Interview with Thea Juliette Stevenson of Fox Violet

September 04, 2020

Interview with Thea Juliette Stevenson of Fox Violet

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, Thea welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the project’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Thea: I think the sound is a reflection of my inner chaos at any given time…so I believe that this changes and evolves over time. I feel I am on a journey to uncover the subconscious and de-construct dream imagery through Fox Violet. This combines dream-scape wondering with edgy industrial guitars.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
DC: I think it’s about the little connections. I feel compelled when I read a response by someone on social media even, and a true stranger, who connects with the songs in some capacity, whether that is the beat, lyrics or the tone or my voice. It’s these small moments of connect that help move me forwards.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
Thea: Definitely. I’m on a mission to connect with people, and I really value interaction in any form, be that coming to a show, watching a live stream, or messaging me out of the blue, it all matters. I don’t live in a vacuum and don’t want to make art in that way…I would love to deeply connect and move as many people as possible whilst still being authentic to my inner world.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
Thea: I think so. I haven’t reached a point where that is of any concern to me. I’m also not fond of the word “fan”…no offense to you! There is no us vs them…me vs them, to me we are all one and the same, all equal, so I don’t want to be put on a pedestal. I don’t care for that…I wouldn’t even mind at all if no one knew my name but just knew the project name. Anyone can play music, music is for all. Anyone can learn the guitar and learn to sing. I’m really not fond of that whole “evasive or arrogant musician” thing. It separates us and idolizes people, whom are just like everyone else, faulted and with problems. I don’t really feel what I am doing is special and deserves me to have “fans”. It’s not that I don’t have passion for it,I do, but it’s just about making a community, and hopefully someday I hope that these people feel a common connection with each other. If someone finds something cathartic in what I am doing then I have done my job.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
Thea: Definitely. Mainstream American culture idolizes bands and artists to catastrophic proportions, and we obsess over these people. This distracts us from the music they are making, from the messages they might be creating.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
Thea: I think the key word here is corporatism and the corporate machine. It is this that has dominated American music culture so much that it has created a very clear blueprint of what the heads of these industries…often white old men, deem to be worthy of the mainstream. It is cookie cutter music that is created for the masses. This corporatism is responsible for what is successful in the USA and this corporatism is definitely still apparent in other countries. If bands follow a formula that the record labels provide for them they will be more likely to be successful in the USA. I don’t think this has anything really to do with whether the band is from the USA or not.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
Thea: Definitely. I am all for it. As I said above, I believe music should be for all. I don’t believe a musician is more important than a heart surgeon. We are emotional and spiritual beings and we all can make music if we wish, so I like that it is more accessible because people should have the means to express themselves.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
Thea: I think that the people whom accidentally set trends never intended to do so…they were just following their intuition and their own gut as to what they wanted to say and what they wanted to make. I think these authentic people never gave a sh*t about fitting in, or making a trend; they were on a somewhat spiritual journey just to release what was in their heart and mind. It is often a by-product of them being authentic.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
Thea: Actually perhaps but in them splintering we can fuse different elements together to find new sounds and new ways of saying things. I think experimentation is crucial in music. We are more than just liking one type of music genre.

CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
Thea: I’m creating a whole batch of new songs which I am really excited about, it’s all been written in isolation, and I am trying to do as many live streams as I can so I would love for people to check out Fox Violet on Instagram.

CV: Thanks again Thea for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

Check out Fox Violet at:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/fox_violets

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GkvtpqQgkSPCt7aXEes9r?si=eo3ZVTjRTLyXjrysSKgE4A

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.