Writing music is how 22-year old vocalist and musician AVEC keeps the wolf from her door - often reflecting on personal life experiences and weaving her life’s narrative . After the release of her 2015 EP Heartbeats, she has bridged the gap between writing heartfelt lyrics and experimenting with textural sounds. Lyrics are the key component to writing music, and language is a place of retreat - which leaves additional room for interpretation. Distancing herself from negative life experiences, AVEC simultaneously shares her own creative story through the powerful portrayal of human life and emotions through her music.
Although inspired by the likes of Bon Iver, John Mayer, The Lumineers, Oscar and the
Wolf, Kings of Leon, Daughter, RYX, AVEC succeeds in creating her own language, where her imagination and ideas come together in her music. Her sound is comparable to the magical atmosphere just before the sun sets behind the mountains. It is melancholic but hopeful: the sun will rise again tomorrow.
Unheard Gems:Just for our readers to get a little bit of background on you as a person and musician, when did you first know you wanted to pursue music and what was your journey like from that point to where you are now?
Avec: My name is AVEC, I’m an Austrian singer/songwriter and I’m 23 years old.
Music was always just a hobby for me, I started writing my first songs when I was about 12 years old. I guess, as I felt safe and good enough playing the guitar I also started recording demos and stuff like that . I got discovered on the internet and shortly after signing with my label I got into the studio, recorded my first EP and my
debut album ‘What If We Never Forget’, which was released in 2016. I played loads of gigs, me and the band, we toured through Europe, which is still surreal . now I released my second album ‘HEAVEN / HELL’, which me and my band recorded in Ireland together with Tommy McLaughlin and we have a huge tour planned in autumn - I am so looking forward to it!
Unheard Gems: I love your music, you constantly paint pictures and stories and find all of your songs incredible to listen to. Can you talk to us a bit about what inspires your music?
Avec: well, I get a lot of inspiration from inside myself . I’m a shy person, I tend to overthink everything and I’m having a hard time expressing my emotions and feelings so writing is my way of dealing with these kind of things . but also the nature and silence, these two things have a great impact on my songs.
Unheard Gems: How have you seen your music evolve since you first started out? Any valuable lessons or skills you’ve picked up and could pass on.
Avec: I grew a lot over the past few years - I started this project really when I was about 18 years old so my music and especially my writing have evolved over these years . I write differently, I talk about things differently, I’m trying out new sounds and I’m just being curious and experimental in a way I wouldn’t have been back then
Unheard Gems: Your song “Under Water” is one of my favourites and the music video really blew me away. What was the story you were trying to tell with this music video and what was it like bringing the song to life in a visual way?
Avec: I think the song „under water“ is the most honest one I’ve ever written so far . the lyrics are pretty rough and kind of relatable to everybody . the line "breathing under water“ perfectly describes the pain and the struggle of being honest with yourself and being honest with everybody else . it hurts, and you might hurt people but it’s the only way to keep on going, to get through with whatever you’re dealing with - be honest, stay honest and be true to yourself - otherwise those feelings and thoughts will eat up your mind!
Gabriel Hyden had the idea for the whole video and I just love it - when I first watched
it I had goosebumps all over my body ! It captures all the struggles and every bit of emotion I wrote down in the lyrics.
Unheard Gems: Do you have any other projects you are working on that you can tell us about or what can listeners expect from you in the future?
Avec: I’ll do a few collaborations next year :-) and maybe record some new music
Unheard Gems: What is the Austrian music scene like? What has your experience been and how do you see your music translating internationally to groups like us and many others based in the US, the UK, +.
Avec: here in Austria we have a growing music scene, which is really great. there’s more and more amazing music coming out of this tiny country :-)
well, you never really know, but of what I experienced the responses have always been really sweet - let’s see what the future brings.
Unheard Gems: You have a huge list of tour dates coming up, how are you feeling about touring and playing all of these shows? Is there anywhere you are looking forward to playing the most?
Avec: I am so looking forward to this tour - I can not tell you! I love being on the road with my band and the whole crew - it’s almost like a family-vacation hahah
I mean of course, it’s hard work being on tour, trying to give your best every night, over and over again, but you know, it’s all worth it when you’re on stage at the end of a show and you see all these happy, moved people!
not really - I’m looking forward to the whole tour and to all these beautiful folks I’m going to meet on the way!
Unheard Gems: If you could recommend to us another artist you think deserves more recognition in the music industry, or an Unheard Gem, who would you recommend?
Avec: Travis Is A Tourist
Unheard Gems: Lastly, for all of our readers, where can they find you and your music?
Avec:
facebook: www.facebook.com/officialAVEC
instagram: www.instagram.com/officialavec
twitter: www.twitter.com/avec_music
web: www.officialavec.com
Interview by Hannah Schneider
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