V.K. spoke to Gisèle Grignon recently to talk about her latest record Black Halo and her philanthropic activities.

antiMUSIC: Some background to start with. Anything in particular that prompted the move from Pennsylvania's Dutch county to Philly?

V.K. Lynne: Love. After college, my then-boyfriend, now-husband, Sean, was heading back to his hometown, North Philly. I knew I had to be with him- so I moved to Philly. I had no apartment lined up, no job, no car- but I knew I had to go. All those other things were just details.

antiMUSIC: At what point, or what event convinced you that this move was a good idea, professionally and/or personally?

V.K. Lynne: It was the worst year of my life- I had a $700 car that left me in all sorts of seedy places, I had a job I HATED, and my living situation was the stuff of sitcoms- with significantly less humor. But that year showed me what I can take and what I can go through, so personally, it was good for me to build character and perseverance.

antiMUSIC: How does LA compare with Pennsylvania in terms of opportunities and in terms of your own creativity?

V.K. Lynne: For me, there's no comparison. I love LA with every bone that I own. Music-wise, the well was dry for me in PA…my singing, writing, confidence increased exponentially in LA as I got more and more opportunity to work at my craft in various bands and on my own.

antiMUSIC: Your style has been pegged as rock, country, bluesy, saucy (!) and folky. Which "label" do you feel most comfortable with --- and why?

V.K. Lynne: Ha! That's a funny question right now only because the band has been through a rough month on that front. I guess if you've got to label it, it's blues rock. Yes, there is a Southern influence. But it's really not one thing- and it never will be.

antiMUSIC: Social responsibility seems high on your list of priorities. Is this a reflection of how you were raised? Which charity is especially meaningful to you and why?

V.K. Lynne: In a sense. My mother is a big believer in personal responsibility. And for myself, this business is often mired in self-serving people with short-sighted agendas. I want to use whatever influence I have or will have to do something good. For example- the charity that I am the official spokesperson for is N Rock United- which was founded by a pharmacist. Chuck Lindley's 3-year-old son, Mason, was struck by a riding lawnmower in 2003. He lost most of his intestines, part of his lung, spleen, and stomach. After 16 surgeries, he was nearly "good as new" and named Duke Children's Hospital's Miracle Child. 2.5 years into his recovery, he died from a liver infection. Chuck set out to help families who have experienced this kind of trauma, and give comfort and hope to others as he had received comfort and hope. He has no entertainment background, no non profit expertise, yet his heart for helping others has led him to organize a benefit concert in North Carolina that I and 3 other artists participated in, and countless other projects to raise money and awareness. Instead of focusing on his pain or what he couldn't do, he focused on stopping others' pain and what he COULD do. That's the kind of person I want to be.

antiMUSIC: What has been the greatest surprise in your professional career so far?

V.K. Lynne: Honestly?...Mark. My guitar player. And I guess, by way of association, ME. I have been, to a large degree, alone in my 'artistic vision', if you will, and constantly struggling to make others understand what it is I'm trying to do or say with my music- unsuccessfully. I have had several incarnations of my band, but we've never achieved the sound I was going for- I guess I couldn't elucidate it well enough, but I knew that 'I'd know it when I heard it'… And then a year ago, after a year of acoustic shows, I was putting together a band AGAIN, and auditioning guitar players. I saw some guys, and they were all OK… And then there was Mark. He was clearly the most talented cat we'd heard all day, but there was something else…once we started rehearsing, it became very clear that he knew exactly what I was doing, and what I wanted the songs to do- sometimes better than I did. Suddenly the sound that I'd had in my head, actually started materializing, and it never occurred to me that I'd find someone like that- who was so entirely on the same page musically. It's almost spooky- it's like some part of his psyche has known some part of my psyche for 20 years…and I guess for me, that's been the biggest curve ball I've been thrown; I never wanted anyone in my band to be irreplaceable, but now, he's so instrumental to my sound, I can't imagine life without him.

antiMUSIC: Would you outline the "birth" of your songs? Or, if the process is different for each song, outline the process involved in writing one of your favorite cuts on Black Halo.

V.K. Lynne: It is different for each song. But "Leaving the Life" was the purest case of God just giving me a song. I was putting on makeup to go play an afternoon gig…and I suddenly started singing "Leaving the Life" - a song I hadn't written yet. I thought "I don't have time!", but I just kept singing it over and over, so I grabbed my spiral notebook, scribbled the whole thing down, and tossed it in a cabinet. 2 days later I dug it out, assuming that the tune would have left my head- but no, I picked it right back up, sang the whole thing into a crappy little tape recorder, and it was done. That's God, because I'm not that good.

antiMUSIC: Are you the type of artist who takes each day as it comes or on Dec 31, are you the first person in line to buy a five-year planner?

V.K. Lynne: December 31st??? I better have it before then!! How will I plan January?

antiMUSIC: How will you know that you've "arrived" in the music industry?

V.K. Lynne: When I can quit my day job, and pay my band what they're worth. Those boys are all so dear to me, they play with their whole hearts for PEANUTS, and give of their time and energy, believing in me and my songs, and I will know I have 'made it' when I can make it all worth it for them.

antiMUSIC: Anything else you'd like to mention about the record or yourself that I didn't ask?

V.K. Lynne: You think as an artist that you know what you'll do when certain situations arise. You think that you're so hungry you'll do anything to get that break. And then suddenly you are shown what 'anything' is. That's when who you are starts to tell you what your priorities are - and who you're not. The business is changing, and it isn't. As artists come up, I want them to know that you have to love this and you have to stick with it, and any fairy tales you have in your head from watching the Buddy Holly Story when you were 6 years old are just that. Be smart, but not jaded. Be open, but not a doormat. Don't give up anything that really means something to you.
Hell- just don't give up.

Gisèle Grignon and antiMUSIC thank V.K. Lynne for speaking with us.