Ahead of their first album release, VOYA chats to DITCH writer Alanya about crisp flavours, fart noises and the inspiration behind their genre-defying sound
If immersive performances with lead singers jumping into audiences, spontaneous solos and theatrical set design is your idea of a good night out, you’re in luck. Cardiff-based VOYA are the pop-synth duo that will transport you back to the 80s new romantics era. Think Adam & The Ants, T. Rex and Kate Bush.
After the launch of their debut single Too Shy for Love in December, VOYA’s lead singer, 34-year-old Linford Hydes, sits down to talk about what listeners can expect from the pair’s upcoming album. In a candle-lit, cat-filled flat above an indie bar, following an intimate performance of their remixed debut single, we chatted with Linford about what makes performing live so exciting (with a glass of white wine in hand, naturally).
DITCH: You’re very theatrical in your performances. What role does persona have in your work?
Linford: I studied musical theatre. I’ve done drama and musicals and all of that. It’s all artifice. It’s our job to communicate to the audience our vision to transport you to the place that we’re trying to take you. So, whether that means dressing the stage, dressing ourselves, creating intro music or choreography – the message behind each song drives how we perform.
Is there anyone you look up to and say, “Wow, I resonate with their music and I’d like to kind of have that impact?”
There are a few, like Kate Bush and David Sylvian from a band called Japan. They’re weirdly avant-garde and theatrical but they also restrain themselves in the pop world. But the main one for me is probably David Bowie.
Do you think your music can be defined, or does it overlap into different genres?
It’s a restraining question, isn’t it? When we’re applying for festivals, you’re only allowed to pick three genres. So we normally go with pop, electronic and maybe indie. Indie, to me, is like independent and individual.
If you can only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would that song be?
Probably one of mine.
Fair enough. If you can’t beat the best, just be the best.
Well, absolutely. Maybe something with passion, something Nina Simone. Mississippi Goddam – that’s got a lot of political weight to it. It’s just got this guttural anger, but it’s beautiful as well. Because when I perform, I feel a certain aggression. Challenging people and confronting them with a sort of heightened emotion, like opera.
Where does that aggressive emotion come from?
Well, I think there’s a lot to be angry about. Injustice, everything a sort of Miss Universe might say. Inequality, class wars, nepotism – especially in the music industry.
If you could channel that anger into having the power to remove one genre of music from the world, what would it be?
Harsh question. With music, sometimes it’s the culture that surrounds that music that I don’t like. So, my first instinct is country. But there are some good country artists. Bobby Gentry, Dolly Parton. But I do not want to be given the power of extermination. I mean, we’re in the age of accessibility.
So, are we correct in saying you guys have an album coming out soon?
There is an album, let’s say that. It’s done, it’s ready. We just released our debut single in December.
And if you had to describe how the album is going to make people feel?
There’s like a lot going on in it. We spent eight years making it. Let’s say meticulous. Let’s say emotive.
VOYA is a perversion of watching, a sexual act, as we’ve been watching the world for quite a while
I’m excited to listen to it.
Yeah, it’s just basically one fart noise for 50 minutes.
VOYA. The name gets your attention. Where did it come from?
I can either give an emotional answer, a lie, or I can give the truth.
Whichever you’re most comfortable with.
OK, so probably the truth at the moment. It came from a long list of pretentious names. Our passion for the 80s, Vogue magazines, Visage. And a feeling of going into that world of escapism and something mysterious. It’s a perversion of watching, a sexual act, as we’ve been watching the world for quite a while. We’ve sort of taken a step back.
That was the lie at the end.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten when it comes to performing?
Surrender is always a good mantra. To simply let go of the things you can’t control.
This is where the questions get very intense. If you were a crisp flavour, what crisp flavour would that be and why?
Fuck mantra and philosophy. It’s good to have a contrast. I’m thinking of maybe Robertson’s jelly or a raspberry flavour crisp. It’s quite homely, sort of food that’s just at your granny’s house. It might wobble as well, I don’t know.
What’s your go-to drink to make you feel like you’re in a really good atmosphere?
I only drink white wine. Went through the whole period of testing out vodka and not making it to the club, throwing up the pasta you ate on the way. Classic Cardiff girl, me.
What would your dream musical performance be?
Last year, we won the Triskel Award at the Welsh Music Prize for Best Upcoming Artist.
We performed at the Wales Millennium Centre and that felt so perfect because of our love for theatre. I had a massive stage to run about and the cable wasn’t long enough, so I got pulled back in the most Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin manner, so somewhere like a theatre.