Darlington pop-rock artist Viia is stepping into a new chapter. After reintroducing herself with a fresh sound and approach, she recently released her latest single, ‘I’d Hate Myself Too’. Blending the punch of rock with pop storytelling, her music focuses on relationships, self-reflection and the experiences many young women face but don’t often hear spoken about in songs. Stephen Anderson caught up with Viia to talk about the new single, her songwriting and what’s coming next.
For anyone who might not have come across your music yet, can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about who Viia is?
I’m Viia, a pop-rock artist from Darlington. I’ve been doing music for a long time, and I’ve just had my rebrand, if you will. I’ve come back with my first single, ‘I’d Hate Myself Too’, which was released on Friday 6th February, and there will be more music to follow.
Can you tell us a bit about the new song and the kind of themes you explore in your music?
I write rock-pop music for girls – the situations they go through in terms of relationships and finding themselves, and the fact that it’s not really spoken about. I try to speak about that in a brutally honest way, which is where the line from the single, “If I was you, I’d hate myself too,” comes from. My music is very much aimed towards girls. I’ve found it hard to find music I can relate to lyrically, so I’ve kind of created music for those situations. I love rock and pop, and music that tells a story lyrically, and I try to blend that into my own songs.
Can you tell us a bit about the recording process behind your songs?
I go to Harrogate, where my producer George is based, and we write and produce all the tracks there at the moment. We’ve tried to get the rock-pop crossover in the music, which I’ve wanted to do for ages. I wasn’t doing rock music before, which is part of why the rebrand came about. This is me starting fresh, and I’ve been able to do it now that I’m independent. Since this comeback, I’m kind of doing everything my way.
Are you planning to play any live shows soon so people can come and see you perform?
I’m focusing a lot on getting the music out at the moment, but there will be shows soon because that’s my favourite part. I’ll have shows at some point this year, but I’m still figuring all that out – being a solo artist isn’t easy, so that’s the side I’m navigating right now.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
I’ll start writing for the next EP and releasing music. I’ve got the next four songs lined up for release over the next few months. I’m not sure yet if it’ll be an EP or if we’ll just release singles, so we’re playing it by ear depending on how the music is received. But there is definitely music coming throughout this year, and live shows will follow later.
‘I’d Hate Myself Too’ is available on all major streaming platforms now.
