Van Wild Talks Inspirations, A Debut EP And Issues That Matter

by Jane Roser

Photo by Raphael Bastos

In a business that has seen it all, it’s refreshing and inspiring when something new comes along to inject a bit of unique artistry and make you go huh, I sure never thought of that before, that’s cool as heck. Van Wild is a Southern rock-pop musical project by singer-songwriter Yasmine Van Wilt who wanted to create something that was closer to her personality than her previous characters (Antoinette and Elle-“A”).

“Van Wild is a slightly heightened version of me in that the show is still transmedia,” explains Van Wilt. “I’ve written a bunch of performance poetry which I’ll interweave between songs to tell the narrative. More than anything it’s me relating to my audience and telling my own story in a more direct and interesting way.”

Growing up in Florida by way of Quebec, Van Wilt was inspired by her creative parents to experience the arts in quite an intense way (her father is a singer-songwriter and her mother is an actress and painter). She understood from a young age how difficult it is to make a profession out of your passion, but also how rewarding it can be. “From that early introduction to the arts I started pursuing it with blind passion,” says Van Wilt.

Inspired by a desire to understand and interrogate identity is what has driven her to create these interesting characters. “One of the greatest ways to reach audiences, for me, is to take scenarios or situations that are rarely discussed in the public consciousness or through mainstream media and to find ways to address these topics through these characters. Antoinette, for example, is a Louisiana singer-songwriter who loses her father and husband in the BP disaster. For me, as a Southerner whose home state was affected by the oil spill, I felt this was something I wanted to explore, so I spent a lot of time researching and talking to people; to explore the concept of loss within an accessible context was something I felt very passionate about.”

Van Wilt sees herself as much as a singer-songwriter as she does a performance artist and excels at both beautifully. Already possessing a MA in composition and performance from Exeter University, Van Wilt is currently in London studying for her PhD. While there, she recorded her debut Van Wild EP and performing her energetic live show which incorporates a great backing band, as well as performance poetry to tie the songs together.

The EP itself took about eight months to record and Van Wilt produced the entire album herself. “I have a clear image of how the architecture of the sounds should be,” she explains, “and then I work with talented musicians and engineers who help me to achieve that.”

Some of the tracks were even mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios. The singles “Cherry Tree” and “Hey Old Man” have already been receiving praise for their catchy, poetic and frank lyrics dealing with social observation and lost loves. Van Wild has been #1 on the UK ReverbNation Indie charts and her singles are getting Top 40 radio play across the nation. “Cherry Tree” is #92 in the Billboard Top 100 and is presently #5 in VT on Hot AC radio while “Hey Old Man” is receiving AAA and global mainstream radio plays.

“Hey Old Man” is an energetic blues-y song that was inspired by the economic crash in Europe. “I spent a lot of time in Greece and the incredible number of young people who are homeless really impacted me,” says Van Wilt. “It’s so heartbreaking and shocking; you just look at their faces and they are so without hope for the future. I see this often in my travels-what’s wrong with society when it’s not taking care of the people who care about it so much? I’m also hugely inspired by the Civil Rights movement and the artists from that era-they just had an unembarrassed way of dealing with their fears and this song is a response to that. How can we say that everything is going to be okay?”

With a music video for “Cherry Tree” wrapped and her album garnering fabulous reviews, what’s next for this award-winning renaissance woman? “We’ll be announcing a tour in January [after returning to the States],” says Van Wilt. Add to that the prestige of recently been selected for the “One World One Voice” Formula E project, which raises funds and awareness about climate change. Van Wilt is hoping to make a difference, one song at a time. As the eminent Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”