Q: What kind of performance artist are you?

Musician/ Writer

Q: When did you first know that you wanted to be a full-time artist?

I knew I wanted to be a full-time artist when I made my first EP in 2018. I taught myself how to play all of the instruments, and at the time I thought I wanted to be a producer, so I focused extensively on learning how my equipment worked, and got really into the process of creating a feeling and theme. I would love to compose a film score one day, because I love film and music equally as much. These days I'm really excited about performing and crafting an engaging show. 

Q: How are you keeping yourself inspired to create during this unprecedented time?

I try to keep myself as busy as possible at all times, which is probably not good, but I thrive in chaos. I'm always looking at pictures that inspire me. Whether that's a photo of a Victorian corset, or a film still from a movie I've never seen, or renaissance painting, just looking at a photo can inspire so many ideas in me. I love to see others expressing themselves. I also watch a lot of interviews by my favorite artists (mostly from the past). This tends to inspire my writing a lot, because just hearing about other people's lives makes me reflect on my own.

I'm on a Prince and Vanity kick right now, and hearing about their relationship is so interesting. I love listening to movie soundtracks as well. I've been writing screenplays and shorts for the past year and a half, so that has also been keeping me busy, just learning about the filmmaking process in general. I try not to force songwriting, but I have a long list of songs that work on every now and then whenever I feel the time is right. Running And yoga has also been amazing. It keeps me grounded and helps my anxiety.

Q: What is the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome as an artist and how did you overcome it?

My biggest obstacle is my perfectionism. I would take years to finish a project because I never thought it was good enough. I'd procrastinate on it and when I finally finished it, I would be exhausted. I also thought I could do everything on my own, which I learned, just isn't realistic. I learned how to play guitar, bass, and drums, and I learned how to mix and engineer, but my passion is for crafting a performance and composing, so I chose to focus more on that, and to ask others for help.

I'm in the process of completing my first album that I made with a Band/Studio (Gamma Studios) in Montreal in October, and words cannot explain how nice it is not to do everything. Collaboration is amazing. I realized during Covid that I wasn't working solo because I wanted to, I did it because of fear. Fear of not being good enough for others to hear. But with working with others, I'm growing. I'm learning new skills, and realizing that things don't need to be perfect, and it’s often better that way.  

Q: What are you most proud of in your career thus far?

I'm proud of the album I created with the team in Montreal. I put my entire soul into this project. Some of the songs on it are from up to 4 years ago, and I'm proud of just being able to stick with a song for so long, to not give up on it and trying to make the best it can be. I grew a lot in terms of learning how to work with others and to be vulnerable and honest and improving my song structure. I'm also proud of my improvements in my singing. I think the way I sing now suits my voice a lot more, as opposed to a few years ago. 

Q: Is there anything you are working on now that can be shared and supported?

My next show is at Knitting Factory on January 18th!

Get tix here: Knitting Factory

Bandcamp: War Violet Bancamp 

Follow me on Instagram: War_Violet