Interview: Grammy nominated producer Victoria Kühne talks debut EP ‘Saints’

Between being Grammy nominated producer and running several of her own entrepreneurial ventures (such as heading a record label and recording studios to name a few), Victoria Kühne is the queen of multitasking. Taking on the music industry one endeavor at a time, Victoria’s ambition knows no bounds as she continues to blaze her own trail of successes, now adding “musician” to her list of accomplishments. She recently revealed the self-produced video for her new single “Vice,” the first in a series of singles that tell a story of the goddess Venus.

Victoria spoke to The Young Folks to give us some insight into running her incredible empire and what we can expect from her upcoming EP, Saints.

TYF: I read that you were shy growing up, do you remember the moment when you became more self-confident and determined?

Victoria Kühne: Growing up in Mexico as the only redheaded little girl around who happened to love musical theater, I just did not have a lot of kids around me that I could easily identify with. It was when I was 14 and auditioned for the show “The Sound of Music” and got my first job and contract that I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. It was like “Oh, I get it now. These are my people. These theater kids are exactly like me!” It never once felt like I had a job or was actually a professional actor working because it was pure bliss for me. I feel that doing professional musical theater at such a young age gave me all my confidence and discipline. I always say there’s no greater form of discipline you’ll ever learn than doing professional theater. Everything feels easy after that. 

TYF: You have experience in a lot of areas creatively, what made you want to pursue creating your own music?

VK: I think it was a matter of time. I pretty much grew up in the music industry. I was just 11 when my parents built the recording studios I now run, and I basically grew up surrounded by creatives. People around me were always writing and producing for other artists and I eventually joined in. That led to some amazing things for me, including a Grammy nomination for a project I co-produced and other really cool experiences and moments. Eventually I just felt like I had a lot to say and felt the need to create my own sound after so many years of doing collaborations and working on other artists’ projects. This is me finally being vulnerable with my art and sharing my vision as an artist. It’s almost like I couldn’t hold back anymore. It had to happen. 

TYF: How do you balance all of your creative and business endeavors?

VK: I have a pretty sick team of people that help me out with my companies. I trust them with my life and their visions are very much aligned with mine at this point. I also have two studios here in Mexico: Victoria Records, my recording studios, which are open to the public, and KÜHNE, which are my private design studios. If I wake up and feel more social and what I have to say needs to come out with melodies and chords and lyrics, then I head to Victoria Records. Other days, I wake up needing a creative outlet that feels more private and personal, so I feel more inclined to head to my design studio and draw or create pieces of clothing without the craziness of the recording studios. As a multi-disciplinary artist, I am lucky, and I appreciate having these options and spaces in Mexico. Plus, my entire family and friends are here, so I get to have a very balanced life which is the most important thing for me.

TYF: How do all of those experiences influence you when you are focused on one area of work?

VK: The craziest thing is I am always doing everything. Even last night, there was a party at my nightclub celebrating a music festival that takes place here in Monterrey, Mexico today. I had to keep up with that without attending because I was shooting the music video for my second single all night. I also wrote the treatment for that video, co-directed it, co-produced it, supervised every single look I wore and every single look that the dancers wore. I am a huge control freak when it comes to my creative projects. It’s hard for me to delegate, so I just embrace the fact that I have to focus on everything all the time. 

TYF: What do you find inspiring?

VK: Art is my biggest passion in life. As soon as I graduated high school, I moved to Florence because I felt an intense need to be surrounded by art, history, fashion, beautiful architecture. Living there and falling in love with the whole Renaissance era marked me for life and made me the interdisciplinary artist I am today. 

TYF: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far?

VK: Finding balance. It took me a long time to actually be present and enjoy what was happening around me. I was so focused on reaching a series of very ambitious goals that I was missing out on all the cool little moments my career was giving me on a day to day basis. I’ve had a lot of chances to move to LA, Miami etc., but I’ve chosen to stay in Mexico because I know being close to my family and my roots is what makes me happy and helps me function as the best and most fulfilled version of myself. It’s important to know yourself really well before becoming a part of such a crazy industry. If you don’t take the time to define who you are, this industry will end up defining who you are. If I didn’t know what’s best for me, I probably would’ve already listened to one of the many people who told me I am missing out on so many opportunities by not moving to LA, etc. But I know what my vision is for the bigger picture of my life well enough to know I need balance. Even if having this balance means missing out on career opportunities, it’s worth it for me if I still get to be near my family and have the stability and peace of mind living in Mexico gives me. Knowing myself well enough to apply this to my life has been my biggest accomplishment. Of course being nominated for a Grammy as a producer and being the only female producer in the entire category was a dope moment for me. Only 2% of all music producers are women and I’ve made it my mission in this industry to represent girls and to do my part in changing the statistics. 

TYF: You recently released your self-produced video for the new single “Vice,” what was the creative process behind that?

VK: It’s a Victoria Films video (my production company that I co-own with my two business partners), so the process for me is always very hands-on. In every situation I have to be the artist, as well as the co-producer and the co-director. I end up overseeing every last thing. It’s intense but it also helps me protect my vision 100% by having full control of every little detail. I wanted the video to portray what the 2019 version of the Garden of Eden would be like if I were running the place. This video is my version of a modern Eden through my eyes. In my perception, it would be full of excesses and overindulgence. I wanted it to reflect that decadence and excessiveness.  

TYF: What else can we expect from your upcoming EP, Saints?

VK: What I hope to achieve with this EP is to bring a full experience to people. Not just one single after another, but a body of work and a concept that’s defined by the duality in all of us. If you listen to the lyrics carefully, you’ll find how the five songs are connected and are part of the same universe I created for this first EP. My close friends who have heard them tell me my songs make them wanna make bad decisions that make them feel more alive. I love the idea that my music could inspire people to experiment with life more and take charge of their bodies and their experiences. That’s what SAINTS is all about. 

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