ViVii Is Stockholm's Effervescent Light that Shines Through the Darkness [Q&A]
While Stockholm seems to be the Mecca of dream pop righteousness, the charming trio known as ViVii is certainly making waves for Sweden's indie appeal. ViVii is comprised of a married couple, Emil and Caroline Jonsson, and their good friend, Anders Eckeborn, who produces ViVii's emotive discography. Their hushed soundscape has been compared to the esteemed Lana Del Rey, but where they differ is found within ViVii's ability to draw listeners in with every romantic note.
ViVii is still a young project as the talented trio released their debut single, "Siv (You and I)," in 2018. But don't let their limited discography fool you because ViVii encompasses the maturity of the most experienced musicians with an added touch of deep personal connection. Their self-titled debut record features uplifting instrumentals and captivating vocals that are just too wholesome to pass up, and this is only a tiny glimpse of what ViVii has in store for the future.
Stream ViVii's self-titled debut album below and catch them on tour this fall:
Ahead of their upcoming US tour, we recently chatted with ViVii about their self-titled record, special show rituals, and their musical inspirations.
OTW: Emil and Caroline, you met each other as carefree children at summer camp in what feels like a lifetime ago. At what point did you both realize music would be lined up for your future?
ViVii: Well, since the beginning of our friendship we've been doing music together in different shapes and forms. And there has always been a notion about us doing something more with it. But I guess we knew that we had to do something about it when our daughter was born; that was our cue. And when we later on met up with Anders, everything fell into place.
OTW: You pull inspiration from late 80s vinyl records and indie pop jams that truly speak to you emotionally. Who are some artists that influence your timeless sound?
ViVii: That list can be made very long... but the three of us listen to a lot of instrumental music, all the way from classical to electronic music. Fleetwood Mac, Demis Roussos, Dolly Parton, Stephan Bodzin, Sufjan Stevens, and ABBA – to name a few that we really like.
OTW: You released your self-titled debut album earlier this year, and fans across the world are absolutely loving it. Can you share a bit about your creative process for this record?
ViVii: It always starts with us sitting with a guitar and from there it all grows into whatever it needs to be. The true happiness of the three of us just being able to make music together in a studio where we could try different things without anyone looking over our shoulder telling us what to do or not to do. That was something that really sparked our creativity.
OTW: Is there a particular track on ViVii that you resonate with the most?
ViVii: Well it depends on who you ask, but I think we all agree that "Savant" will always resonate with all of us in a very special way. That song was the lighthouse of our album and of our sound. After that song was made, we had the "code" for the rest of the songs.
OTW: Which song was the most difficult to write on ViVii?
ViVii: I guess it was "Suckerpunch.“ Some friends were involved with writing that song and that equals a lot more opinions... that made the whole process very tricky – to say the least.
OTW: What are you most looking forward to in regards to your upcoming US tour?
ViVii: We are looking forward to EVERYTHING! I mean, just sitting on a tour bus talking about nothing seems great and to perform every other night for three weeks in a row seems super dreamy. And not to mention the food and to meet friends.
OTW: Do you have any special show rituals?
ViVii: Doing breathing exercise a la the Wim Hof method. And then slowly increasing the volume on the speakers while listening to "Blue Giant" by Stephan Bodzin.
OTW: If you could perform a headlining show anywhere in the world, where would you pick? Who would be your openers?
ViVii: I think we would go for Red Rocks in Colorado. Our opening act would be the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and they would back us up on two songs at least.
OTW: Who are your Ones To Watch?
ViVii: The very talented JOSIN and Viagra Boys.
