Getting Big Mad for All the Right Reasons with Transviolet

(Photo Credit - Taylor Lewis Photo, @taylorlewisphoto, Aura Haus Studio, @aurahausstudio)

I’m really enjoying the vibe of BIG MAD, the vocals are super polished and the melodies are a great blend of alt and pop. Can you share some of your process for developing the tracks on the record from a writing and recording perspective?

"This one was a different approach, I was inspired by a lot of indie bands like MGMT and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I got in the studio with Benjamin Greenspan, we've known each for a long time and he's produced for us in the past. Every day we would get in and start tapping into feminine rage. Some songs were more developed than others. The song “LEECH” I wrote while I was drunk in the bath one night and was pissed off and thinking about my place in the world and being the only female in the band. I heard the bassline in my head and translated that onto piano and Ben translated that back onto bass. Then we kind of built it from there.”

You’ve always been an artist I’ve admired for confronting the patriarchy that is cemented not only in the music industry, but society as a whole. That said, how do you sort of flip the bird to traditional notions of what a woman “should” and “shouldn’t” do in this industry that is far too restrictive on individual expression?

"I mean it's so hard to describe what it's like to be a woman. But I was a woman in an all-male band. Seeing how they were being treated versus how I was being treated was eye opening. Especially with the sort of questions they would be asked, versus what I was being asked. A lot of my experiences in the industry shaped this. There were people that would ask me "Are you working out?", or would say "Oh, you should be losing weight" when I was around 110 pounds. Then there are things that are more insidious within the undercurrent of things. The industry uses female bodies and suffering to drain entertainment out of it and make a product out of it to sell. It's really gross if you attach the financial aspect of it. It's one thing to give someone a mic and a platform and support them financially. It's another thing entirely to take young women who don't know any better and get them into these predatory contracts and require free labor of them. That was my experience being in the industry initially. I was once in an executive's office and he asked if I was still married, when I said that I was, he said "you should break up with him, it would make for some great music”. People in the room laughed as if it was a joke, but it was sort of one of those half joke things”

I also love how you flip genre on its head, as I mentioned, you blend alt and pop effortlessly. However, there are even elements of industrial tones, especially on “LEECH” and “CHERRY”. How do you blend these sonic elements effortlessly in a way that just works?

"I think a lot of the production decisions are emotionally led, we don't worry about the “rules” or genres. I like the quote that "it's gardening not architecture" when it comes to sonic landscaping. You plant the seeds and care for them. It has been Benjamin and my ethos to throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks".

You’ve done a great job with a lot of the promo for the record including being accessible to your fans on socials and showing some cool behind the scenes stuff as well. What are some of your favorite and least favorite parts that come with the album cycle?

"I really love creating music videos and once I'm in there filming, it brings me so much joy. I'm the one in there making the labels for soda bottles and designing the leech costume (for the “LEECH” video). I love the experience of shooting. I was a little hesitant doing the Shibari stuff, because I researched it could be dangerous. But it was such a psychedelic experience and I felt super safe and supported.”

"Least favorite is release day. I love the creative process and writing. However, when it comes to posting and doing all the things to promote it, not so much."

Somewhat related to the album cycle process, I really enjoyed the video for “LEECH” which has a wild cinematic element to it. You can really tell you’re in your happy place and having a good time in the video. I think music videos are a bit of a lost art these days. With that in mind, what goes into making a TRANSVIOLET video?

"I mean, I LOVE doing it. It's also so fucking stressful. As an independent artist, it's so costly, so I end up wearing a bunch of hats. Like I said, I love working with my friends. For me, it's visual first, what encapsulates the feeling of the song. For me, with “LEECH” it was blending a B horror movie and the Britney Spears Pepsi commercial from around 2001. There was also a little bit of The Substance in it. I always want it to be a bit surreal, I want people to be like 'whoa I've never seen that before'. My friend Taylor Lewis came up with this idea to hang from the ceiling and we just worked on this and made it work. I think starting with a big idea that's maybe out of budget and impossible and working your way back."

"I also have so many talented friends that can I work with that help or give me discounts for their time. Because I mean, you can have the coolest concept, but if you don't know how to shoot a video, it's going to look like shit. Put time and effort into the production details, that will go a long way. I get a strong concept and lure people in to help."

I know some stuff is still in the air with regard to how the live shows will come together (with the changes to the band makeup). However, what are you most looking forward to with sharing the record with the public both in the weird ether that is the internet and in a live setting?

"The live stuff is so weird right now, especially with gas prices, indie artists are getting it from all sides with streaming and the live side, where Live Nation owns everything. You have to pay a crew, a manager, and all this. Even if you do a bare minimum tour, it will run about $20k. Even a band or artist like me who has been at this a long time, who can draw people, it all gets eaten away. We had a show in Philadelphia last tour that was suddenly canceled by the venue with hardly any notice. It was an awful situation because they wouldn’t provide us with contact information for ticket holders to try to make other arrangements, even if it was an unplugged set at a bar down the road. Between that and ensuring you’re taking care of a crew of five or so touring staff, we had zero profit.”

“While it’s really fun and cool to do as an experience it is so cost prohibitive now. But it comes to a point where you need to feel valued. What is cool for me is to try to come up with ways to make the experience cool for the fans and me. I've been talking to this company called PlayHouse, Tyson Ritter (of The All-American Rejects) has started this company that works with fans with unconventional spaces and sidestepping the conglomerates to set your own prices and tickets for direct access to fans. I'm looking into that now. As someone who used to be in a band, who is now a solo act, I'm trying to figure out what that the live show looks like, whether it's me and a band, me and a looping pedal, or me as a burlesque show type presentation."