By: Staff
We had the chance to hear the latest release by Victòria Vilalta, “Mumbling”, and we were so impressed we wanted to know more about it.
Something stirs in the silence, an echo of thoughts unraveling, a voice emerging from the depths of introspection. The latest release from an enigmatic artist captures the feeling of being caught in an endless loop of overthinking, where whispers turn into echoes, and echoes into a song. This track is more than just music; it’s a raw confession wrapped in ethereal soundscapes, a return that marks both evolution and reckoning. After two years of quiet, the artist steps forward once again, not just with a song, but with an invitation into their inner world.
With its hypnotic melodies and deeply personal lyrics, this song is the first glimpse into an upcoming album that promises to make the unspoken heard. As anticipation builds for its official release and a special live performance in London, we got together with the artist to talk about the journey behind the music, the creative process, and what lies ahead.
Read on as we unravel the story behind this striking new chapter.
Begin Interview:
Hello Victòria Vilalta, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. We really loved the opening notes of this song. Your vocals are such a standout and so personal and emotional. When did you first realize you had this talent and what was a defining moment for you to move forward and record your voice for the world to hear?
A. I really appreciate this comment since I really try for the emotions of each song to come across in the vocal delivery. My vocals are my main instrument and I have been learning and improving to work with them for a lot of years now. I started playing the guitar and recording myself at home. I really enjoyed arranging my favorite songs with the guitar and my vocals and recording them exactly how I felt they should sound. That is how I knew I wanted to learn production as well. I started sharing covers on my Youtube channel as a way to complete those projects. With my first EP, it was my vocal teacher who encouraged me to release it. I always wanted to wait until I knew better, but I will always keep learning so I am very happy that I did release it in the end. Now I feel my vocals are a crucial part to present my songs, the vocal articulation is part of the songwriting and I hope it can connect with the listeners.
Q. "Mumbling" marks your return after two years since "Regalar." How does this track represent your growth as an artist during that time?
A. I think this track is very related to my previous work and at the same time it starts a new chapter. The essence of the song is very much folk and indie as the ones in “Regalar” but at the same time it has some more processing that adds fantasy to it, specially in the vocals. The harmonies in the chorus have a lot of reverb and other effects that build up a larger than life space within the track.
The record reflects the process of creation, which was quite different from the one in “Regalar”. This time, everything was recorded in professional studios and with the collaboration of other musicians. I learned a lot from sharing the project with more people and my creative process evolved thanks to it.
With respect to the song message, it is a topic I feel very identified with and it was lovely to be able to express it in a song. I think my new songs have evolved to be a bit more personal and, some of them, a bit more critical.
Q. This song is deeply introspective, touching on overthinking and self-criticism. Was writing "Mumbling" a form of catharsis for you?
A. It definitely was. I wrote this song in a moment where I felt absolutely overwhelmed and it gave me some relief. Also, this song helped me understand myself better and recognize a situation I find myself in very often (that is, overthinking about something I cannot control). Now, when I find myself worrying too much, I am able to identify what is happening and deal with it a bit better.
Q. The title "Mumbling" suggests something unspoken or difficult to articulate. Why did you choose this name, and how does it relate to the song’s themes?
A. To me, mumbling refers to the constant noise of recurrent thoughts. When we are overthinking, our brains keep displaying an unending current of worries, which can be more or less concrete but in the end feel like a combination of uncontrolled emerging ideas. In the song, I represented these ideas such as whisperings we hear in our minds. By saying “maybe my brain is lying” and “never runs out of mumbling” before the chorus, while having the chorus be a combination of harmonies saying “mmm”, I wanted to picture this whispering of ideas in the brain.
Q. Your upcoming album is titled "Out Loud Thoughts," which contrasts with the more internal struggle explored in "Mumbling." How does this track fit into the larger narrative of your album?
A. This track sets a starting point for the topics covered in the album, which seem quite introspective but can pose open reflections to the listeners. Following my usual songwriting style, each song in the new album expresses a specific feeling or emotion. But, for the first time, some songs also portray ideas or values that are important to me, even critiques. This is a new perspective I never tried before in my songwriting and want to further explore. I think it is very powerful to share both personal and social values through my music. For example in “Mumbling”, by sharing a song about an internal struggle, it can be noticed and discussed. In this way, inner feelings and thoughts are communicated out loud through the songs, as stated in the title of the project. In fact, all the album songs seemed quite independent until this title came to mind and I immediately decided to go with it.
Q. What was the creative process like for "Mumbling"? Did it come to you in a sudden burst of inspiration, or was it something that evolved over time?
A. The creative process for “Mumbling” was quite sudden. As I mentioned before, I was not feeling very good at the time. It was an afternoon, I was having a headache and feeling quite overwhelmed when I decided to go for it. I started playing and the main melody and words for the second verse came out: “Running up late, feeling that I’m mistaken, can’t really figure why”. And then the rest came along. I was so happy because I had been struggling to write for a while and also because I felt the new song was one of my favorites. I had the whole song written down that afternoon and with some more time I finished the complete structure.
Q. How do you feel you grow as your music career gains traction? If you could go back and give the version of yourself who made your last release a piece of advice, what would it be?
A. I feel happy by putting my energy on building a project that is so important to me. I am just starting, though. Even if I had released songs before, I didn’t have any plan to promote the project. This time, I want to make it grow and try to get some revenue from all the work I put in it. I already have a piece of advice to the version of me who released “Mumbling”, it is to take it slow and search for help since every step takes a lot of work and time.
Q. This is your first single from the new album, and you've recorded with other musicians in state-of-the-art studios. How did this experience differ from working on "Regalar," which was self-produced?
A. I would say this new album is also self-produced only that I didn’t work on it alone. It was a very different experience since I started collaborating. Communicating my ideas but letting go at the same time was a challenge but I love how the songs would not be the same without the personal touches of every person that worked on them. Also, the experience of working in professional studios was so fun, I love working with big desks and high quality mics. At the same time, I am very proud of my first EP, having done absolutely everything by myself. It felt completely personal and it was a good way of presenting my skills and identity.
Q. You developed your new songs while studying for your master’s in Creative Music Production. Wow! Congratulations. How did that academic experience shape your approach to songwriting and production?
A. This academic experience developed my skills a lot, specially in recording and mixing. In this new project, the master’s shaped mostly my approach to production, since the productions were part of my final dissertation. The topic of my thesis was acoustic against processed sounds and how they are related to the song identity. My master’s research consisted of creating an album that went from more acoustic to more processed sounds throughout the songs. So that’s something which can be expected in the upcoming songs.
Q. You’ve mentioned that "Mumbling" was inspired by feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts. What do you hope listeners take away from the song?
A. I hope that the listeners who relate to the feeling of overthinking can feel comforted by the track. I think that having a situation we experience narrated in a song can help taking some perspective from it, being able to identify it and cope better with it. Another less obvious message which is present in the song is about not having control over a situation, trying to do our part is good but also letting go of what is not in our hands. Overall, I hope my music can have a positive impact on the listeners.
Q. Your music blends immersive lyrics with ethereal vocal soundscapes. What influences or artists inspire your sonic identity?
A. I would say these sounds on “Mumbling” came mainly from songwriting ideas being translated into production choices through a process of exploration. This time, the sound was more inspired by the topic I was exploring in the final project of my master’s rather than by other artists. Nevertheless, it probably also has influences from my favorite artists, who work with sonic signatures I like. They are Amy Allen, Alex James Ellison and Stay Homas. With very different styles, they all express organic and direct messages through a combination of acoustic and electric sounds.
Q. Your London concert at Piano Smithfield coincides with the release of "Mumbling." What can audiences expect from your live performance?
A. They can expect a similar energy to the recorded version but in a more intimate setting, just me singing and playing the guitar and the piano. In my solo concerts, I usually play the guitar, but since there is a grand piano in Piano Smithfield I really wanted to make use of it. I try to deliver a high quality performance, being consistent with my playing and vocals, in a format which is minimalist and not very loud, so a lot of subtle choices in the arrangement can be noticed.
Q. With more releases planned across 2025, can you give us a glimpse into what we can expect from the rest of your debut album?
A. The rest of the album debut is an evolution from my previous work. It keeps the same essence but involves more experimentation. It expands my sound palette and my topic palette. Soundwise it explores different levels of acoustic and processed sounds. Contentwise it expresses different emotions as well as ideas which are important to me. The featured topics involve self-reflection, mental health and social critique. There are still a lot of single releases to go and I hope to bring up something refreshing every time. As an exclusive, I can say the next song will be in Catalan.
Victòria Vilalta, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Victòria Vilalta’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Check out this latest release and listen to more on Spotify & YouTube