With the release of Undercover, The Violution have brought 13 rock and metal classics to life through the electric violin. We had the pleasure of chatting with mastermind JLynn about the new album, the challenges of adapting guitar music to the violin, her musical influences, the growing use of AI in music, and what comes next for The Violution.

Reuel

Hello JLynn! I’m very happy to chat with you. How are you doing?

JLynn

Hi Reuel! Thank you, happy to speak with you as well and I’m so happy that Las Vegas is finally out of the brutal summer heat and now enjoying some cooler temps!

Reuel

You’ve recently released Undercover! It’s 13 tracks that most metal and rock fans know and love. How are you feeling about the reaction the album has received so far?

JLynn

I’m stoked to finally have this particular album out, and we’re receiving some wonderful feedback! It’s so interesting that everyone has their personal favorites and for many different reasons.

Reuel

One of my favorite songs covered on your album is Stairway to Heaven, and I was stunned when I learned it has 81 separately recorded orchestral parts, all played by you. Was this the most challenging song to create for the album?

JLynn

I love that Stairway is one of your favorites, as it is also one of mine! Stacking and layering the orchestral parts one by one in addition to stacking the rhythm VTARs was indeed a challenge as far as the time that it took; however, I feel that an even bigger challenge that we faced was how to approach the song in a way that allowed for a steady climb in intensity with both instrumentation and volume that could peak into the glorious Jimmy Page solo, and then continue to hold that intensity until the very last note. I like to believe that we achieved that.

Reuel

It’s brilliant! You customized many things about both your instruments and performance style to match the range of a guitar. What I’m curious about is how did you physically adapt your bow work to get that sharp, aggressive rhythm attack without a pick?

JLynn

It has been such a journey! Electric violins are worlds different from electric guitars with the types of pickups installed (mostly piezo) and the difference in impedance levels. Having effects pedals can allow for some really amazing sounds and tones if you can put the time and the effort into experimenting and tweaking all the individual parameters. What we have in place of a pick (the bow) can create beautiful sustained notes that the guitar is missing. But the guitar has the pick and I did have to figure out and come up with things that a violinist normally wouldn’t do to sound more like a guitar, researching guitar techniques that I was not familiar with to understand how to sound like that myself. It’s truly a melding and blending of both violin and guitar techniques and what has evolved I like to call my own “signature sound”.

Reuel

Undercover makes these massive metal and rock tracks feel like they were actually meant for the violin. Now that the proof of concept is out there, do you see yourself writing original metal songs for The Violution?

JLynn

Yes! The goal from the very start was to introduce listeners to our sound through familiar songs, build our niche audience, and then release original music. Now that the covers are out, we’re ready to unleash some slamming original tracks potentially before the end of the year!

Reuel

What musicians can you credit as the ones who inspired you, personally, in your life or career as a musician?

JLynn

There are a few that stand out to me. I’ve always had female role models, and I vividly recall going to the Symphony as a young girl to see classical violinist Anne Sophie Mutter perform and just being blown away. Not too soon after, classical crossover violinist Vanessa Mae took the world by storm, shaking a lot of classical music enthusiasts to their very core for daring to step outside the box and I loved it – she was a huge inspiration. Then the pop string quartet Bond, Escala, and more. It wasn’t until I discovered effect pedals that guitarists then became my inspiration and influence, and I became obsessed with learning guitar solos. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy), Synyster Gates (A7X), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Steve Vai, Dimebag Darrell (Pantera), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) and others, in combination with the teachings and styles of all my violin teachers and professors, have all shaped my current sound and approach to my instrument. Although I was groomed for it, my trajectory pointed far away from simply being in the orchestra or taking the traditional route. Although I can and sometimes still do the occasional engagement on acoustic violin, which satisfies my classical “in the box” self, I’m so very happy where I ended up -– as a front lead center-stage electrifying entertainer who so enjoys the spotlight!

Reuel

Great names! You’ve done a large part of this project all by yourself. Meanwhile, people are using AI to do things as simple as talking to each other. What dangers does AI pose to musicians in particular, and what do you think needs to be done to counter it?

JLynn

AI in music generation/composition is a huge point of contention for so many professional musicians, and it is a dividing issue as well in how it is being used. I do think that it could be used constructively as a tool in some way, in giving musical ideas to songwriters that have lyrics but don’t necessarily know how to or simply cannot afford to bring their ideas to life. But I believe that real musicians should be making the music — musicians that have spent their entire lifetimes honing their skills as a musician. There is a beauty in the fallibility and imperfection of humans, and one thing that AI will never take away is the power of live music.

Reuel

Brilliant! Thank you for your time, JLynn! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

JLynn

Just one thing. When playing our music, crank it or yank it!

Thank you, Reuel, and thank you, FemMetal!