The Obelisk Questionnaire: John Bollen of VVARP
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: John Bollen of VVARP
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I’m a musician and a filmmaker. Specifically in VVARP I play guitar and sing. Started playing guitar at 13, and have been playing in bands since then basically. 20 years!
Describe your first musical memory.
I remember having some Christmas carol or nursery rhyme in my head at around three and asking my parents if I could learn an instrument then. I started learning piano shortly after that.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
In 2014, three bands ago, my friends and I recorded an album of the music we’d written between the ages of 16-21. Getting the physical copy of that record was a really big accomplishment for a bunch of young lads who could barely concentrate on a conversation, let alone writing a bunch of music and getting it recorded. It was that project in particular that set me on the path of writing and recording my own tunes with collaborators. This marks album number five in approx 10 years of doing it. Hope to have done another five when I check back in 10 years time.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I think Jason Fuller at Goatsound challenged my idea that I should just improvise guitar leads and hope for the best when we did First Levitations. He was like, “yeah nice solo, can you double track it?” and naturally I could not… I went and wrote something a bit more replicable and did as he said, and found that the lead sounded way more full and present… I’ve been double tracking (or sometimes quad tracking) solos since then and I think he was right. No one is saying it can’t start from an improvised place – there’s a time and a place for it for sure, but I think sometimes in order to make something good you just have to put in a bit of work.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I can only speak from my own experience, I think it can lead to satisfaction in one’s own achievements but it can also lead to the disestablishment of long-held beliefs in the self. Comparing what inspires you then to what inspires you now, what needs to be included in your “art” for it to be “yours” are all challenging questions I’ve faced on the journey of my own artistic progression.
How do you define success?
At 18, I would have defined artistic success as being Matt Pike, or being David Lynch. Now I see success as a self-sustaining artistic practice with a natural rhythm and flow to your life and those you share it with.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Honestly I wish I hadn’t seen the headline about Brent Hinds passing. He was my childhood hero and I just saw him play Leviathan in full last December. He once let me and my pal Jim party with him when we were 19. He took us backstage after partying the next night, fed us dinner and introduced us to the other guys in the band so we could take photos. RIP!
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
The band and I have been discussing live visuals and how we incorporate that into the album release shows. I’d love the video accompaniment to move with the ebb and flow of the tunes, and feature imagery inspired by our lyrics. Imagine a 40-minute-long version of the visuals in our video from “A Path Through The Veil” and you’re pretty close.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
It’s such a cliche, but it should move you – whether it’s something you enjoy, find funny, are scared by or are disgusted by… But I feel that’s the point of art. To make you feel something I guess!
Say something positive about yourself.
I make a really good cottage pie. My wife requests it basically every week. The secret is to buy good mince, not cheap out on something dodgy from Aldi.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’m heading to the UK for a month to visit friends and family, but also to visit a few neolithic sites that I drew inspiration from for this record. Hoping to get to some lesser-known spots in Ireland and Scotland too.
[Photo by Robert Cuzens.]
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