Artist Interview: VID
We recently caught up with Vid, an emerging artist from Queensland, Australia, whose music blends the heartfelt storytelling of folk with the dynamic energy of indie and pop. With his debut single, "Human,"out now, Vid spoke to us about how his home turf influences his sound, his unique approach to songwriting, and the balance between his musical journey and his studies to become a doctor.
Tori: You’re based in Queensland, Australia, a place with a thriving music scene. How has your home turf influenced your sound and your journey as a musician?
Vid: I’ve been very fortunate to begin my musical journey in Queensland, and in particular, moving to Far North Queensland (FNQ) has been terrific for me. In Cairns, there have been a plethora of events and opportunities for me to work on my craft and showcase my own music, and this has been invaluable. Moreover, a lot of the touring acts that I have seen live in FNQ lean into acoustic fingerstyle with folk, indie, and blues vibes, and this is something I have modeled my own performance style after.
Tori: Your music is often described as a blend of indie, folk, and pop. How do you navigate and combine these genres to create your unique sound?
Vid: My music tends to lean towards the style of indie and folk because I love the emotion and energy these genres tend to elicit, particularly in the live setting. I’ve found that when watching live artists, I resonate with and am moved most by those with folk/indie vibes—imagine someone singing shoeless with a stompbox, tambourine, and harmonica! I think for me, not confining myself to a particular genre but instead writing and creating music based on current inspiration and ideas works best. The end product of this is that my music spans a few different genres, which I find adds variety and uniqueness to my set.
Tori: Congratulations on your debut single, "Human." Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song and what it was like to bring it to life?
Vid: Thanks very much! To be honest, I stumbled across the main riff of the song during routine practice, and the rest of the piece fell into place pretty quickly. It was a cool feeling to have the guitar arrangement and lyrics flow naturally, as sometimes songwriting can be an arduous process! In the studio, I wanted to capture the natural sound of fingerstyle acoustic guitar and steer away from over-producing the track. Rob Howe, my producer, did a terrific job of helping me with this vision, and I’m proud of the end product.
Tori: What message do you hope listeners will take away from this track?
Vid: 'Human' captures my thinking that in today’s world, we are too absorbed in our screens and the materialistic world, so much so that we lose sight of what can make us feel truly alive: connecting with nature and others. The song emphasizes how by reconnecting with nature through our senses—breath, touch, sight—we can regain our spark and feel in sync with our innate sense of ‘humanness,’ ultimately leading to a more fulfilled existence.
Tori: How do you approach your vocal performance, and who are some of your biggest vocal inspirations?
Vid: For me, a good vocal warm-up is essential to sounding my best, so I make sure to do a 5–10 minute warm-up before every gig. I enjoy singing songs slightly differently from the original artists and putting my own spin on them, as I find that this allows me to express myself best. Artists whose vocal delivery I admire include Ziggy Alberts and Ed Sheeran—Ziggy adds amazing sounding vibrato to his voice, while Ed Sheeran’s melodic rapping is something I find pretty cool!
Tori: Is there a particular songwriting process you follow, or does it change from song to song?
Vid: I always start with my guitar. I try to find a groove or chord progression that I like the sound of and then slowly map lyrics onto that. Depending on the mood of the guitar part, I will often brainstorm key ideas or messages I want the lyrics to convey in the form of a mind-map and go from there.
Tori: We recently featured Meiia on our blog, and you supported her at a show. What was that experience like, and what did you learn from being the supporting act of another artist?
Vid: It was honestly a fantastic experience! She is incredibly talented and has created a formidable fan base in Cairns, so it was a terrific atmosphere and show! I’ve only been a support act twice, but I think the main takeaway is that being a support act is a great way to get my music and message out to new audiences and expand my reach!
Tori: Who are some of your musical heroes, both from Australia and internationally, that you would love to collaborate with one day?
Vid: I think my main inspirations would be Ed Sheeran, Ziggy Alberts, and Steph Strings. I admire Ed Sheeran because despite being incredibly famous, he seems so down-to-earth and always willing to learn and grow. I think it’s incredibly hard to stay grounded and be a good family man when you’re in the spotlight, so I admire him for that. Plus, his music is pretty good too!
Tori: As a new artist, what has been the most challenging part of getting your music out there? And what has been the most rewarding?
Vid: In the live setting, I think finding spaces and securing gigs where music is actively listened to and not just background music is the most difficult part. Patrons at venues with musicians often tend to prefer familiar cover songs over original music, which can make it difficult to get my own stuff out there. However, by the same token, I have had some incredibly rewarding experiences when talking to patrons after playing original gigs—hearing that someone resonates with your song’s message or loves your sound makes it all worth it!
Tori: You've been performing live for a while now. How does the energy of a live audience impact your performance and the way you connect with your music?
Vid: I always find that the more engaged the audience, the better I play. I think when people react positively to your music and dance and sing along, it's easier to be less self-conscious of whether I sound good or not and just enjoy performing, which makes for the best show.
Tori: Beyond the music, what are some of your other creative outlets or passions? Do they ever inform your songwriting?
Vid: Away from music, I’m studying to be a doctor, a career path I’m very excited and passionate about! My experiences as a medical student have definitely informed my songwriting; I have seen lots of health professionals who commit lots of time to their job at the expense of leisure or time with family. A few of my songs so far speak to protecting our time for these things in life despite our busy schedules. I also love my fitness—soccer, running, cycling, you name it! But I don’t know how much this helps me with my music…
Tori: We're always on the lookout for new talent. What is one new Australian artist that you think everyone should be listening to right now?
Vid: I think in FNQ, one emerging musician to look out for would definitely be Tenni—she has an incredible voice and great stage presence, so I’m excited to see her journey.
Tori: What can fans expect from you after the release of "Human"? Is there an EP or album in the works?
Vid: I think the plan is to either work on an EP or trickle a few more singles out in the coming 12 months. I’m continuing to write in my spare time so hopefully there will be more music headed online soon. But in the meantime, I’m working on promoting my single and continuing to slowly build my community of support.
Tori: If you had to describe your music in three words for someone who has never heard it before, what would they be?
Vid: Raw, honest, authentic.
Tori: What's the dream for VID? What do you hope to achieve with your music in the long run?
Vid: I would love to continue balancing my medical career and my creative life as a musician going forward. In an ideal world, I would love to one day build enough of a fan base to tour Australia and internationally and share my work with others. And playing some big festivals one day would be epic! Who knows what the future holds, but I’m loving the journey and am keen to see what’s ahead.
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