Rock band VOILÁ dropped their newest single “Therapy” that’s not only a breakup anthem but sends a powerful underlying message.
The duo consisting of Gus Ross and Luke Eisner met in the music program at the University of Southern California and with their passion as classically trained multi-instrumentalists and songwriting, it was obvious they had to create music together.
Although the new single deals with those well-known post-breakup feelings, the pair mainly wanted this single to bring awareness to toxic masculinity and the stigma around mental health, especially when it comes to men. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the track couldn’t have come at a better time.
We caught up with the band to talk about the new single and their struggles and thoughts on mental health. Check out our interview below.
Beyond The Stage: What was the inspiration behind Therapy?
LUKE: The feeling of how in a breakup you lose more than just the girl, you lose your mind too.
GUS: Honestly it’s an interesting one because this was a song we wrote with two super talented friends of ours, Kunfetti & Nicopop who are both wonderful writers & producers. The song was meant to be a pitch song but the more we worked on it the more we fell in love with it. I think for me the angst that can be felt in the post melody was something that I just wanted us to be able to chant at live shows and it was at that moment that we had to ask if we could put the song out as a part of our VOILÀ project.
BTS: Y’all are both talented singers and musicians, being able to play multiple instruments so well, and it shows in the music video, did y’all know y’all wanted to keep it quite simple and do a performance-type video?
GUS: Well firstly thank you very much, all the hours of parents forcing lessons on us that we hated when we were 7 years old are FINALLY paying off haha.
LUKE: In terms of the video, we couldn’t play shows during quarantine so this gave us that performance high we had been deprived of for too long.
GUS: We miss these sort of energetic moments that we used to have so much more often. We’ve been in the studio for thousands of hours and this was a chance to create some live show energy. We couldn’t turn that down!!!
BTS: For men, the idea of being vulnerable, crying, and getting help can be seen as weak when it isn’t, and actually very much needed, has that negative connotation ever affected y’all personally?
GUS: ABSOLUTELY. All my life honestly! Even still I am very unlikely to say anything that I feel makes me look weak and here lies the problem! The one thing I will say that I find interesting is that when you’re doing something you love and are being true to yourself everything becomes much easier to talk about. Music is a great medium for people to highlight their flaws as we can disguise it with distorted guitars and punchy sub bass – but honestly I wish for people to resonate with the fact that beneath everything, this song comes from a place of vulnerability as it’s something that binds us all together!
LUKE: Crying is a good way to communicate with yourself and others. Definitely a safe and healthy alternative to expressing anger or sadness. People definitely picked on me for crying at movies but hey my dad cried at the end of the spongebob movie and he was my hero so I didn’t care what anyone else said.
BTS: What are other ways y’all want to combat toxic masculinity?
LUKE: My mom and dad take credit for this. They taught me to be gentle. I think it’s a lot more simple than people make it out to be. Just be yourself without second guessing it and let others do the same. I think the most masculine guys are those who are just comfortable with themselves. Sometimes I wear my moms old shirts. It’s not to make a statement it’s because I think they are badass. I like rom coms, romance novels and a trip to the spa. (I mean let’s be honest who doesn’t) Toxic masculinity sounds like a boring way to live and just a mean standard to hold to people.
GUS: I think the way that we can help people is to empower them to understand themselves. Hurt people hurt people. This is to say that if you truly understand yourself and learn to love who you are and what you do then this toxicity would not exist. This is how I want to help – to encourage people to ignore the noise and focus on one’s inner child. This is how we can feel free and fulfilled no matter the circumstance. I’m not in a position to judge someone else, I would instead try to persuade them to understand themselves better so as to become better companions and friends to those around them.
BTS: What are ways y’all personally deal with or help improve your mental health?
GUS: I started a guided meditation practice that is run by one of my best Friends Sebas Albagli and I get to reset my mind and my focus by taking 30 minutes once a week. It’s truly fascinating and I recommend it to anyone and everyone.
LUKE: I feel like this whole interview is just me complimenting my parents haha. But, I go back to my mom. She used to always say “things look better in the morning”. Sleep, fresh air, water, and a meal always help take the edge off of your demons. I also unplug from social media for months at a time or turning my phone off at night. I find myself so much happier when I do. I also think donating blood is a great way to feel like a hero and gain perspective on how fragile life is!
BTS: Any advice for those who are struggling with their mental health?
LUKE: Talk about it! Go to a therapist! You break your arm you go to a doctor. You break your heart go to a doctor too!
GUS: Wake up early. Take a run. Have a cold shower. Download headspace. Start the meditation practices. Delete your social media for a week. Note how you’re feeling and then slowly bring yourself back on whatever socials you want but be very very strict with how much time you spend. Build discipline and set limits.
BTS: What’s next for y’all? Any EP plans for 2021?
How about 10 brand new records by the end of the year? 😉
Thanks for your time! This was a pleasure and we hope that you like what we’ve got coming!
You can watch the music video for Therapy below.
Keep up with VOILÁ on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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