Vajra’s music pushes boundaries, blending Gothic Prog with introspective lyrics. With their latest single "Truth Has Many Lies," they captivate audiences through raw emotion, haunting visuals, and spiritual exploration.
1.
Congratulations on the MTV Live premiere of "Truth Has Many Lies"!
How does it feel to see your music video air on a platform you grew up
watching?
Thank you
so much! It is a surreal moment for us, and a dream come true!
2.
“Truth Has Many Lies” has such an atmospheric and dark tone. Could you tell us
more about the inspiration behind this song and what themes you explore in it?
Saturn
return. I was exploring a time in my life where I felt I was maybe not as
honest with myself as I could be. This pervaded my sense of who I was, what I
was doing, what I thought I wanted, etc.
3.
Annamaria, you’ve said that this premiere is a dream come true. Can you share
what first inspired you to pursue music, and how platforms like MTV influenced
you?
I started
dancing when I was three years old, so this is probably where my love of music
was cemented. I would spend my allowance on records and cassettes. I went on to
play violin and flute as a child, and wrote my first lyrics when I was around
10 years old. I was glued to MTV as a kid – so much so, that I got in trouble
for watching it too much!
4.
Vajra’s music blends elements of Gothic Prog and alternative metal with
introspective lyrics. What’s your process for balancing heavy riffs with
deeper, spiritual themes?
The process
varies with each song. It’s just my way of seeing this music. I can only create
what I know, which is based on who I am at that moment.
5. The
video has a haunting, captivating feel. How did you develop the concept for the
visuals, and who helped bring it to life?
Thank you.
The idea for the video is based on my life experience (i.e., the same
experience I referred to earlier). I was working as an attorney at a big
factory law firm, and I started evaluating my life on both macro and micro
levels. When I looked in the mirror, I felt that I was not being truly honest
with myself, and I had to make some serious life changes. I left corporate
America, and went to live in India, which is where I wrote the demo for our
first album ‘Pleroma.’ Dave and I shot the video ourselves with the
help of our friend, Tas Limur. Dave and edited it, and Dave did all of the
visual effects. Costume, location, etc. was all us. It was a three person team,
and a budget of approximately $150.
6.
You've been compared to artists like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, yet your
music has its unique style. What artists or bands have influenced your sound,
and how have they shaped your journey?
Tool and A
Perfect Circle are a huge influences. But we have so many
influences. Classical Hindustani music is a huge influence, The Doors, Janes
Addiction, Tori Amos, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Prince, Isis, Katatonia,
Deftones, Om, ….I can go on and on. The bands are influences, and
teachers to show us various possibilities in sound. But their sound is their
sound. Using their sounds as vocabulary, we then can create our own sounds.
7. Your
previous single, “Crown or Crucify,” was a Top 40 hit. What did that success
mean for you as a band, and did it influence your approach to creating “Truth
Has Many Lies”?
The success
helped open doors for us, which is cool. I wouldn’t say that that success
directly influenced my approach to creating “Truth Has Many Lies.”
8.
Guitarist Dave Sussman was part of the legendary industrial metal band BILE.
How has his background influenced Vajra’s sound, especially on this new track?
Yes! Dave
brings a vibe and a feel that is intoxicating.
9.
Vajra’s music often explores themes of spirituality and consciousness. Are
there particular philosophies or practices that inspire your songwriting?
My Dad was
a monk before he met my Mom. I was raised with more of an early Christian
church approach focused on spirituality and less dogma. I’ve studied other
religions and philosophies. The more I learn, the closer that they all bleed
into universal codes for living. I’m obsessed with the idea of consciousness.
Who are we? What are we? What is the whole thing about? The consciousness
astronauts like Alan Watts, Aldous Huxley, Tim Leary, Ram Dass, Joseph
Campbell, Terence Mckenna, etc. have heavily influenced the way I perceive my
life.
10. With
this new single, how do you hope to impact your listeners? Is there a
particular message or feeling you want them to take away from “Truth Has Many
Lies”?
I can only
hope that our music inspires someone else to create whatever it is she or he
creates or that the music opens an awareness that she or he may not have had
prior to listening. That is what other musicians have done for me.
11. What
has the response been like from fans so far, especially given the strong visual
and lyrical elements in the video?
We’ve had
an outburst of love, which has been fantastic. We still need help getting the
word out though. It’s tough when we are doing everything ourselves without big
label assistance.
12.
Looking ahead, what’s next for Vajra? Can fans expect more releases, tour
dates, or exciting collaborations in the near future?
More music,
more videos for sure. We are holding off on touring until it makes sense. It
has to be sustainable, and in the music biz right now, coupled with inflation,
it’s a tough time for smaller bands to afford to be out there. We still have to
pay our rent and health care.
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