His last EP was released in 2020 and made its way to #1 in the US underground. From an unknown unheard-of artist, he became somewhat of an icon almost instantly. Queer kids love him, girls find him hot; basically, youngsters of all races, gender, or orientation who struggle with life in systems that aren’t meant for them relate to him, as he is proof after all, that one can make their own rules, defy the norm, and end up happy.
This time around Van is out with a new video ”Hot Damn!”, the title track of his impending EP set to be released shortly- not to mention a new sound and a more introspective attitude…
What’s ”Hot Damn!” about?
It’s a letter I wrote to a very good friend when he was going through absolute hell… I never handed him the letter, instead I made a song. It’s all about remembering what we love about life when it gets rough…
Is that the general theme of the EP- accepting life and making the most out of bad situations?
Well inevitably in life there are harder moments. I don’t think that the key is to deny such moments, but dwelling never helps either. It’s healthy to recognize ”OK this is not the easiest thing to go through” but the next thought shouldn’t be ”Poor me!”, it should be ”OK now what can I learn here, how can I use this unpleasant situation to better myself?”
So, yes, all the songs on the EP are more or less in that line of thinking… Some tracks depict my tempestuous love life these last few years, and the crazy good that came out of absolute disasters LOL! Other songs are about my fantastic circle of friends who also go through highs and lows… I guess I’m at a point now where I feel: ”You just fucking roll with it, ya know?”, and I wanted to write about it.
Are you a happy man?
I’d say: rather. Nothing is ever perfect of course. But I wouldn’t exchange lives with anyone… My days, even the bad ones, are pretty magical. I work in that direction daily, you see… You have to want to be happy, and labor at it. It doesn’t just fall on you.
In that video, you are talking to an older man, who is he supposed to represent?
Isn’t he cool??? That’s Boyd Bissel, an actor I stumbled upon by accident 2 days before Gio Spano had set out to shoot. It was all very spontaneous. I was like: ”Sir, wanna be in my video?” and he accepted, then I changed the script overnight. He has so much character: his presence adds a layer nobody young could have… I suppose there are 2 ways of understanding the plot: either Van cheers an old man up in a society that often leaves the elderly behind, or younger Van talks to older Van reminding him of his soul… I like both interpretations and I think it’s up to the viewers to decide!
Do you have older friends?
Yes! And younger ones, too! I’ve never been interested in people who were too much like me! You learn a lot more from those you have almost nothing in common with!
That’s interesting, the notion of not learning as much from people who are like us…
We pre-launched the album in Montreal last week and I looked at my crowd at some point: blue collars, bourgeoisie, porn stars, royalty, sex workers, people in their twenties, people in their seventies! I turned to my Vanette, Aty and said: ”Now THAT’S a good mix! THAT’S a real party!”
I dislike uniformity because it’s sterile! You have no idea how depressing I find gay gatherings where all the guys have the same beard, build, lifestyle, and clothes… A full life isn’t about comforting oneself into one’s thoughts. Clashes are far richer!
How tempestuous was your tempestuous love life?
Like: circus… I was in a freaking telenovela for 2 years straight. It was one thunderbolt after the next. Exhausting! Mind you, I figured out a lot about myself, so it was all worthwhile. I don’t miss the drama and extreme emotions, however LOL! I’m glad things now are nice and quiet!
When does the EP come out?
It should come out on April 30th— at the latest early May! I’m very excited about it.
Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDocOJMkIfM
