Photo courtesy of Holly Turner Photography

TBYT recently caught up with Hope, Wolf, and Brian from the band VISTA. We discussed a variety of topics including their new EP, musical influences, and personal experiences with negativity online. 

Think Before You Type: VISTA is a recently formed band, can you tell us how you guys all met and what made you decide to start the band together?

VISTA: Hope had been a solo artist for about a decade, and Wolf was her touring drummer. Their musical brains just completely meshed right off the bat, and they made the decision to form a new band. Brian and Wolf had been in bands together previously, and they’ve been friends for years. Brian was actually supposed to be one of Hope’s new touring guitarists, so he came along on a weekend of shows to kind of get a feel for things and pick up on some of her songs. It was just a clear fit to ask Brian to be a part of VISTA!

TBYT: Sometimes the internet can be a really tough place. How do you deal with negative comments on social media?

Hope: The internet can be a really dangerous space. You can connect with people easily, which is super helpful as a musician, but I think it’s really important to remember that any negative comment you read is just a set of words on a screen. It’s digital, it’s not the real world. That’s always what I try to keep in mind. I know words on a social media site can be extremely, extremely hurtful. But lately I’ve been saying that I would much rather live my life off a screen than behind one, you know? Make sure to maintain good personal relationships.

TBYT: Who are your musical influences?

VISTA: All of our influences run on a pretty wide range. We’re all huge fans of bands like PVRIS and Set It Off. Brian loves Periphery, and he’s actually a big Bieber fan, too. Hope’s got three main musical sets of influences: pop punk and alt. rock, 90’s pop, and classic rock. Wolf’s got some pop punk vibes too, and he also loves the Biebs.

TBYT: What’s one thing that people tend to misjudge or underestimate about each of you?

Hope: In the past, some people have gotten super confused or surprised when they see how I dress compared to my personality. I wear black almost exclusively, you can never wear enough black! I’ve always gravitated more towards darker colors, with pretty much everything, but my personality is really bubble and upbeat…. which kind of contrasts the stigma behind wearing dark clothes. I guess it’s just an interesting contrast!

Brian: Probably that most of the time, people think I’m off doing dumb things but at heart I’m a very down to earth and real person.

Wolf: People tend to underestimate how hard I’ll work to get to where I want to be.

TBYT: When you’re down, what song helps to pick up your mood?

Hope: Any Backstreet Boys song!!!

Brian: For some reason I really enjoy metal when I’m down. So one of the songs I listen to is “The Bad Thing” by Periphery.

Hope: You have such a broad taste in music, I can dig it. I’ve never heard of Periphery, now I have something new to check out.

Wolf: Anything by Set It Off!

TBYT: We’re really passionate about encouraging other young people to use the internet for good. What’s one positive way that you would like to see the internet change?

VISTA: Twitter shouldn’t be as negative. It’s a cool idea, a cool space that should be used to connect with your favorite musicians, actors, athletes, your friends. That space seems to be pretty abused nowadays. The bullying online, tweet wars, and subtweeting is just ridiculous. It could be such an awesome place online, but we’d really like to see people use it the right way, the positive way.

TBYT: Who are your role models?

Hope: My dad was my top role model. But I think that right now, and especially most recently, my role model has been my brother. He’s 7 years younger than me, but that kid is one of the most kind-hearted, care-free, talented teenagers I know. The way he carries himself at just 16 is super inspiring to me and I’m always more than proud to be his sister.

Brian: My role model would probably be my mom. She taught me how to fight for the things I want and to never give up when things get hard.

Wolf: My boss at my job.

TBYT: What advice or encouragement do you guys have for young people who are being cyberbullied?

VISTA: Get off the computer or phone for a bit. Go outside, get some fresh air, real air. Live more of your life offscreen instead of behind one. It really does wonders. Words on a screen are just words.

TBYT: What do you guys have coming up in 2016?

VISTA: Our EP! We’re gonna try and push out as much content as possible besides just music. Videos, photos, just a bunch of different things. And we will definitely be on the road. It will happen!

TBYT: How do you define ‘beauty’?

Brian: Beauty is who you are on the inside. And who you are on the inside could change the world and make it a more beautiful place.

Hope: Brian honestly always has the most sentimental answers, it’s awesome.