HOT OFF THE PRESS: Exclusive interview with the gorgeous talented reggae fusion VANA LIYA!
reggaerocknews.com interviews with the gorgeous talented Vana Liya and here is what she had to say:
Vana Liya: “I am not sure where this life will take me and you know I have been places that I never thought that I would be in a million years, so I don’t know what is in store. I have a gut feeling that it might be some cool stuff, my goal is to keep touching people with my music. Lyrically trying to spread positivity and happiness in a way that is not corny or cliche, because I want to spread positivity, happiness. There was a point in my life that I was not happy and I was good at hiding it. Anybody that you meet you do not know what they are going through, so if you can be a happy positive force with anybody and everybody it can be really helpful at times. I think about what those feelings felt like and I never want anyone to feel like that. I want to be super happy and positive! I feel like I am trying to be happy and positive and the more I lead with that intention than the more naturally things will happen and you know hopefully would like it to be concentrated on a mainstream scale. I want to become a reggae fusion style. Some things I have been writing about on this album can escape the typical reggae standard in a sense because on this new album for example there is barely any drums it is percussion and things like that. I want to be able to make a reggae fusion and bridge a gap, fill a space that has not really been filled yet would be my goal. Introduce reggae in a new way, I am Caribbean, I really love holding to that aspect but at the same time I am American raised first generation in the states so there is that part of me that wants to bridge the gap between the two and make a cluster of things that I like and see what happens.” as she laughs out loud.
Editor: Tell me more about the one of your favorite artists?
Vana Liya: “In New York it is not so much reggae scene, talk talk alternative, and indie music through college and some friends started diving in and. Dallas Green who is a popular heavier rock band started diving in found out he had an acoustic project and I remember the first time I heard one of his songs he would sing about struggles I could not identify with like drinking or being alone and things like that and when I would hear him sing would not matter if I had not experienced that it didn’t matter he made me feel it when you were listening to what he was saying, He just has the most angelic and sweetest voice. He is so captivating to me because has a great fall Cato very sweet and very soft and an inspiration for me to do the covers that way a big reason my covers got noticed songs sung by men singing with a ukyeleand all high up and airy hearing it a different way was helpful and inspired me in a sense. Band is “The city in a color” because his name is “city in a color” His past music is very acoustic and very raw but he has some new music that has a acoustic bluesy, jazz type of feel to it. He is the guy that I like because he will consistently put out good music and keep it fresh without straying from himself. because I It is a battle with artists. “Do I keep doing the same thing that has got me so much traction, or do I try to do something new and fresh and keep up with the times.” He does a great job of keeping it fresh but keeping it true to himself and I would definitely recommend checking him out.”
Editor: How did you find your way into the reggae scene with Pepper?
Vana Liya: “I was doing the You tube covers early on and the first song I ever covered was a Pepper song my favorite band. Yesod WIlliams drummer from Pepper saw my cover and said, “we should talk to you about the label”. So going from getting signed to now having a song with them when I used to ride the rail at Pepper shows is unbelievable. None of my friends in New York liked the type of music, it was just me in the front at Pepper shows just trying to see. As we were writing the song “Round n Round” I was sitting with Cosmic and we were like this song could use a feature and were both thinking Kaleo and that is how that drop featuring Kaleo Sossman was born. I got a dropbox with the demo from Kaleo in the morning that I had moved to California and my brother was leaving to go back to New York. I was dropping him to the airport super early at like 6:00 am and so sad that he was leaving and as I was driving back form the airport I put the track in and just remember seeing the sunrise and hearing Kaleo with my voice in the song. “Round n Round” is about being ok even if things aren’t ok and that is how I felt in the moment I didn’t feel ok that I left my family but I knew everything was going to be ok so it was such an amazing cliche day.”
Reggaerocknews.com will follow your path Vana Liya as you are brilliant, amazing, and so talented. You’re loved and needed so keep on keeping on. The conversation with Vana Liya was only Good Vibes. She is so down to earth positive and inspirational. Vana Liya grew up east of New York City. For Christmas one year her mother gave her a ukelele and a few years later began covering some of her favorite bands including; 311, Pepper, Rebelution, Stick Figure, Soja and many others. Vana Liya performed with Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, The Expendables, Soja She was signed with Law Records in 2018 becoming the first female solo artist. Vana Liya’s debut album featuring Pepper is scheduled for release on September 3, 2021.
