Saints – Interview with Victoria Kühne

How do you usually write the lyrics of your songs?

My process is always pretty much the same. First, I write the full lyrics and melody for the songs on my own. It’s hard for me to collaborate on my own project as it feels so personal, but it’s so easy for me to collaborate on everyone else’s albums. It’s just how it is. After I have the lyrics and melody complete, I sit down with two of my closest friends here in Mexico, Gil Elguezabal and Eduardo Bladinieres, to figure out where everything else is going. With this EP, after we worked on the songs, I flew to LA to continue working with Yves Rothman and then recorded them between Westlake Studios in LA and my own studios Victoria Records in Monterrey, Mexico.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing in songwriting?

I like it when a song is personal, fragile and vulnerable, which is what I think art should ultimately be all about.

Are you ever scared of revealing aspects of your personal life/experience to strangers through your music?

Not at all. If you look back the greatest painters, poets, creatives, they always took from experience. That’s why we create art to begin with, right? To have an outlet for all these emotions that come from being an artist who feels a little deeper and a little harder. We need to let it out somehow.

What is the best lyric that you ever wrote (the most meaningful for you)?

I really like the lyrics to “KINGS.” The woman keeps referring to herself as a “king” – “When you were running with me you were running with K-k-k-k-kings.” There’s something super badass and strong about saying that to the guy that just left you.

What inspired “Vice”, part of your upcoming EP “Saints”?

“Vice” was inspired by one of my favourite paintings, “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Bosch. I am a very visual person and I found myself submerged in that painting during my whole writing process for this song. In the song I am temptation in the human form, which is a concept I am obsessed with.

And “Promised Land”?

“Promised Land” is plain and simple about an orgasm. I grew up in Mexico, in a strict family, going to a very strict all-girls Catholic school where we were taught to admire and worship all these different saints. As an adult, I’ve always been fascinated by this concept and I’ve managed to see the images and stories behind these saints as dope works of art. I’ve taken so much inspiration from that and from the story of Adam and Eve. There are so many Biblical references and metaphors hidden in my lyrics.

Do you remember the day you wrote the song “Adam”?

I do. I wrote it about a guy I was very much not supposed to be with. This song is all about a forbidden love. I named it “Adam” in reference to Adam from Adam and Eve.

Is there a link/a common theme among the songs of the new album?

Yes. I chose to tell my story in the form of a Venus heavenly creature that is not satisfied in heaven so out of boredom she comes down to Earth. The important thing here is that it’s her decision. It’s her choice to experiment with sin, pain and pleasure, power and temptation. She is in control and in charge of her sexuality and her body. The bad decisions are still consciously made as they are part of an experience she chooses to have. I think there’s something extremely empowering about that.

What are your plans for the upcoming months?

Right now, I’m in London taking a few days off to write and be with my girlfriends before the craziness starts again. My second single “KINGS” came out the 25th of September, and the third single comes out in October, along with a music video for each song. I wrote the treatment for those two videos and I am really stoked for people to see my vision for these new songs.

To conclude the interview a short Q/A session, please answer the first thing that comes to your mind:

Define in one word your upcoming EP “Saints”: Autobiographical.
The best show you ever played: Ruidofest in Chicago.
The one thing that you must have in your backstage: One of my girlfriends!
The soundtrack of your childhood: The Sound of Music.
Your favourite song lyrically speaking, but not written by you: I love my pop music queens so probably a Madonna song. “Like a Virgin” maybe? It has such a good hook, and such simple but effective lyrics. It’s kind of a brilliant song.
Last question is “unusual,” we want to know your best relationship advice: First you need to work on the relationship you have with yourself, that is the most important one you’ll have in your life. I always tell my friends, you want someone to be crazy in love with you? First you gotta be crazy in love with yourself, who you are and what you do. You should be your number one fan in life and once you have that relationship settled and stable, then all the other relationships in your life become easy and amazing. Once you know who you are and what you’re worth, that’s the energy you put out in the universe and it boomerangs right back to you and defines your entire existence. So make sure you are in a great place with yourself first.