to be a little of Van Halen, a little of Fall Out Boy, and maybe a little of Maroon 5 for that dance factor!

10: What was the inspiration for your song “Coming Out Swinging”?

We felt that there was so much going on in 2020, we got everything thrown at us except those murder hornets LOL, and it would have been really easy to feel down and out. But we just always tried to stay hopeful and look around that corner. One day we just tried to put ourselves in the position of a sports team that was coming from behind, or had the odds stacked against them, and was looking to win without accepting anything less. Because, I mean, that's kind of how we felt too. We didn't want to get beat, we wanted to come out of this covid thing just as feverish as when we went in. Maybe feverish isn't the best choice of words LOL.  We're coming out to win, and we're coming out swinging!