Viji Shares Releases New Album ‘So Vanilla’ Via Speedy Wunderground
Viji | Photo Credit: Nicole Ngai
“All scuzzed up guitars and audible eye rolls”
DIY
“an impeccable range of songwriting talent and the ability to create an earworm of a hook.”
So Young
“Mixing alt-pop with lo-fi indie and grunge to create a potent sonic cocktail”
Notion
“Potent . . . blends together 21st century pop with raw punk and grunge elements”
CLASH
“As the grunge-y guitars ring out the hook-laden verses fly”
The FADER
“fast establishing herself as a multi-talented name amongst her generational peers”
The Line Of Best Fit
Plus support from Nylon, Gigwise, Dork, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music + more
London-based Austrian-Brazilian artist Viji has released her debut album So Vanilla. The album is out today via London tastemaker label Speedy Wunderground and alongside the news of an Oct / Nov run of support dates on tour with South African songwriter, Baby Queen.
Referencing the easy, sleazy sounds of the 90s, Viji – real name Vanilla Jenner – has been cementing herself as one of the most exciting alternative artists to watch in the UK right now. Having previously released music on Dirty Hit, she recently signed to Speedy Wunderground and has rapidly built a loyal fanbase whilst receiving widespread plaudits at press and radio.
The new album has continued to see Viji move on an incendiary upward trajectory with the lead single ‘Sedative’ landing on the BBC Radio 6 Music A-list, as well as further tracks receiving plays across BBC Radio 1 and Apple Music, as well as earning press support from the likes of NME, DIY, Dork, CLASH, ASBO, The Line Of Best Fit, Louder, Louder Than War, The New Cue, Loud & Quiet, So Young, and many more.
To celebrate the news of the album, Viji has also announced that she will be joining Baby Queen on a full UK tour across Oct / Nov. The dates will follow closely on the heels of her in-store live dates which will see Viji playing a very limited run of intimate performances, as well as an album launch party which is set to take place at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement. Viji has also recently been announced as an official artist for SXSW 2024, as she looks ahead to next year.
Full upcoming dates are as follows:
27th October – The Blue Basement at Third Man Records - London
28th October – Jacaranda - Liverpool
29th October – Jumbo - Leeds
30th October – Rough Trade - London
31st October – Concorde 2 – Brighton
1st November – The Waterfront – Norwich
3rd November - O2 Academy Birmingham – Birmingham
4th November – The Leadmill – Sheffield
5th November – Newcastle University – Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
7th November – St Luke’s – Scotland
9th November – Academy 2 Manchester – Manchester
10th November – O2 Academy Liverpool – Liverpool
11th November – Leeds University Stylus – Leeds
13th November – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham
14th November – The Trinity Centre – Bristol
15th November – O2 Forum Kentish Town – London
In-store tickets are available here | Baby Queen tickets are available here
Limited guestlist is available upon request
So Vanilla was recorded predominantly in London, in partnership with four-time Mercury Prize nominated producer and Speedy Wunderground label head, Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Kae Tempest, Wet Leg). Having finished So Vanilla in November 2022, Viji relays that every song had a different writing process – some saw her and Carey playing guitar chords together for hours, until the sounds fused into one, and others came from late night ramblings at home.
Discussing how inspirations come to her songwriting process, Viji mentions that ‘Down’s’ writing session originated from a frustratingly happy period in her life and ‘Ambien’, "I chipped away at the lyrics the whole summer. The song has so many verses, I wrote around 13 in the end.” The stripped back song Blanket came together quickly. Thinking she was just playing around, Viji then realized it was done. With an eerie cello part and three chords, this was the most serendipitous song recorded on the album.
Her approach to shoe-gazy rock, raw instrumentals and vocal delivery makes her stand out as one of the most exciting UK artists to watch, pioneering what rock music can sound like in the modern era.
Watch / share recent singles here:
Viji also recently announced a limited edition Digital Pressing of ‘So Vanilla’ providing fans a unique peek behind the curtain of the album. Owners of this innovative new format unlock access to demos, BTS videos and intimate handwritten descriptions of each song on the record. An exclusive insight into the stories behind the songs, each digital edition is numbered and named, providing fans with the ultimate collectible – sign-up for more info here
So Vanilla is out now via Speedy Wunderground – Order / Stream here
Viji
So Vanilla
Tracklisting:
1. Anything
2. Down
3. Sedative
4. Sundress In Pink
5. Karaoke
6. Blanket
7. Sharks
8. Slip Out Quiet
9. 1850
10. Say Hi
11. White Lighter
12. Ambien
