In Conversation With Vietta
[UNPUBLISHED:] Tell me about yourself?
[VIETTA:] I am 21. I go to USC. I'm studying Philosophy, Politics, and Law, but I'm minoring in the Music Industry. I am in my third year; I took a gap year last year. So I'm a junior right now. I am not from LA, I'm from San Antonio, Texas, but I haven't lived in San Antonio my whole life. My dad was in the military so I actually lived in Germany during my middle and elementary school years. I remember when I wrote my first song and showed it to my friend, I was around the age of ten. We used to “perform” on Guitar Hero. She would play the guitar and I would sing all the time. We met just after I moved to Germany.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was your first song about?
[VIETTA:] It was literally called ‘Together Forever’. Keep in mind I had no experience with love. It was all solely based on other songs I listened to and movies I watched. But it was kind of like a breakup song. I remember the chorus was “remember when you told me we could be together forever?” I was going hard.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Did you always know you wanted to do something in music?
[VIETTA:] I loved music. It was my first ever memory. I was singing pretty much since I could talk. I would sing along to songs; I really loved The Bratz. Being a singer was something I always wanted. Even writing songs was just so natural. I loved it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Who are some musicians that inspire you?
[VIETTA:] Halsey was my idol. I listened to her and Melanie Martinez a lot in high school. I knew their whole albums. I would sing the album from top to bottom and pretend I was giving a concert in my room. It's funny cause I listened back to ‘Roman Holiday’ and it reminded me of my song ‘Mean’. That was kind of an accident but also kind of not because I did tell the producer that worked on the song that Halsey was an inspiration of mine. I remember when I first saw the YouTube video of her singing ‘Colors’ live before it was released. I was obsessed. I would listen to the song constantly. I like that the song is reminiscent of Halsey because it's a little full circle thing for me. It’s what I was really into when I was a teenager.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a dream collaboration?
[VIETTA:] I listen to a lot of female artists. I’m very into the girl power kind of thing. So, I feel like I wouldn't mind a female artist collab. In terms of songwriting, I really like Lolo Zouai and her lyricism. I also think it would be cool to do something with a rapper. Maybe someone who has a hard kind of edge since it's something I want to explore but don’t think I can get there on my own. I would be down to do a collab similar to the vibes of Doja Cat and SZA, that'd be kind of sick. Because I haven't really tested out the side of hard-hitting rap.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favourite place where you aspire to perform or do you have a dream location?
[VIETTA:] A lot of the shows I've done have definitely been in smaller venues. I obviously wouldn't be opposed to doing a huge stadium, but I do like the intimate aspect of it. It's nice when you're performing and you can see people and they can see you. I feel like I can interact with the audience, you know? I think it would be so cool to have a performance where, like, all the lights are off. So you could just kind of vibe with the music. I would love to have a crowd that has a lot of energy. But I do have an upcoming performance that is going to kind of be more like that, where I'm performing with other people who are sort of in the same range, which is going to be fun. The ones throwing the show definitely showcase a lot of female art and a lot of marginalised artists.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Tell me about your song ‘Mean’ and how it came about?
[VIETTA:] It's a funny story actually. Long story short I wrote it about a guy that I was in an on and off relationship with. I am not gonna say it was toxic but it definitely wasn't healthy. Throughout the song I am pleading with him to express his feelings for me and describing the polarity of our relationship. I wrote the hook and then worked on the song with producer Lucas Macaluso and songwriters Dylan DeAnda and Estef. The whole experience of creating the song was something special and new to me cause its the first time I ever felt like I had made a song that really suited my desired sound.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Where did the stage name Vietta come from ?
[VIETTA:] I actually made it up, but apparently, it is an actual name. I based it on the French word “vie” which means life. I wanted a single name that could change with me and my art and I felt that the name was fitting since life is always changing and so am I. I remember one day after a session with my first producer I was riding home in a Lyft and I was looking out the window and the name just popped in my mind. That was the beginning of Vietta and I am amazed at how far I have come since then. I can't wait to see where I will be in a year or so.