LA based musician, VK Lynne, is no stranger to the LA music scene. From her solo work on Whiskey or Water to her edgier, metal work with “Vita Nova” and “stOrk,” to acting projects which she wrote and directed (“Trading on 15”), VK keeps herself engaged in the day-to-day operations of writing, collaborating, managing, promoting, and just about everythign else you can think of for her music and acting projects.

VK is currently lead singer for the band “From Light Rose the Angels” and preparing for a Midwest tour with White Empress, In spite of a very busy schedule, VK took time to fill us in on her new band, new music, and what fans can expect to see at a live show.

MM:  We met several years ago in LA and we immediately fell in love with Whiskey or Water. So tell us how your music has transformed since then.

VK:  Well, first of all, thank you for that- We just celebrated W or W’s 6 year anniversary, can you believe it? After I had played and prompted for that record, my writing took a decidedly symphonic turn…it was already starting to with my song ‘Sunday.’ But Vita Nova pushed things right over the edge. Then I joined prog metal band stOrk for the record ‘Broken Pieces’ and now I’m getting set to tour with my symphonic rock band, ‘From Light Rose the Angels.’ So it’s been a busy few years!

MM:  Can you tell us a little about your current project From Light Rose The Angels [FLRTA]?

VK:  FLRTA is symphonic rock with a touch of all the things we love thrown into the pot- A little euro sensibility, a touch of blues, a pinch of Spanish guitar…We ruled out nothing and made music that we wanted to make.

MM:  What is the current FLRTA band lineup?
VK:  We have 2 Finns in the gang, making us the only Finnish American band that we know of… Janne Tamminen is my co-writer; he plays guitar and also does programming, Arno Nurmisto is on bass, Andrew Faust is lead guitar and male vocals, Justin Lee Dixon is on drums….And I sing lead.

MM:  You’re heading out on tour soon and are spearheading an indiegogo campaign. Have you had success with crowd funding campaigns in the past and how can fans learn about your current campaign?

VK:  Crowdfunding is a mercurial business. Personally, I think the field is getting over saturated- so many bands and artists are doing them now, folks just don’t know where to turn. But it’s also the new reality, and so I’ve wrangled with it as best as I can. I’ve had some successes and some shortfalls- but I think that’s to be expected. You can’t get overconfident and, likewise, you can’t get discouraged. You do it, you learn, you do better next time! And you NEVER rule out a miracle.
Our current campaign ends in just a few days; the link is here: https://l.facebook.com/l/7AQEKMye3AQHQAXeuqbRctq13NwdtQNpgwAVMa82DeF99WA/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiegogo.com%2Fprojects%2Fflrta-tour-with-white-empress%2Fx%2F54425

MM:  You’ve been instrumental in the female metal organization – Eve’s Apple – which is a worldwide community of professional female singers. Can you share with us a little about that organization in terms of accomplishments, goals, and how women can get involved?

VK:  Eve’s Apple closed its doors last November. The former members still are in touch and friends; we had an amazing 3 years, during which, we feel like we made an impact. We brought together musicians that might never have met, and we performed as a group twice on our ‘genre’s’ biggest stage, Metal Female Voices Fest. Eve’s Apple will always remain close to my heart.

MM:  You were working with a band called stOrk prior to FLRTA. There has been some tragedy on your journey, as well. Would you like to share with us how the tragic passing of Shane Gibson (guitarist in stOrk) impacted you and what you learned from your relationship with him?

VK:  Shane was truly unique. He summed himself up best when I was introducing him to a friend of mine. He said “Oh, hey, I’m Shane. I play guitar. I actually can’t do much else, really.” The mundane business of life outside of music seemed to sit uneasily on him… like a suit that was too big. I learned from him, maybe too late, to be more patient with folks like that. He also helped me to be more confident in my own voice. Many times, when I’d question myself, he would firmly, and somewhat comically, tell me why I was wrong to do so, what I was doing right, and to shut the hell up. His style of playing also brought something out in me lyrically that I don’t know if I will ever find again.

MM:  In an earlier interview you credited, Melissa Etheridge, Beth Hart, Tuomas Holopainen/Nightwish, Nuno Bettencourt, and the Indigo Girls as some of your early musical influences. What are you currently listening to today?

VK:  I stand by all those names. Maybe the eclecticness of my influences is to be blamed for the way my music usually can’t be categorized. For me, all of those people/bands have something to say. I’m the Word Nerd, and for me, lyrics are paramount.

MM:  As you head out on tour with the energy that you’ve promised, what can fans expect?

VK:  So on tour, you can expect to hear about the stories behind the songs, you can expect a lot of FUN- this is a fun band, plain and simple. These guys are all incredibly nice, talented, and chill (I am BY FAR the most high strung person in FLRTA). But I’m okay with that. I used to try to change, to be ‘laid-back’ to ‘just relax,’ but that’s just not who I am. I’m high energy, high output, high stress, and high intensity.
And after all these years…I’m finally ok with that.

For more on FLRTA and their tour – and to help contribute to their campaign, visit these sites:

To connect with VK Lynne, visit her site HERE.

Reprinted with Permission – Madame Metal Blog