Christian Ayala, better known as Vendaval, is a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and producer. A few days ago, his latest single ‘Ripple Blue’ made its way onto the airwaves and straight into my heart. A summery, dreamy, poppy, and synthy little number, it’s been on repeat in my flat since day one of its release!
Desperate to know more about the seriously talented musician and his project, I was over the moon when he agreed to chat with us! Taking us through the “birth” of his latest single, his love for Little Dragon, and what he has planned for the future, please give a big welcome to our new friend Vendaval!
Hello and welcome Christian! I’m really excited to introduce you to our audience! Before we get into the nitty-gritty, could you tell us a little bit about your musical journey? What has led you to where you are today?
I started playing guitar at fifteen and I’ve been making music ever since. In 2020, I decided to start releasing songs, starting with my self-titled EP. I handle everything myself, from writing, recording, and mixing, to designing album art and visuals. My music isn’t tied together by a genre per se, but by my voice and by the themes I explore, which include nostalgia, longing, and distance.
I’ve fallen seriously in love with your most recent tune ‘Ripple Blue’! What does the song mean to you and do you remember its “birth” so to speak?
I had spent a while on a song that I could play myself at open mics, something with an interesting melody that could stand on its own with just me and a guitar. My girlfriend listened to it and she picked up right away on its melancholy. We came up with this story about the ocean falling in love with a surfer who never returned, and then the song really wrote itself. It was just begging to be a dream-pop thing, so I used my electric guitar and found some nice synth sounds that I knew from Tears For Fears. Listening to it now, I’m surprised by the raw longing at the center of the song. I didn’t know that was in me! I feel like writing music – or making any art really – is so good at showing you yourself.
3 out of your 4 listed influences are also some of my biggest musical heroes. I adore The Police, Beck, and The Shins! I’ll have to check out Wild Nothing! Who else would you credit for helping shape your overall soundscape?
I make music that I’d want to listen to, so my influences are really just all the acts that I love. D’Angelo, Calle 13, Toro y Moi, etc. I also can’t overstate the influence of bossa nova on my stuff. It’s such a big part of how I approach playing the guitar and how I understand harmony. It doesn’t even matter what genre of music I’m making – I snuck some jazzy chords into a pop-punk song I released last year. It’s cool to see artists like Billie Eilish and Beabadoobee drawing on those sounds now too.
And yeah, definitely don’t sleep on Wild Nothing!
Now, I know this is a toughie, and possibly like asking you to pick a favourite child, but which tune of yours are you most proud of to date, and why?
I love all my babies dearly, but I have to say my 2022 single ‘Luna’. It’s my first Spanish song and it’s about lifting someone up like the moon lifting up the tides. It feels like a precursor to ‘Ripple Blue’ in a way. I had fun exploring some of my favorite dream-pop sounds, and I also loved getting to pay subtle homage to ‘Everlong’ in the bridge — see if you can tell what I’m talking about.
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a T-shirt?
“The wind is the only song” from ‘Won’t Be Seen Again’.
What are your goals for the rest of this year? Is there anything you’d like to achieve as a musician or, even on a personal level, this year?
Only to make as much music as I can. I left my day job in 2022 to focus on music full-time, which is such a tremendous privilege. I just want to take full advantage of this moment to explore the sounds that inspire me and make art that I’m proud of.
If you were allowed to collaborate with any musician or band, who would you choose and why?
Little Dragon, definitely. It’s hard as a musician to have such a defiantly genre-less sound, but I feel like they’ve had it nailed for years. Also, Yukimi Nagano’s voice is magic.
What comes next for Vendaval?
I have a few more singles up my sleeve for the rest of the year. And I’m always doing jazzy little covers on TikTok, so find me there in the meantime.
