Coming off her multiple film festival nominations for “I Wrote This Instead of Calling You,” an official selection of the Aphrodite Film Awards, The London Music Video Festival, andthe We Make Movies International Film Festival, Xondra is looking to take a larger exploration into creating visual storytelling to go along with her music through her new visual EP, Tedious & Brief. The E.P. covers the story of a young domestic violence victim going through the challenges of survival while reclaiming her voice.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Xondra about the EP, musical memories, motivations and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Tell us a little bit more about this upcoming visual EP and your vision for it.
The visual for my upcoming Ep, Tedious & Brief mirrors the fear that the songs speak to. It captures the story of a girl who runs away from an abusive household in order to find peace and stability, only to find herself in the whirlwind of the Ringmaster of a traveling carnival. She becomes a mime and struggles to find her voice after being silenced for so long. The film is in black and white, with only a few intentional spots of color here and there. I wanted to portray the darkness of all these feelings I had when I wrote the songs by playing with shadows in the shots. The story of Tedious & Brief is that of many survivors of abuse . There is a shame that is pushed on you that is sometimes hard to break through. With the Tedious & Brief visual , I wanted to capture that shame as well as the journey to refusing to be silenced anymore.
Congratulations on launching your crowdfunding campaign. Can you speak a little about the struggles of being an independent artist today in 2022?
Thank you so much! I think the hardest part about being an independent artist is wearing so many hats. Often , you end up being your own publicist, booking agent, merch seller, manager , director, distributor, promoter, etc. I am lucky enough to have started building my team this year so not every little thing falls on me anymore but it can be very overwhelming, especially when you’re working a full time job on top of everything in order to afford your career expenses. While I enjoy the process and dipping my toes into all the different facets of what it takes to build a career in music, I am definitely looking forward to continuing to build a team that supports me so I am able to focus the bulk of my attention on making art that really connects with people.
It’s fantastic that you’re committed to donating a portion of your crowdfunding proceeds to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Can you tell us a little more about the organization?
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence an incredible organization working diligently to support legislation that empowers survivors, holds abusers accountable , and supports advocates. They hold an annual conference that helps connect and eductate advocates and survivors. The conference has workshops that are survivor focused that touch on subjects such as Advocacy Skills, Anti Oppression and Racial Justice, Health and Domestic Violence, etc. Throughout the year, they also have Advocacy and Financial Education Webinars, which I think are super important. So many women feel especially stuck in these abusive relationships because of financial reasons. Providing victims and survivors with the tools to either leave or rebuild after abuse is crucial. The Coalition also has an incredible new program that teaches students how to understand and build healthy relationships. It is meant to help build communication skills , self awareness, and emotional intelligence. The last thing I’ll mention that they do is their “Remember My Name” Project. The project started in 1994 and is meant to memorialize women, children, and men killed by abusers in the U.S. They started this project in collaboration with Ms.Magazine to create a national registry of names to help increase awareness of domestic violence deaths in the U.S. Every year, they make a poster listing the names that have been submitted.
What motivates you to create music?
I am very motivated by the personal struggles I have encountered in my life. As a survivor, I feel this large yearning to write about the experiences that weigh heavy on my chest. Abuse can make you feel so isolated, even after you have survived it. I know that there are other people who experience these hard feelings and I want them to know they are not alone and that someone understands. I think survivors are creators of light in this world. We have the ability to create light out of our darkest moments and that is exactly what I am motivated to do with my music.
What’s one of your first or most powerful music memories? Did that play any role in driving you to create?
A few years back, I went to a Julien Baker concert by myself and it changed my life. I personally love going to concerts by myself as a treat and this was one of those occasions . I was very early on in my college career attending SUNY Purchase for Contemporary Songwriting. I was struggling with the fact that so many of my songs felt so utterly devastating. I didn’t think anyone would want to listen to me fighting my demons in song form. I thought it would be “too much” and uncomfortable because truthfully, I was uncomfortable being so emotionally vulnerable. Seeing Julien Baker live changed that for me. Standing alone in a crowded room so quiet you could hear a pin drop, I had the realization just how powerful vulnerability can be. As Julien sang alone in a single spotlight with just her guitar, I started to cry. I looked to my right to see a man twice my age crying too. I was so touched that so many people from so many backgrounds/life experiences were coming together in one room to listen to this tiny sad powerhouse of an artist. Julien Baker doesn’t make any excuses for her vulnerability. She just sings about her pain and everyone in the room sits in the sadness with her for a moment in time. She inspired me to start writing whatever I needed to write, regardless if I felt some people wouldn’t want to listen to it because the song may be emotionally devastating. There are people who need to hear it. I’m definitely one of those people. She made me feel less alone and that’s what I’d like to do with my music.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
You can find me on Instagram and Tiktok @xondramusic ! Thanks so much for having me !
