Venus on Fire

On a warm October evening at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, Tory Envy softly sang, “screamin’ to be heard, never stuck out from the crowd.”  The keyboard slowly built and gave way to Leng Moua’s heavy guitar riffs; Venus on Fire played “Thank You,” their most requested song, drawing an unexpectedly large crowd for a Monday night.

With their layers of guitar, keyboard, and vocals, Venus on Fire steps out of the crowd and establishes itself as a creative addition to the twin cities’ music scene.  The, at times, punk themed lyrics and up-beat tempos may remind listeners of No Doubt, but Venus on Fire goes in their own direction and relies on synth to create a more complex sound.

The local group, comprised of Tory Envy (recently Victoria Vang) on keyboard and vocals and Leng Moua on guitar, got its start when Envy played as a singer-songwriter at the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) open-mic nights.  Moua received a copy of her CD, and they formed a band that eventually became Venus on Fire. “We had a band but I wasn’t really happy with it. A friend had a copy of her CD, and I heard it and I really liked it,” said Moua.

With the help of Hmong non-profit organizations, Envy and Moua were able to focus their efforts on making music together.  “Times have changed,” said Envy, acknowledging that CHAT’s support helped her establish herself as a musician.  “I was going there when I was fifteen or sixteen . . . at that time there weren’t a lot of Hmong musicians out there.”

The Hmong music scene has grown in both number of artists and genres covered.  Venus on Fire collaborated with local hip-hop group Hilltribe for the Vision Awards this past September.  “A lot of the Hmong musicians know each other and support each other,” said Envy of the local Hmong music scene.  The group also finds some of their strongest support from fans in the Hmong community.  “We wouldn’t be anywhere if we didn’t have fans,” Envy said.

The band works hard to keep their connection to their fans strong.  “We try to remember every fan’s name.  It sounds crazy ‘cause there’s a surprising amount of fans, but it’s important that we do because they’re important to us.  The ones we remember the most are the ones who stick around and hang out with us after the shows,” said Tory.

The group’s fans also highlight their broad appeal, “We have fans from across the world, so we send them posters.  We do sweepstakes on Facebook.”  And the fans feel compelled to express their love for the band, especially on their birthdays.  “I got a bunch of videos from them . . . it inspires me and makes me want to work hard,” said Envy.  Occasionally fans can get a little too close, “One time during a show I was reaching my hand to touch some of the fans’ hands and one guy grabbed it and wouldn’t let go.  I struggled for a bit but finally got it back.  That was a little scary.  There haven’t been too many crazy fans.”

The group also found support from punk clothing store Hot Topic, playing in cities throughout the Midwest for its Shop ‘Til You Rock 2011 tour after the manager of the Coon Rapids store heard their music and added Venus on Fire to the line-up.  “I think the most fun I had was playing that big stage [in Eau Claire] . . . We had a few people that knew about us, and we had some new people too.  It’s always good to play in front of a fresh crowd,” Moua said.

The group recently finished recording their new EP, My Furious Frenzy, which will be available on iTunes, their website, and Capital Guitars in downtown St. Paul when it is released in mid-November.  The new release will help to further establish Venus on Fire in the Minneapolis and broader music scenes.  “The journey is hard and exhausting, but also rewarding . . . You just have to stay positive and keep going,” said Tory.  While they plan on continuing their pop/rock sound, the band also plans on releasing an acoustic EP after the release of My Furious Frenzy, and as the needs of the music industry change, the band will tailor its sounds to meet those needs.  “The music industry is rapid and unpredictable,” said Tory, adding, “if [the sound] evolves, it does . . . Our goal is to reach as many people as we can with our music.”

Aspiring artists can look to Venus on Fire’s example for a direction to guide them as they learn to adapt and grow with the local music scene.  “Believe in yourself.  Keep an open mind because the industry is always changing,” said Tory, adding that a positive relationship with fans is important too, “Love your fans and thank them for loving you.”

As the final notes of “Thank You” filled the Fine Line, the strength of Venus on Fire’s relationship with their fans made itself evident.  Not only did they thank their fans for their support, the band also admired their fans for being themselves.

Fans who wish to thank the band for providing the music they love can do so by attending concerts where they’ll find exclusive t-shirts and posters.  Fans who want to listen to tracks and get info on upcoming concerts and release dates can check out band’s Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/#!/venusonfiremusic

their website at: www.venusonfire.com

their myspace page at: www.myspace.com/venusonfire

and follow them on Twitter: @venusonfire

By Teresa Townsend