Looking for a hell of an artist? Look no further than Victoria Ivy Embers. Fresh off the release of her brand new single, ‘Hell Of A Guy,’ she is on fire! An incredibly talented singer and songwriter, Victoria transports right back to the rockin’ 1980s with one of our favorite releases of the year! Before you get ready to blare it on your boombox, learn more about Victoria Ivy Embers and her music.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us. For our readers who might not be familiar with your work, you began writing music at sixteen. Have you always wanted to be a musician? What encouraged you to begin releasing music?
Growing up, I began my love of listening to music at a very young age. I’ve always had a passion for writing, but I never saw myself wanting to be a musician. It wasn’t until after the pandemic that I began to write my own music. I was doing online school, and I would find myself writing poetry and short stories on days I was especially bored. One day, I decided to write a song, and I began occasionally writing music as a hobby. Recently, I showed a friend of mine one of the songs I wrote, and he convinced me to release it. That’s what encouraged me to release my first single, ‘Blue’. It ended up getting a lot more recognition than I thought it would.
As you’ve been navigating your musical journey, what is one challenge that you’ve faced, and how have you worked to overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced since releasing music has been the struggle of comparing myself to others. Oftentimes, I compare myself to artists who have had experience in music for most of their lives, as well as artists who are signed to labels and have professional studios, equipment, producers, and an entire team. I often feel as though I’m not a “real musician” because of this. I’m a teenage girl whose music interest has been extremely recent. I write most of my music in my bedroom and don’t have a label or a bunch of fancy, expensive equipment. I constantly feel underqualified because of this. I’ve worked to overcome this by reminding myself of two things:
1. Comparison is the thief of joy.
2. We all have to start somewhere.
We are all making moves at our own pace, and everyone is on their own journey. It’s okay to just be starting out and finding yourself as an artist and a human being. If you think you’re not good enough, just keep in mind that all your favorite artists started somewhere. Many of them were exactly where you are today. Perseverance is key. We’ve all got room to learn and grow.
For those unfamiliar with your music, how would you describe your sound?
I would describe my sound somewhere along the lines of “80s pop/rock meets 2010s emo.”
We’ve definitely found ourselves in a very technological age. How do you feel social media has aided you in gaining listenership? What kind of connection do you hope to build with your fans?
Honestly, I give 90% of my listenership credit towards social media and technology. When I released my first single, I didn’t know anything about marketing or promotion. I just released it for my friends and family and was like, “I wrote a song; here you go.” I give so much credit to social media and the internet for being the reason that people found my music in the first place. If it weren’t for story reposts, the few articles that talked about my song, and my Spotify playlists/listeners, hardly anyone would know of ‘Blue’ at all. In the future, I hope to continue to write lyrics that can either uplift people or write lyrics that people can relate to on some personal level.
‘Blue’
I wrote ‘Blue’ about being betrayed and backstabbed by a loved one. The inspiration behind this song, unfortunately, was due to a real-life circumstance. A few months before I wrote this song, my best friend turned on me and spread a bunch of false rumors during an extremely low point in my life. I wrote this song as a way to let go of some of that pain and turn my feelings into lyrics.
Victoria Ivy Embers on the inspiration for ‘Blue’
Your newest single, ‘Hell Of A Guy,’ has an 80s flavor. What drew you to that era of music as an inspiration?
Growing up, I listened to 80s music a lot. I’ve been obsessed with bands like The Cure for as long as I can remember. Over the summer, I started listening to a new-ish group called Nuovo Testamento that makes 80s-inspired pop/darkwave music. Because of this, I got inspired to make my own 80s-inspired pop song, thus creating ‘Hell Of A Guy.’
Speaking of the 80s, it was definitely a time for great music and culture. If you could collaborate with one musical artist or group from that decade, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with one musical artist or group from the 80s, I would choose to collaborate with Whitesnake. They’re one of my favorite artists of all time. They’re also a big part of what got me into music. I think their song ‘Is This Love’ is a genuine musical masterpiece. I’d love to make music similar to them someday.
As for the lyrics, you’ve described them as a reminder for girls about self-confidence and relationships. What is one of the best pieces of advice you’ve ever received on relationships and why?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received about relationships is, “If they wanted to, they would.” Every time I’m in a situation that doesn’t feel right, or I don’t feel like I’m getting treated properly, I take a step back and remind myself of this. It gives me the confidence to get up and walk away if I’m unhappy or if the other person is unwilling to make a change.
With lyrics in mind, can you walk us through your songwriting process? What steps do you take as you create your music, and how do you know when it’s finally ready to share?
When songwriting, I often decide the emotion I want my song to have first. I think of a feeling and a topic, and then I generate my melody. Once the backing and the melody of the song are completed, I then write some lyrics and fit them into appropriate spots. After recording and finalizing my piece, I’ll usually listen to it a bunch of times before I’m ready to release it.
Following the release of ‘Hell Of A Guy,’ where do you hope to see yourself and your career grow in the next year? Do you have any upcoming projects or ventures that you can share with us?
Following this release, I might release more music. I’ll probably release some slightly heavier, rock-inspired songs. After releasing more singles and getting more well-rounded as a musician, I’m considering releasing an EP. I’m currently in the process of writing two novels, both of which are fantasy-based. I’m hoping within the next year, I can get closer to editing and publishing my first novel. I’m currently also in the process of writing new music, with hopes to release another single in January if everything goes accordingly.
You can stream ‘Hell Of A Guy’ and more of Victoria Ivy Embers right now!
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VICTORIA IVY EMBERS:
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