Disrupting the Music Industry with Lisa Vitale of Terror Jr.
Lisa Vitale of Terror Jr. - SAD AND FAMOUS by Terror Jr. and AO Beats out now
Years ago, somewhere in Michigan, a girl asked her mom if anyone in their family was musical like she was. “I think your grandmother could sing…” her mother replied, ending a relatively short conversation. That girl would go on to write lyrics like, “Half past one, got a car full of nuns with a Father in the trunk.”
That girl was and is Lisa Vitale, 50% of the anti-pop-pop group Terror Jr. Few groups have had as startling of a start as this one, but it’s come to feel pretty on-brand for this duo. They have put out so much surprising and clever music that when you look at their discography, you’ll be shocked with yourself if you haven’t heard at least one of their tracks. On the surface seems to be bouncy, electronic beats under an autotuned head voice, but listen again and you’ll hear some of the funniest, most clever, charming lyrics you’ve ever come across.
Once you’re hooked, batten down the hatches and get ready because Terror Jr. is on their way — and you’re coming along whether you want to or not. Join in on their reign of terror with their newest single “SAD AND FAMOUS” in collaboration with AOBeats out now. In an exclusive interview with Amplify Her Voice, Lisa Vitale opened up about the beginnings of her love for music, the start of Terror Jr., and what’s coming up next for the brave, bold, artist.
Where did Lisa, the face of Terror Jr., have her start?
I started out in a No Doubt-esque band - you know, like, reggae rock with a little bit of ska? I grew up listening to that style, along with pop and rap and all sorts of genres. But reggae was a huge part of my life when I was old enough to start my own band, so that’s how things took shape. We performed together for about five years and, meanwhile, I had my own YouTube channel where I posted covers and some original pieces.
We were all from Michigan, so that’s where we performed, opening up for local gigs and such. Through these gigs, we met a guy who managed other artists in the Detroit area. It was honestly like that movie moment when the manager hands you a card and says, “I think you really got something kid, maybe you could come out to LA sometime.” It was unreal, but that’s how I ended up out here in LA!
After your career in the rock genre, how did Terror Jr. get its start?
My manager at the time told me he wanted to introduce me to someone exciting. He was telling me about a guy who wrote the song “Like a G6” and other fun projects like that. That exciting person was David Singer-Vine! He was introduced to me alongside Felix Snow who was originally part of our group too. We came together like a lot of groups do: just to see what could happen. Within two weeks of meeting each other, we had written 10-12 songs — this was before we even had the “Do you want to start a band?” conversation. We were all treating it like a fun side project, but we just clicked so well together. And, of course, we had no idea how into us the internet would be, especially since we didn’t really have a genre. That’s actually how our name came to be, we sort of felt like we were terrorizing pop music — that’s the only way I can describe it. Pop gets such a bad rep for being obnoxious and it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. So this was our sort of answer to that - terrorizing the industry a little bit.
Okay, so, we have to talk about Kylie Jenner. In 2016, Kylie dropped one of her first promos for her new lip kit and it included this effortlessly hypnotic song called “3 Strikes” by the mysterious group Terror Jr. What was it like to have such a unique and viral start to your career as a group?
Our start was intentionally very mysterious which was partially because we weren’t expecting to launch so quickly. The other part of it was — and I can’t give too many details — that Kylie heard “3 Strikes” and liked it. That’s it, that’s about all I can say! So, the song got into her lip kit video. We honestly enjoyed the mystery too because it was cool, it was almost like watching it happen to someone else. We could witness it and really take it all in kind of from the outside. The other side was that we were also still figuring out who we were, so it bought us some time to work out the details
On top of all of that, of course, people thought Kylie was actually the lead singer of Terror Jr. A lot of people ask if that was frustrating for me, and honestly no. We did not expect or plan that rumor — I wish we could say we masterminded it. But no, it was just the internet at work. And, honestly, it was a huge part of what set it all off. I loved it, it was incredible. It was such an amazing and fun happy little accident.
Looking at your discography, it’s incredible to see the sheer volume of music you’ve released since 2016. What is your creative process like? How do these projects come to life?
You know, I think for every project we try to come up with a concept and a theme. We usually talk about the visual aspect too, and what people want to see in their minds when they listen to our music. Each project has its own specific theme and even when we play around with different production styles, that thematic part of the creative process remains in tact. I have to give credit to my other half, David. Without him I would take forever to finish a song because I constantly tell myself, “It’s not right, we have to do it again, let’s tweak this or that.” I know that’s a good quality to have because it helps get us to the best versions of our tracks. But David is the one who ultimately says, “Lisa, we eventually have to put the music out!” And he’s right! The goal is to release music, and without David I’d never put any music out.
You are pretty well-known for some creative lyrics. How do these verses come together? And as a woman singing some quite raunchy lyrics, what’s it like to sing songs like, for example, the masterpiece that is “Holding Your Tongue?”
Someone once described our music as Mad Libs which, honestly, is pretty accurate. When it comes to putting a song together, a lot of times David and I are not in the same room. We actually text each other lyric ideas a lot and often it turns into a game of one-upping each other. I think that’s really how we get to the wild lyrics! I was also a political science major in college, so I definitely insert my interest in politics because I do think music should oftentimes have a message. Fortunately David’s also pretty passionate about that because he grew up in Berkeley, California, which is such an openminded place. But we also add in humor because that’s how you make sure the message gets across without being preachy. So with all of that in mind, our lyric text exchanges get competitive and pretty hilarious. That’s how we get lyrics like “Heartbreaks:” Put Omarosa on a rollercoaster without any lotion / Nick Cannon in a room with Steve Bannon. I’m living through such a weird time for our society warrants even weirder lyrics, right?
As far as the raunchy lyrics, you know, there are two sides to it: I get nervous, of course, but I ultimately feel empowered. The crazier your lyrics are, the more you open yourself up to criticism, of course. But it’s also incredibly freeing to say exactly what you want, whatever you want to say when you want to say it. It’s definitely worth it.
Thinking back on all the songs you’ve recorded, which one makes you feel the best?
It’s an obvious choice, but “Back Baby.” It literally screams “I’m feeling good!” which is pretty on the nose. Second to that one I’d say “Come First.” Also a little on the nose, but I mean, if you want an empowering anthem, that’s the one. When I sing that one live, it’s hard not to feel like a badass.
Which song brings up the most intense emotions?
Probably “Happy Place” which is kind of, you know, a mental health anthem. It’s about trying to find the will to be kind to yourself, to love yourself. It’s definitely an emotional one. There’s also “Pretty“ which is really emotional too. It’s another example of the contrast we like to have in our music: you hear it and on the surface it sounds so happy, but when you really listen you hear the truth behind what’s actually going on.
Which song got a reception that surprised you the most?
“Heaven Wasn’t Made for Me.” We were signed to big label very quickly after the influx of attention brought on by the whole Kylie Jenner thing. At the time, it made sense: you sign to a major label quickly and get yourself out there. But after we signed, there were a lot of opinions about where our music should go. You’re assigned a whole team of people who analyze what’s going to be a hit, what won’t land — all stuff you can’t really predict, you know? “Heaven Wasn’t Made for Me” was sort of a passion project for us during that period and so many label executives doubted it. And yet, that song ended up being one of the most amazing songs we’ve ever released. It’s funny that that one meant so much to us that it became a symbol of rebellion against those expectations people put on us and our music.
As a woman in the music industry, what sort of hurdles have you faced? What’s stood in your way?
Okay, I don’t want to get blacklisted, but I have to tell this story. When we first got signed, someone high-up at a record label once said to me, “I hope you know how lucky you are.” Basically, they saw me with these two (at the time) guys who already had a relationship and experience in the industry and felt the need to remind me that I made it on luck alone. Okay, so I guess my talent doesn’t contribute anything to this? That was my introduction to the music business. On top of that, you’re constantly doubting your music because people are putting your songs to panels every time you turn around. Strangers are ranking your music and telling you what to put out when — it was a lot.
I finally got to a point where I was like, fuck all this, I don’t care how any of these people rank my music. I won’t put something out unless I fucking love it. That led us to where we are now, completely independent and self-managed. I do our negotiations, I have conversations with producers, I release our music. I had to work really hard to learn all of that stuff on my own, but it was worth it. It’s the only way you’ll feel truly confident in this industry. If you have people telling you that you need them, you’re gonna believe it. But if you do it on your own, you can believe in your damn self.
So what artists are inspiring you right now? Who should we be listening to?
Dua Saleh is a really cool artist. They rap and sing, but they have almost a Black Sabbath-like production underneath. It’s got this undertone of metal I really like. I’m also listening to Caroline Polachek, of course. I just — her voice! I could listen to her riff all day long and I love how she plays with autotune to really showcase her voice. So many people still think artists who use autotune can’t sing, but like so many other things, it’s just a tool. You can’t be an artist at that level without being truly talented, come on.
What’s next for you and Terror Jr?
Well, we’re finishing another project, of course. It’s kind of in-between an album and an EP — maybe, like, nine songs. We also just released “SAD AND FAMOUS” with AOBeats soon, our second in a row with them after “Be Some Body.” What I’m really excited about, though, is our tour. We’ll be on the road later this year with a group called Ibibio Sound Machine. They are so awesome, they’ve got an electronic pop and African sound with such cool lyrics — it’s just such great music. I think they’ve been around for about a decade and a really hitting their stride now. I’m just so fucking hyped we get to tour with people whose music I genuinely love.
Get tickets to see Terror Jr. live on tour here.