Viji

All scuzzed up guitars and audible eye rolls”
DIY

“an impeccable range of songwriting talent and the ability to create an earworm of a hook.”
So Young

“Mixing alt-pop with lo-fi indie and grunge to create a potent sonic cocktail”
Notion

“Potent . . . blends together 21st century pop with raw punk and grunge elements”
CLASH

“As the grunge-y guitars ring out the hook-laden verses fly”
The FADER

“fast establishing herself as a multi-talented name amongst her generational peers”
The Line Of Best Fit

Plus support from Nylon, Gigwise, Dork, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music + more

London-based Austrian-Brazilian artist Viji has released her debut album So Vanilla. The album is out today via London tastemaker label Speedy Wunderground and alongside the news of an Oct / Nov run of support dates on tour with South African songwriter, Baby Queen.

Referencing the easy, sleazy sounds of the 90s, Viji – real name Vanilla Jenner – has been cementing herself as one of the most exciting alternative artists to watch in the UK right now. Having previously released music on Dirty Hit, she recently signed to Speedy Wunderground and has rapidly built a loyal fanbase whilst receiving widespread plaudits at press and radio.

The new album has continued to see Viji move on an incendiary upward trajectory with the lead single “Sedative” landing on the BBC Radio 6 Music A-list, as well as further tracks receiving plays across BBC Radio 1 and Apple Music, as well as earning press support from the likes of NME, DIY, Dork, CLASH, ASBO, The Line Of Best Fit, Louder, Louder Than War, The New Cue, Loud & Quiet, So Young, and many more.

To celebrate the news of the album, Viji has also announced that she will be joining Baby Queen on a full UK tour across Oct / Nov. The dates will follow closely on the heels of her in-store live dates which will see Viji playing a very limited run of intimate performances, as well as an album launch party which is set to take place at Third Man Records’ Blue Basement. Viji has also recently been announced as an official artist for SXSW 2024, as she looks ahead to next year.

So Vanilla was recorded predominantly in London, in partnership with four-time Mercury Prize nominated producer and Speedy Wunderground label head, Dan Carey (Fontaines D.C., Kae Tempest, Wet Leg). Having finished So Vanilla in November 2022, Viji relays that every song had a different writing process – some saw her and Carey playing guitar chords together for hours, until the sounds fused into one, and others came from late night ramblings at home.

Discussing how inspirations come to her songwriting process, Viji mentions that “Down’s” writing session originated from a frustratingly happy period in her life and “Ambien”, "I chipped away at the lyrics the whole summer. The song has so many verses, I wrote around 13 in the end.” The stripped back song Blanket came together quickly. Thinking she was just playing around, Viji then realized it was done. With an eerie cello part and three chords, this was the most serendipitous song recorded on the album.

Her approach to shoe-gazy rock, raw instrumentals and vocal delivery makes her stand out as one of the most exciting UK artists to watch, pioneering what rock music can sound like in the modern era.

Viji also recently announced a limited edition Digital Pressing of “So Vanilla” providing fans a unique peek behind the curtain of the album. Owners of this innovative new format unlock access to demos, BTS videos and intimate handwritten descriptions of each song on the record. An exclusive insight into the stories behind the songs, each digital edition is numbered and named, providing fans with the ultimate collectible – sign-up for more info HERE.