Q&A: Vienna Vienna Explores Noise and Disconnection in “Entertain Me”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Photo Credit: Chloe Chippendal
VIENNA VIENNA CAPTURES CHAOS, DISCONNECTION AND THE MUSIC THAT MAKES SENSE OF IT — Rising Glimmer Rock artist Vienna Vienna has released “Buzz,” an indie rock single that exudes attitude, grit and his signature razor-sharp lyricism. The track arrives alongside the announcement of his new EP Entertain Me, set for release January 16, offering a glimpse into the restless energy that defines his music.
Powered by fuzzy guitars and punchy drums, “Buzz” captures a sense of existential static and overstimulated disconnection.
“My favorite songs about modern life speak to its overwhelming nature in a way that allows it to feel as it is, completely disorienting,” Vienna Vienna says. “Phoebe Bridgers’ ‘I Know the End’ is a perfect example of this. What I did with ‘Buzz,’ either intentionally or unintentionally, was to lay out these dizzying burdens and then try to wrap them up in a neat little bow.”
At the heart of “Buzz” is Vienna Vienna’s reflection on the overwhelming pressures of today’s world.
“We’re not really supposed to have so many insane and terrible things hit us all at the same time. It’s created this ‘doomerism’ where it all feels pretty much hopeless. A lot of the response to that from a younger generation is to ‘party.’ Ignore setting up a future because it all feels pointless — a future where it will be too hot to even go outside. ‘Buzz’ is that — it’s about life. I try to capture as much of that as I can and wrap it up with the sentiment, ‘all this social interaction, I’d kill for satisfaction.’ ‘Buzz’ is how you feel after a drink settles, the ringing in your ears after a concert. It’s distortion, the hum of fluorescent lighting. Plain old unstoppable noise.”
Entertain Me took shape as Vienna Vienna interrogated how modern life constantly demands distraction.
“Entertain Me is a tour of the distractions in life and how they affect our happiness,” Vienna Vienna says. “Whether it be drugs, the internet, or something more tangible, they all pull focus away from reality. What’s the best way to get back into your own skin? Dance. I just really wanted to dance again.”
With Entertain Me, Vienna Vienna channels the chaos and restlessness in a digital world into a record that’s both cathartic and irresistibly alive. If “Buzz” is any indication, listeners can expect a ride that is as dizzying as it is exhilarating, a celebration of the noise, the disconnection, and ultimately, the moments that make it all worth dancing through.
Photo Credit: Chloe Chippendal
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires the atmosphere or sonic world you aim to create for your listeners?
VIENNA VIENNA: I think the live shows are my main focus and making sure that I'm prioritizing the energy there. That's always a concern in the studio, too, just making sure that whatever I'm working on feels like it would feel good in front of a crowd, or feel good for them more than anything.
LUNA: Your newest single “Buzz” arrives alongside the announcement of Entertain Me. What is the inspiration behind the track or the feeling that pushed this story to the surface?
VIENNA VIENNA: “Buzz” is a couple things, but I was really inspired by songs that capture how unnerving and sort of dystopian the world is. It's all pretty overwhelming right now, and has been for the whole time I've been alive. The digital world hasn't made it better, the feeling of security, or whatever that is. “Buzz” is a collection of all the terrible feelings that the world provides, whether it be your phone or just going outside or the news or all of those things. They're all unnerving and unsettling, and I wanted to capture that feeling in it.
LUNA: You are about to release your newest EP Entertain Me next month. What themes or narratives did you set out to explore with this project? What can listeners expect from you in this new era of music?
VIENNA VIENNA: The concept of Entertain Me is we're all seeking something in life, and I think oftentimes what I feel like I'm seeking is relief. I'm also constantly chasing that little dopamine release from like the next video, or the next thing, or the next this, that, and I feel like that will be the death of me. Entertain Me is about chasing, in some ways, it's a bit of a mixtape for me. I'm focused on gathering songs that I feel like are connected to the puzzle and are exciting. Some songs are more frantic than others on the record. I feel like what I set out to do was to capture all those things that I'm hunting down to no avail. I did what I hoped to do, which is good and feels good. I'm stoked on it. I was listening to a lot of dance punk and Gang of Four and LCD Soundsystem was on a lot in the last year. I just wanted to groove more than anything.
LUNA: You’ve said the project came from a period of personal clarity and artistic expansion. What shifted for you creatively during this time, and how is that growth reflected in Entertain Me?
VIENNA VIENNA: I'm focusing on different things now. I think I've been spending a little more time putting my attention into the craft of songwriting, and I feel like I've spent a lot of time trying to develop that skill. I hadn't spent a lot of time trying to develop, not that I think that my previous music lacked it in any way, but I developed better taste in the rhythm section and the sonic qualities of a song. I allowed the songwriting to be looser and to tell stories in a little more of a more fluid way. I think breaking up that rigidity in my process made the whole experience a lot more fun. I say it in pretty much every studio I'm in, which is fun always translates no matter what you're listening to. You can tell if the crew that made it is having fun, and that makes it fun for you. I think loosening up a little bit and trying to create whatever is scratching the back of my head with drums or guitars or sounds has been freeing and exciting. I think you can hear that freeness in it.
LUNA: Do you have a personal favorite song on Entertain Me — one that feels closest to your heart or most revealing of who Vienna Vienna is right now?
VIENNA VIENNA: “Buzz” and the third track I'm really, really excited about. I think it's my favorite writing on the EP, and I'm really proud of it. “Buzz” has definitely been my favorite song of mine for a while now.
LUNA: What is fueling your fire right now that’s pushing you into this next chapter in your career?
VIENNA VIENNA: There's like a cycle I find with it, where for me, there's a lull and then there's a period of consumption, where I'm consuming a lot of things that excite me. I'm reading a lot more, I'm watching more movies, trying to be out and about as much as possible. I've written a lot of the stories that I've had for the last year, and I've just been working really hard on trying to nail those and get those down. Now, I'm back to that point of thinking conceptually, thinking vision, thinking message. What's the point of the next thing that I want to do? What's the thing I want to say? The fuel is life. I just want to be living as much as possible. I know that sounds maybe a little simple, but I've spent way too much time on my phone over the course of my life, and I fear at times that all like get really old and I'll die, and my life will flash before my eyes would be mostly my phone, and I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible.
LUNA: What inspires you to push boundaries within your sound? Are there any specific experiences, artists, or moments that have encouraged you to explore new musical territories?
VIENNA VIENNA: Music is polarizing itself right now, where people are excited about the extremes of things. I do think that speaks to maybe the extremeness of life, but the things that I think I'm really loving are incredibly quiet, tender moments and incredibly loud, boisterous moments. I don't hear a lot right now that is in that middle range that really excites me, and so exploring extremes has been really fun. I think just exploring the extremes of things, rather than settling into a medium tempo — I'm more excited about the slowest thing possible, the fastest thing possible, or the quietest thing possible, the loudest thing possible.
LUNA: What do you hope your listeners can take away from Entertain Me? Any messages or emotions you want to leave them with?
VIENNA VIENNA: Send it. It seems like there's a lot of time to rip it and fully dig into your life. I'm often very disconnected, and I don't think I have time to waste on that anymore. I just want to full send my life. I think that comes through in Entertain Me.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the upcoming year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
VIENNA VIENNA: Right now I am writing frantically on my whiteboard in the middle of the night and trying to curate ideas I'm excited about. The next year is shows, just prepping to get out there as much as I can and finally play these songs for people. I got a chance to do it for a little mini tour that I had done and play some of the new ones. But now that I have a better understanding they're not just songs anymore, they come to a head. I'm really excited to create new moments for the live show. That's what's ahead for me.
