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Photos provided by: Julia Gentile
Grunge fuses elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal, and is generally characterized by "dirty" guitar, heavy drumming, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. Grunge bands were noted for their indie attitudes and their rejection of theatricals and mainstream success.
There were so many awesome bands that came out of the Grunge era of the nineties. It is surprising that Grunge was a “flash in a pan”. Maybe that sounds kind of harsh. However, it was a period of apathy and yet it didn’t accomplish what it set out to do. Maybe because it seemed trendy, and a passing vibe that wouldn’t amount to much. In case you are not familiar with “flash in a pan” it means a sudden spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.
It isn’t how I view the era that matters, it is those that had a direct contribution to it’s demise. Could it be that there were just too many bands that sounded the same? If that were the case, then the British Invasion shouldn’t have made a HUGE impact on the music industry. Afterall, many British bands had the same sound.
I have found that there are more current bands that have been influenced by the Grunge period of the nineties. While I certainly understand why, I am just surprised that many adapt their style due to this period of influential style and sound. One of these bands is Vilivant.
ABOUT VILIVANT
VILIVANT is a Canadian hard rock/alternative singer-songwriter. Inspired by the 90s grunge movement and modern rock, she quickly established herself as a fierce energetic performer and mainly focuses on writing about the themes of ‘moving forward,’ ‘self-discovery’ and ‘purging’ toxic elements from one’s life.
Her first two singles 'Never Again,' and ‘Stabilized’ saw radio airplay on stations such as 94.9 The Rock (Toronto), Rebel 101.7 FM (Ottawa) 98.3 CIFM (Kamloops) & The Wolf 106.9 FM (Nanaimo). With the continuous success on radio, her two singles reached #89 and #98 on the top 100 Canadian rock radio charts: thus, garnering a fanbase across the country and internationally.
Though LIVE shows were at a standstill during the pandemic, she continued to play at virtual festivals. During this time, she was selected as a Top 5 Regional Finalist for Jim Beam’s National Talent Search and won the Toronto Region with her LIVE off-the-floor performance video of her song ‘Stabilized.’
Since rising onto the scene early 2018, VILIVANT has shared the stage with Lee Aaron, Finger Eleven, Wide Mouth Mason and Big Wreck as well as embarked on a cross-Canada tour as direct support for Matthew Good and his Band.
After receiving the Juried Sound Recording grant from FACTOR Canada, VILIVANT released her full-length album titled, "Running on Empty" with the help of Sam Guiana Producer of Juno-nominated band Silverstein, as well as just recently released her new single titled, ‘Is This The End,’ with the help of Finger Eleven drummer/producer Steve Molella. Her song 'Drown' is also in the finals for these years 'Unsigned Only' competition and won the 2023 HIM Award (Hollywood Independent Music Award) for best rock song.
INTERVIEW WITH VILIVANT AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: Thank you for chatting with me today regarding your grunge influence. I can hear it in the music that you have released.
Which grunge bands were you influenced by?
Vilivant: I listen to so many amazing grunge/alt bands, but the ones that have influenced me the most are Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and even Silverchair, (which I feel are super extremely underrated!)
Guitar Thrills: Did you have an opportunity to collaborate with or perform with those influential bands?
Vilivant: Oh man, I wish! That would have been amazing! Chris Cornell was/has been a huge inspiration to me as a vocalist alone. If I had the opportunity to work with him before he passed, that would have been a dream come true.
Guitar Thrills: When you first created Vilivant, was it a conversation that you had with other band members about what you would sound like? Were there any disagreements along the way?
Vilivant: No, not really. The project was created by me back in 2018, and I’ve had rotating members since then. Everything that I write/take inspiration from is usually taken to my producer and we workshop ideas until we come up with the finished product. Sure, I go back and forth with my band sometimes, but I usually stick with whatever style or theme that I resonate with at the time of writing.
Guitar Thrills: Many bands today sound like each other. Though they said the same thing about Grunge bands of the nineties. Though there were bands that had their own sound and style. Is this something that you focus on, remaining unique and true to your own authentic sound?Crunch, playing with the Gain/Vol and Tone Switches is much more versatile than it seems at first glance.
Guitar Thrills Broadcast
Vilivant: Absolutely! If I am doing something that I feel isn’t true to myself, than I feel my fans would pick up on it. You are only kidding yourself if you are being inauthentic. This also goes for how I carry myself and my overall image.
Guitar Thrills: You describe your sound as energetic. I can hear the aggressive tones and lyrics. Is that a band collaboration or the style of one band member?
Vilivant: My band and I share the same kind of music tastes and we definitely influence each other in that regard, but in terms of my own music, I come up with most of the melodies and lyrics myself.
Guitar Thrills: With the amount of copy bands, what do you do to avoid creating a song that sounds trendy?
Vilivant: Stay true to myself, LOL! For me, i’ve never really resonated with what is ‘trendy’ or ‘popular.’ I’ve always wanted to step outside of the box and create something that may be different to everything else that is currently being released.
Guitar Thrills: Every artist or band feels that they are one song away from music breaking success. How close do you that next level is Vilivant?
Vilivant: I feel that when working with the right people who have my best interest at heart, the process of getting my music heard will happen naturally. I am thankful to be working with Steve Molella from Finger Eleven (who produced my latest single, ‘Is This The End’). I will also be working with Scott Stevens (produced Halestorm, Dorothy, Scott Stapp etc..) for my next project. I am super excited to start recording some new work in LA this October and cannot wait to let the fans hear what I’ve been up to.
Guitar Thrills: Who are the band members of Vilivant and what is each of their roles in the band?
Vilivant: I have a rotating cast of musicians that I frequently work with, but the official line up at the moment is, Duncan Stan on bass guitar and Anthony Ricci on drums.
Guitar Thrills: Where did you all meet and what was the process for the band coming together?
Vilivant: We met through mutual friends and musicians networks! I got together with Duncan during the midst of COVID and have been working with him since. Anthony is a fairly new addition to the project, but after hiring him for a few shows, I just knew that he would be a perfect fit for the project. As far as lead
guitar players go, I’ve worked with so many talented players. Matt Hache helped write, and record my latest album ‘Running on Empty’ and my newest single, ‘Is This The End.’ I also just recently did a cross Canada tour as direct support for Matt Good and his band and hired Brody Post.
Guitar Thrills: It has been a pleasure to ask you a couple of questions. However, we would like to have you back for an extension Q&A session. Would that be ok?
Vilivant: Absolutely!
Guitar Thrills: Excellent. I am certain that are readers are going to be thrilled about seeing you appear in the October issue of Guitar Thrills Magazine. Thank you for your time.
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