Aya Yves unveils her dreamy new single ‘(in)Sanity’
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Aya Yves unveils her dreamy new single ‘(in)Sanity’

If you’re a fan of indie electronic pop, we’ve got the artist for you!

Aya Yves, the new project of singer/songwriter Vendulka who has transcended from her Folk-Pop background into this anomalous electronic realm, was born from a love of pushing boundaries and breaking expectations.

Today, Aya Yves unveils her dreamy debut with ‘(in)Sanity. Contrasting light airy vocals in dark, brooding soundscapes, the single boasts both passionate and haunting lyrics which tell a tumultuous love story, and a hook that will imprint itself into the minds and hearts of all who hear it.

A collaboration with Australian producer Xavier Dunn, whose impressive catalogue also crosses genres and styles (Jack River, CXLOE, Graace, Carmada, Peking Duk), Xavier’s production provides an evocative backdrop while Aya Yves vocals ripple and flutter, telling a familiar tale of love-induced madness.

“I wrote (in)Sanity in the first few weeks of meeting someone and they had pulled the classic: ‘I’m not ready for a relationship’ line. I knew this person was an emotionally unavailable mess and I went into it anyway – and that’s a theme I wanted to highlight throughout the song. When the rose tinted glasses come on – all sane, rational decisions go out the window.”

Just like that, Aya Yves has added herself to the ranks of Australian pop divas like BANKS and CXLOE with this debut. To celebrate the release today, Aya Yves has shared her top five albums that have shaped her heavenly sound.

1. 22, A Million – Bon Iver
I’ve loved everything Bon Iver has put out. Justin Vernon can do no wrong in my eyes. ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ has been one of my go to albums basically since it came out. ‘22, A Million’ was so unexpected. It felt like a heaver production compared to his previous records. The one song that really hit me was ‘715-CR33KS’. The (what at the time I thought was vocoder) custom made Messina vocal synth creates a chorus of vocals that punch through and hit your soul. So incredibly beautiful.
22, A Million was definitely one of the instigators of my appreciation for quirky production.

2. Heard It In A Past Life – Maggie Rogers
This album signified a huge shift for me. I grew up attending alternative music festivals, which are beautiful, but have a culture which tends to think lesser of pop music. There’s a stereotype that pop music is superficial, and that “real” musicians don’t care about commercial success.
Maggie Rogers to me was proof that you could be narrative driven, emotional, and have true connection- yet still be commercially viable. Her EP ‘Now That The Light Is Fading’ had me captivated- but her album had me hooked. It only came out last year but definitely helped me shift my inhibitions surrounding the change in direction for my music.

3. Crowded Places – BANKS
Okay. So, I know it isn’t an album, it’s a single. But it was the moment I fell in love with BANKS. I’d heard a fair bit of her previous album ‘The Altar’, but something about Crowded Places grabbed me.
Let’s set the scene. I was living in Canada at the time and my friends and I all had the night off to watch the Northern lights (they were predicted to be visible that night). We were all a little intoxicated and had left the house to walk to the lake. We’re walking through a thick canopy of forest; you couldn’t see the sky. I had my Spotify on shuffle and just as the trees opened up, Crowded Places came on. The stars had put on a show that night, and I just stood there staring at the sky, with tears of pure joy until the song was over.
The visceral reaction I had is something that I always aim for with my music, and hope I can create for other people.

4. If You Wait – London Grammar
When I heard Hannah Reid’s voice for the first time I was absolutely captivated. I instantly fell in love with her tone.
The laid back, spacious, but still carefully considered production is perfect for the vocal, narrative-driven songs. This album was one of the gateway albums for me coming from folk music to something a bit more commercial.

5. English Rain – Gabrielle Aplin
Gabrielle Aplin was a huge influence on me vocally. She was one of the first artists I really connected to. I saw her open for Ed Sheeran on his ‘+’ tour. Her first EP was pretty much just vocal & guitar – which was exactly what I was doing at the time. Her beautiful dainty vocal inflections inspired me to try replicate those sounds and really expanded my vocal ability. English Rain is so honest and felt so real and vulnerable. Will forever be one of my favourites.

Photo by Jenny Wu Photography