Australian R&B Artist VIIN Releases Debut Single, “Faded Love.”
Photo: Megan Jennifer Donnelly
The debut single from Australian R&B/funk artist, VIIN, has landed. The new track “Faded Love” brings a seriously mellow vibe that is sensual seemingly by default. The single previews what is still to come with the complete EP, scheduled for release later this summer.
Listen to “Faded Love” on Spotify ————>
Listen on Spotify
VIIN’s music follows in the footsteps of artists like Frank Ocean and D’Angelo, which is detectable on “Faded Love” with its swooning vocals and synth waves that flow over a bubbling drum machine groove. The artist enjoys pairing analog with digital elements to create his own flavor, which VIIN says is inspired by different regions of the world where some of his biggest influences created their masterpieces.
“I picked up lots of flavors for my music from my time in the States,” said VIIN. “I was born and raised in Western Sydney where there is a lot of mixing of cultures, and I wanted to get back to those roots and use influences that are based in other places.”
It’s been an exciting time for the recently minted solo artist since Australia started lifting lockdown restrictions back in late summer 2020. During the hiatus of live gigging, VIIN was uncovering his own potential as a songwriter, piecing together what would become a refined identity.
“The idea [of becoming a solo artist] first hit me when I went to the states in 2017 and 2018,” VIIN said. “I thought, ‘I can sing, I can play, I can write songs…there’s something here.’”
He had come to the U.S. to get inspired, and wanted to bring something back to the music scene in Australia. It turns out people liked what VIIN was mixing up. Not too long into the start of his career as a solo artist, VIIN was asked to support Sydney R&B king Mike Champion at a sold-out Max Watts with a 350-person capacity.
As VIIN continues to hustle for the success of his own music, he’s still very active as a session musician in the Sydney music scene playing guitar and keys.
In April, VIIN was recommended by a friend to play guitar with rising Aussie hip-hop artist, Ziggy Ramo at the Sydney Opera House.
“Ziggy has a powerful message,” said VIIN. “He’s led the way in using his music to explore issues that Australia (Gadigal Land) faces with systemic racism coming from an Indigenous perspective, every performance is high in emotion and intensity. I’m grateful to be a part of the band to bring the emotive story out there.”
VIIN has also gotten work playing keys with another popular Aussie group called Lahgo, which VIIN describes as a soul-rock outfit with some surf-rock flair. They played to a sold-out crowd at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory, another institution for local creatives.
“It’s been kinda weird getting back to it [playing shows],” VIIN said. “It still feels like I’m adjusting to post pandemic life…even socially. When you’re playing in front of an audience, maybe there’s 300 people screaming back at you, and it feels like ‘damn, I haven’t felt this in a while, I better step up and give this energy back.’”
Despite the exhaustion that comes with being a bonified rock star, VIIN is feeling like he’s moving forward with his career as a musician overall. He’s well embedded into his local scene, he’s enjoying a good stream of work, a network of friends/fans in the States, and he’s humbly releasing some truly dank music that is establishing VIIN as one of the best new artists coming from Down Under.
