Vilivant shares her journey with music and what the future holds for her.

 

Julia Gentile began her musical journey at the age of three, learning the piano.

Upon graduating from the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2008 she thought she would continue to pursue classical music, but fate took her in a different direction.

Gentile would end up teaching herself to play guitar and some bass, but she found her talents lay primarily as a vocal artist.

Now she is the face of GTA rock band Vilivant.

She recalls her parents playing rock stations when she was growing up, however, it did not resonate with her at the time. She would end up experimenting with other musical genres before finding that rock was the one for her.

Before entering the rock scene, Gentile used her real name before choosing to use the stage name Vilivant while performing at different venues.

Vilivant released an EP in 2019 of original rock songs and have since been working on a new album set to be released next year.

Before that release, Vilivant is set to release a new song Sept. 7 called ‘Running on Empty,’ a song about the pandemic.

“I felt lost during the pandemic, as an artist and creative person. It was as though the energy and passion that I had was stripped from me,” said Gentile.

She recalls finding inspiration in the phrase the song is named after.

“Unlike my other songs, I did not want to hide the true feeling in metaphors. I really wanted to be straightforward and relatable to those going through the same kind of feeling.”

The pandemic was difficult for those who have livelihoods that depend on physical interaction. However, it did have some advantageous effects on Vilivant’s career.

“I was always so busy before the pandemic. So, in a way it gave me a chance to sit down and focus on perfecting my craft.”

The music industry often carries the stereotype that women are not suited for the rock genre, but Gentile says that she has been noticing a lot of female rock artists lately.

It is difficult for artists like Vilivant to avoid prejudice in what has been a male-dominated genre for years, but she believes that the stereotype will fade and give way to more female rock artists soon.

Gentile shares that her voice and work has evolved over the years, with changing inspirations and perception.

“I felt like I didn’t fit in when I was growing up,” she said. “But I do not care anymore. Don’t let anyone push you around or make you feel like you need to change who you are. If you are an artist, of any sort, it can be scary to put out your work. But I say go for it because what is there to lose?”

Vilivant was also a recent recipient of the Factor Grant, which supports production and promotion of songs by Canadian artists. This grant has helped the band to work on and produce the album, new song and even a music video.

Vilivant’s new song ‘Running on Empty’ released Sept. 7. The music video is coming this Friday, Sept. 16.

For more information, visit www.thisisvilivant.com.