Interview with rising pop-rock star Viia

Words by Kate South

Viia is a rock/pop artist from the North East of England whose music thrives on tension – loud, confrontational, and emotionally unfiltered. Built on crushing guitar riffs and towering vocals, her sound turns rage into release and vulnerability into something weaponised. Viia released her debut single, “I’d Hate Myself Too,” a few weeks ago. A venom-laced reckoning, the single is massive in scale and ruthless in intent; the track refuses closure or forgiveness. Instead, it holds its ground, stares back, and applies pressure until the illusion of power collapses. Uncompromising and emotionally charged, Viia’s debut marks the arrival of an artist who refuses to shrink. Here at Starfreak, we had a chance to catch up with Viia in the wake of her singles release and chat all about her musical style, northern roots and affinity to the mob wife aesthetic.

KS: How are you? Are you London-based now?

Viia: I am now, yeah, I moved from Darlington in December. I had a new job come through so I just moved within 3 days. 

KS: How exciting! So – let’s get into it:  I’d Hate Myself Too…I love it. Certified banger. It’s gone multiplatinum in my flat.

Viia: Thank you!

KS: Talk me through a bit of the inspiration behind the track.

Viia: Yeah, it was about my ex-boyfriend if you can’t tell. I had a few days in the studio with some friends of mine, writing some songs. My friend and I had gone for dinner on one of the nights, and I was slagging him off, going “if I was him I’d fucking hate myself”, and my friend said, “oh my god you’ve got to write a song about it”. George, who was my producer, produced [I’d hate myself too], and I write songs with him as well. I asked him the next day, “Do you have a big guitar riff, because I have this concept?” I told him about it, and he was like, “Great!” and we wrote the entire thing in one day, I think it was. But I wrote it two years ago…

KS: Oh, really?

Viia: Yeah, so it’s been a while in the making.

KS: That’s so cool. Why did you choose to release it now?

Viia: I just didn’t feel like I was ready. I dunno, I just felt like I would have been rushing it. Also, I was still kind of getting over that break-up as well. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be putting all my energy into music. I needed to give myself a break and just figure out who I am properly after that. And then money-wise…

KS: It’s pretty expensive!

Viia: (laughing) I thought, when I get to that point emotionally and financially, I’ll put it out. Also, the campaign started in January, it felt like a fresh start, and I’d just moved to London, I’d gotten a new job, like everything was all at once.

KS: It meant you could just draw a line under that part of your life?

Viia: Yeah, exactly.

KS: Love that! What do you think fans will take away from your song? You’ve touched on some quite dark, heavy undertones –

Viia: Yeah – 

KS: Do you think it will help listeners process their own stuff? 

Viia: I think so… whenever I use the word ‘hate,’ I am always told it’s such a strong word. No! I mean it! I know it’s strong, that’s why I am using it, you know what I mean?

KS: Yes, and I feel like women have to police their language around break ups so much

Viia: Exactly, and that’s why I wanted the song title and hook to be so aggressive. Many songs aren’t aggressive when it comes to speaking about someone else; songs might say, “oh you bitch” or something, but not many songs actually say I hate you. Hating yourself is worse – more intense- than hating someone else.

KS: That’s true!

Viia: I want people to hear it and go “oh my god! but same”

KS: It goes a step further, you’re saying not only do I hate, but you’re also saying to someone they should hate themselves. It’s a great song. We’ve touched on it a little bit already, but talk me through your songwriting process. How does a song begin for you?

Viia: I try not to force it, because I feel like you don’t really get much from that. Whenever I go into sessions, I make sure I have some ideas brewing. Usually, if something bad has happened or if someone has treated me like shit, I think that’s why my taste in men is so bad, because my excuse if it’s fine cause I can write a song about it

KS: Oh noooo

Viia: I know! It’s terrible! But it’s actually really helpful. If something’s happened, I write down all these little ideas, usually I’ll voice note them, I’ll send them to my producer, George and be like “what do you think about this?” and we will go from there. He sometimes sends me guitar riffs, and I’ll write from them, or I’ll send a song reference and say what I like about it. It depends. It depends on how inspired I am at the time. You can be inspired by music, or you can be inspired by your own personal situation, so I think it depends on where it stems from.

KS: So who inspires you musically?

Viia: I feel like my biggest inspirations aren’t like me musically. I love Jeff Buckley SO MUCH, he makes me cry. Julia Jacklin is amazing. I think both of them, lyrically and melodically, and everything,  are amazing. But I love Queens of the Stone Age and Nothing but Thieves – big guitar riffs but also really big vocals. I sometimes say my music is like Nothing but Thieves, but a little more pop with a woman singing instead.

KS: You describe yourself as a pop/rock artist. What’s the rationale behind the fusion of the two genres?

Viia: I just love both. What I love in music is big guitars and the anthemic feel. But then I love Lana Del Ray, who is so atmospheric, and her lyrics are so beautiful, but also kind of heartbreaking at the same time. You don’t really get that in rock music. So that’s where the blend comes from. I love pop, but I couldn’t just sing pop. Guitar is where it hits for me… I was trying to figure out for a few years where that crossover was going to be, which is also why I didn’t release I’d Hate Myself Too for ages. 

KS: Your aesthetics are very femme-coded. I did wonder if a part of the appeal of pop is that rock is often exclusionary, it’s often dominated by men – does that play a factor or not really?

Viia: Yeah – I think it’s really hard to see where women make it in rock music and actually become really successful because there aren’t that many. And if there is, it’s a woman fronting a band of men. It’s not like it’s one singular woman. It’s quite hard. Sometimes I think, “Is it going to work out?” but then I think “, fuck it’s fine”. I am quite hyper femme, I would say. I dress like Yungblood if he were a woman.

KS: I see that! I was wondering how gender factored into the combination of genres.

Viia: I just think with rock music, the way lyrics are written, and melodically, that’s not how I want my music to be. In terms of drums and guitar, I do. But I love big synths underneath, I love a string section. My singing in my songs is quite big – I love a good scream –

KS: You have fab vocals.

Viia: Thank you, but you know what I mean, the vocals are often high up.

KS: Yeah – 

Viia: I think the way I sing, I think I sing a bit like Adele. Not as in like her –

KS: Own it! You’ve got a great belt.

Viia: Yeah, but I mean more stylistically, she’s very like ~vocalises in Adele~, and you don’t really get that in rock. 

KS: For the record, when I heard the track, the first thing I thought was “This is a rock star” based on your sound only, so then I wondered if the ‘pop’ aspect came from the aesthetic, as you’re such a visual artist as well. It’s interesting you’ve only talked about it in terms of music.

Viia: It’s not really a style thing, I think you can just wear what you want, and it doesn’t really affect your genre. Although with I’d Hate Myself Too, lyrics-wise, I’d class those as pop lyrics. I wouldn’t say they are rock.

KS: Do you think pop artists are better at writing lyrics than rock artists?

Viia: I think so. Personally, I think rock artists really overthink it sometimes. For me, I don’t need to hear something really poetic. It’s nice, but I don’t need it all the time. Like Sabrina Carpenter, I think her lyrics are amazing. I think she’s so good. I like lyrics that are bang on the head. It’s like storytelling. I know exactly what you mean, and especially if it’s sort of funny sometimes, I like those lyrics. But then the Arctic Monkeys – what’s that song that they did? Snap out of it? 505? Those are stunning lyrics. But it’s different from Sabrina Carpenter. 

KS: Charli xcx nailed it with brat, didn’t she? Those lyrics are what they say on the tin.

Viia: Exactly. Mine are quite like that. But also, I don’t think I’m the best songwriter in the world, so I’m not going to put myself in the same category as Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age. His lyrics… I can’t compete with that!

KS: You could sit there all day thinking, what is No One Knows actually about?

Viia: No one knows.

KS: No one knows! Soooo true. Anyways, let’s talk about your style. Who are your fashion icons?

Viia: I actually don’t really have any. My style has been so weird. I have never looked up to anyone when it comes to style; I’ve always picked out items. Or I’ve seen posts on Instagram or people in the street and gone “oh I like that” and then recreated it with my own pieces. But I’ve pretty much always dressed like this since I was eleven years old. 

KS: Really?

Viia: I used to go to school on home clothes day in massive flared trousers, platform boots, PVC…it was crazy. But I think it’s adapted now into a more feminine vibe. More pinup, mob wife-ish.

KS: I love that – Do you find a lot of fashion inspiration on social media?

Viia: I think so. I just love the mob wife, Jessica Rabbit vibe…I wear a lot of corsets because I bloat all the time.

KS: That’s actually very candid and very real of you. Thank goodness someone is speaking on it.

Viia: Yeah, I have PCOS, so it literally looks like I’m pregnant. I’m not having that out all the time.

KS: You know what, fair enough.

Viia: But yeah, I used to have a more rocky vibe: all the leather and leather jackets, but maybe because it’s winter, so I’ve gone more toward the furs (points towards a gorgeous fur coat). 

KS: Yeah I have been eyeing her up I can’t lie

Viia: Well, she’s from Fashion Nova if you ever want one.

KS: Speaking of the fur coats, do you think that your northern roots have influenced your style at all aesthetically or musically?

Viia: I think so. The thing is, up north, we have no support. We have no money, no contacts. Musically, genre wise, I think to myself you might as well do what you want because no one’s going to be impressed by me because they think I’m a dirty northerner. I like we are looked down upon a bit. Style wise, in terms of clothing, I’m a maximalist. I love the big hair, full face of make-up all the time, heels, you know, properly dressed up. I’m from Darlington, which is quite close to Newcastle, so where I’m from, all the girls dress up to the nines when they go out. I’ve always been super dressy. Unless I’m at work. 

KS: I think the fur coats are a northern thing. I have a southern boyfriend who thought my fur coats were too much. Then we moved to Manchester, and all the girls were wearing them!

Viia: My ex was like that as well. I had a full white shag fur coat, and he’d be like why are you wearing that and I’d say, “Shut up, have you seen yourself?” 

KS: Genuinely! There’s nothing chicer.

Viia: You have to have both extremes. It either has to be borderline pyjamas, or we are going out.

KS: Exactly. Is a music video on the way for I’d Hate Myself Too?

Viia: No, because I’ve got no money. I fund everything myself, so at the moment I’m just doing short-form videos on my social media. I have some new music I’m currently working on. I’d love to do a music video for “I’d Hate Myself Too,” but at this point in time, it’s not looking likely. 

KS: It’s really hard to fund yourself when you are an independent artist.

Viia: I think it’s harder for me because I’m not in a band and I’m not splitting the costs between four members. I wish I were, but I’m not going to start a band just to cut costs. 

KS: Would you want to be in a band?

Viia: I can’t compromise on things. When you’re in a band, you have to compromise on aesthetics, like music videos, or the sound of a song, what you’re wearing onstage, what songs you’re playing onstage. I don’t want to do that. I just want to do what I want to do, otherwise I think I will end up hating it.

KS: It’s nice to have full creative control. 

Viia: Yeah, and imagine if you fell out as well. Imagine if you had someone in the band who was really controversial. 

KS: There are a couple of bands I can think of…

Viia: I was going to say! You’d literally be like –  are you being serious?

KS: I’d be like this again?? We all gotta eat!

Viia: So…no.

KS: Fair enough, let’s draw a line under that one. When can we expect your next single?

Viia: I’m playing it by ear. The next couple of months, I’d say. But I am really excited for it. I finished the last set of vocals for my next single on the day I’d Hate Myself Too came out. I can’t lie, it sounds so good. I love backing vocals. I love harmonies. I get so excited about it. We did a whole day of it, and I was gagged the entire time. So I’m really excited. It’s also about my ex-boyfriend as well. He’s just getting it at the moment.

KS: He sounds like a piece of work; he deserves it.

Viia: But the song is really good! I’m so excited about it. The lyrics are like what we talked about before. It’s so on the head with what I’m trying to say, it’s storytelling, and quite brutal, so I am buzzing.

KS: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today! Final question – are you a star, or are you a freak?

Viia: I’m both! I’m glam, but I’m fucking weird. I come across presentable, but I’m a walking nightmare. Especially after I’ve had a drink, it’s TERRIBLE. Word vomit constantly. I’m a lot.

KS: I think there’s nothing wrong with being a lot.

Viia: Me neither, but it never ends well. 

KS: That’s the spice of life.

Viia: I think it’s hilarious. I love winding Men up, it’s my hobby… I get called a psychopath a lot.

KS: Ok, well that’s rude!

Viia: But actually it’s just true.

KS: We are reclaiming being a psychopath for 2026.

“I’d Hate Myself Too” is available to stream everywhere now.