Name: Venera
Members: James Shaffer, Chris Hunt
Nationality: American
Current release: Venera's self-titled album is out via Ipecac.
Recommendations: The Holy Day by Christopher Norris; Kavari - Against The Wood, Opposed To Flesh

If you enjoyed this interview with Venera and would like to stay up to date with the band's music, visit their official homepage. The duo are also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.



What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

The structure of the song “Hologram” was a result of the first time we spent making sounds together.



It’s not a direction that necessarily defines the project, but with that piece we saw the potential for exploring material with vocals.

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming/producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?  

We seem to prefer being in the same room and exploring together for the bulk of the writing phase. We enjoy playing together as well, in our improvisations we are driven towards a pretty clear atmosphere and that is inspiring to us.

We are in the planning phase of what the live show will be.

How did this particular collaboration come about?

James and I met while working with Xhoana X in Los Angeles.



He came on board to help add some guitars and once we started working together we realized that there was more to explore.

What did you know about each other before working together? Describe your creative partner in a few words, please.

I didn’t know much about James honestly. I was aware of Korn, but they weren’t huge for me growing up.

I went into the collaboration with an open mind. James is tremendously open and easy going and our working relationship is very smooth and fulfilling.

What do you generally look for in a collaborator in general and what made you want to collaborate with each other specifically?

James and I share an interest in texture, atmosphere, and intensity so approaching and continuing our collaboration has made sense.

Tell me a bit about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others?

James’ main tools are guitar and pedal board, but obviously this is a near infinite palette.

In the beginning of the process I usually try to sketch out some kind of rhythm with a drum machine or search for bass or harmony that goes wherever James is going. We try to guide the sound towards ideas that resonate with us.

Before you started making music together, did you in any form exchange concrete ideas, goals, or strategies? Generally speaking, what are your preferences when it comes to planning vs spontaneity in a collaboration?

There wasn’t much discussion initially. I sent a couple of ideas to show James generally what I was thinking. But when it came to work, we just started.

Describe the process of working together, please. What was different from your expectations and what did the other add to the music?

I don’t think either of us have any expectations, we just go until we feel like it’s time to stop. I then spend time editing, arranging, and further exploring.

After that we collectively decide what else needs to happen.

What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion – those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

The thought that comes to mind is a shared commitment to the work and trust within the collaboration.

Going outside of your comfort zone can be a gift of a trusting process I feel. Pushing each other in a productive and supportive way is why we collaborate, right?

Maybe not, but that’s a thought.

Decisions between creatives often work without words. How did this process work in this case?

Our process has been very intuitive. We go down into the mine and try to find the vein. We may say some words along the way, but in general, starting the process with just making sounds has been inspiring.

It’s not like that in every collaboration, so I’m grateful.

What are your thoughts on the need for compromise vs standing by one's convictions? How did you resolve potential disagreements in this collaboration?

Standing by one’s convictions is a vital part of having a vision. If there are no convictions, I suppose there isn’t direction. How those convictions permeate a collaboration and interact with the process of working towards exceptional work is more nuanced. Case-to-case I’d say.

There are also very human considerations around creating a productive and low-toxicity working environment, respecting your collaborators and the communication tools sometimes required. It certainly isn’t always easy.

James and I don’t have much disagreement. We have very similar interests and we appreciate the process in similar ways so if we need to talk about something, we talk and find a good direction. Minimizing stress is a good goal.

Was this collaboration fun – does it need to be?

Absolutely. We both go into our work with open minds and trust and it’s fulfilling to explore.

The time it takes to shape, edit, and finish material can be daunting, but I trust the process.

Do you find that at the end of this collaboration, you changed certain parts of your process or your outlook on certain creative aspects?

I feel like we’ve identified some directions that we’d like to explore along the way but we try to keep the brainstorming and sound generation parts of the process open and smooth.

And it’s certainly not the end. The second album is almost finished with myriad directions to follow.

Collaborating with one's heroes can be a thrill or a cause for panic. Do you have any practical experience with this and what was it like?

I just try to be open and honest. We’re there to make work that lives its own life.