Victoria Anthony on Growing Up, Graduation and Her the Release of Sophomore Album New Disaster

We've been hooked on Victoria Anthony's music ever since we were first introduced to her with "Kinda Into You," and with the release of her new sophomore album, it's truly incredible to see how far she's come.

Today, the Vancouver-based singer-songwriter dropped New Disaster, consisting of 13 boldly irresistible pop-punk tracks that beautifully capture the strange and wonderful transitional period that is adolescence. From start to finish, it's packed with all of the energetic joy, anxiety and angst that make up the rollercoaster ride of growing up, bringing us right back to that period in our own lives. The album is also accompanied by an incredible music video for the title track, self-directed by Victoria herself alongside filmmaker Anna Baker, showing just how multifaceted Victoria truly is. We simply had to catch up with the star to learn more about the album and this period of her life. Read our interview with Victoria below for the full story.

Sweety High: What does the album name New Disaster mean to you? Why did that title track feel like the perfect summation of these songs?

Victoria Anthony: As soon as I wrote "New Disaster," I knew it was the title of my album. It perfectly sums up the messy but fun dichotomy of youth. The song itself is about acknowledging the fleeting nature of young love, but still embracing it. "New Disaster" carries a playful vibe, shown in the line, "You and I, we might be a big mistake… but it's okay!" This album is full of navigating situations for the first time, and sometimes, coming at that from a unique perspective, just like in this song. I wanted this album to be represented by a fun, playful song like this because, to me, that is what this time of my life has been about. Changing your perspective can make life so much more fun to live.

(New Disaster via Victoria Anthony Music)

 

Also read about: Victoria Anthony Gives Into Infatuation and Angst With 'Can't Hold Back'

 

SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the album? What kind of feel do you hope fans take away from it?

VA: This album is about youth, every aspect of it: the novelty, the fear, the excitement. I wanted to create a time capsule through songs for this period of my life, capturing all the intensity of feeling and doing things for the first time. From infatuation bangers like "New Disaster" and "Kinda Into You" to introspective, vulnerable tracks like "Stupid Kid" and "Another Regret" to self-assured anthems like "Better Boyfriend" and "Non-Existent Love Life," this album touches on a wide array of late teen/early adult experiences. This time is filled with so much change and uncertainty. I hope older fans reminisce on their youth through this album, younger fans feel seen in their transitional period, and all fans realize that it's okay to feel things deeply and passionately. "New Disaster" is an album full of a lust for life and all that you can bring to it.

 

SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks to life?

VA: This album sounds full of energy and intensity. I wanted the album to feature a ton of guitars, live drums and passionate vocals. Energy can be found through gang vocals on most upbeat tracks, and intensity can be found through intentional vocal breaks and shakes on the sadder songs. Most songs were written in the studio acoustically first, on piano or guitar. Then, my producer Ryan Worsley would start to craft a track that drove the song forward with passion; this typically included some instrumental movement. As we wrote for the album, we noticed holes that we had to musically sew together. For example, we noticed a ballad was missing from the tracklist once we were around 10 songs deep, so we wrote "You Don't Love Me."

 

SH: How do you feel that these songs represent where you all are in life right now?

VA: I'm graduating high school this year. My life is filled with so much change, anticipation and fear. I wrote this album throughout my grade 11 and 12 years. I wrote it about embracing these unique and wonderful years full of taking the first steps towards finding out how you fit in the world. Now, I'm at that point: figuring out who I am and what I'm meant to be. New Disaster, my album, represents this feeling throughout. I chose to end the relationship and friendship ups and downs album with a song just about me: "Stupid Kid." Ending on this note represents exactly where I am in life right now. I'm venturing off on my own, scared, but, as it says in the song, "I'm trying here."

 

Also read about: Victoria Anthony's 'Kinda Into You' Is the Ultimate Anthem to Crushing Hard

 

SH: What's your favorite song on the album? Why?

VA: I love "Little Secret" so much. This song is fast-paced, full of energy and always makes me feel like I'm listening to someone's gossip. The song has a unique structure with two pre-choruses, or at least that's how I intended it. As soon as I wrote the melodies in this song, I felt hooked. The lyrics tell the story of a "no questions asked" sort of summertime relationship that you just get swept up into. I love listening to "Little Secret" in the car, especially. Whenever I play the song, I am 100% enthralled by it; it can never serve as background music to me. I just love it!

 

SH: How do you feel that you've grown as an artist, both personally and musically, since Real Life?

VA: Ironically, since Real Life, I've started writing a lot more about my real life. I've made a conscious effort to lay myself more barely on the page, expressing my feelings with vulnerability and truth. Musically, I've tried to develop a sound that stays cohesive but properly reflects the meaning of the song. For my more angsty and angry songs, I've worked with my producer Ryan Worsley to create a pop punk, guitar-heavy sound with a catchy pop flair. It combines my love for a great hook with my desire to bring emotional passion to a song. With my more slow songs like "You Don't Love Me," we've worked to use live instruments like piano, drums and strings to add emotional depth to the lyrics through the sound of the song. Overall, I now aim to be more authentic and get my point across musically in lyrically the best I can.

(Photo credit: Anna Baker)

 

SH: The album release also lands before your high school graduation—congrats! How does it feel to be celebrating this momentous season?

VA: Graduating high school is a bittersweet experience. I'm excited to celebrate all my hard work with my friends and family, but I'm also terrified to leave it all behind. This time is filled with endless unknown: scary but exciting. I'm a mess of emotions, writing songs as frequently as I'm having mental breakdowns. However, I'm trying to take my own advice by embracing the change, no matter how daunting it can seem. I don't know what's next, and that's okay! I'm living in the moment, making art, making memories and loving every minute of it.

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

VA: I'm really proud of the "New Disaster" music video. My amazing co-director Anna Baker and I shot the video across the U.K. and Europe while on tour, opening for Leah Kate. We filmed running through the streets of beautiful cities, representing the line "let's go faster!" Before shows and sound checks, we filmed energetic shots that perfectly encapsulated the fun of the song.

 

For even more on the album's closing track, click HERE to read our interview with Victoria Anthony on "Stupid Kid."