Von Venn Interview With Colby

Guide

Hello, Gary. “Only In The Night” speaks about ending a relationship due to incompatible life goals rather than anger or conflict. What inspired you to write about this particular type of heartbreak?

I think as we move through life most of us get to experience different types of relationships and we hopefully we learn from those that came to an end. I wanted to express in song what I feel is one of the most difficult of relationship endings, how to say goodbye to someone you care for but can’t be with because life taking you in a different direction. It’s not something that’s expressed through song very often even though many of us may have been in that situation. For me it’s the saddest of endings and and full of emotional complexity

The track features beautiful female harmonies alongside your vocals. How do these harmonies enhance the story you’re telling

I think Ciara did a great job of bringing a lovely harmony line to the track…the female vocal brings an echo of the partner that’s being left behind, a reminder that there another voice in the relationship, echoing and reflecting the sadness of the male vocal

This song is from your forthcoming album “Forgetting the Fall.” How does it set the tone for what listeners can expect from the full record?

I’m very happy with how this Von Venn album developed. I feel the songs have a similar strong melodic and lyrical content as “Only in the Night”. The songs tackle emotional, relationship and social issues, I hope with some depth and nuance. If you like “Only in the night you will find tracks that similarly resonate on this album,

You mention the song deals with “making the right choice for the wrong reasons.” Can you expand on what that phrase means to you personally?

On one hand, you can’t put your life on hold or limit your development or horizons just to stay in a relationship. However you have to reflect as to why you found yourself in a situation where your partner is no longer the one for you. Leaving without some reflection on yourself would be wrong as without that there’s a high chance that you will end up in the same situation again! You have to learn as you move on.

Dublin has a great music scene. How has being part of that community influenced Von Venn’s sound and approach to songwriting.

Dublin has an amazing diverse musical community and a real heritage of producing fine artists and songwriters. You’ll find everything in the city, indie, pop, jazz, funk, rock, folk, soul, rap, you name it and it’s there. The bar is high and it’s easy to absorb and be inspired by the sounds and artists on the scene. Being surrounded by great musicians and songwriters gives me a benchmark to work to. It’s also a very cosmopolitan city and theres a great sense of freedom to develop your own sound and style.