Van Plating is all over Twitter. It’s not that she’s wasting time. She’s used social media in a concerted effort to build community — and fans. The goodwill and carmaderie she’s built up culminates here in Orange Blossom Child, a tour de force of tight, self-assured songwriting and a big sound that comes from collaborations with everyone from folk duo the Damn Quails to honky tonk shit kickers the Ottoman Turks. In our interview, Van Plating explains her thought process behind the album, how she uses her platform to support marginalized artists, and building a following. Indie artists, take note!
Does your album have an overarching theme?
The setting of Orange Blossom Child is my own childhood and adolescence growing up in rural Florida as it underwent extreme changes in the 90s, reaching back into the lives of my parents and grandparents, their story of coming to Florida–the themes are hope, desire, heartbreak, tragedy, wholeness, and how we navigate these experiences in the community. The theme carries over into every single layer of production, with the sounds I used being a mixture of the influences I grew up on from early bluegrass, up through classic country like Johnny Cash/June Carter, into country-rock of Gram Parsons and up to the 90s sounds I loved as a teen, Tom Petty. John Anderson, and many more. Lyrically, I took inspiration from my literary heroes–Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, Patti Smith, and Mary Oliver, combining the ethos of these influences into poetry specific to the time and place but reaching into the gut, to the heartstrings and wrenching out something true.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
Don’t edit while you write, but don’t be afraid of an edit! Something I’ve learned over time is that it’s impossible to get an idea down if you’re worried about finishing touches while you’re also trying to catch the idea. Get your hook, that melody, or the lyric scratched out. Then go back and revisit it, asking the song what it wants to say. Be patient, but don’t stop working. Grant yourself permission to write whatever. Be willing to discover things that might scare you a little. Or it might feel corny. Quite often, the ones that make you squirmy will be your best work. Don’t try to dictate to the muse. And remember, you can always write more songs! The more you write, the better you’ll get!
How do you manage having a good time at shows but also trying to stay mentally and physically fit?
This is a big one for me. I have four kids and a very full life at home, in addition to a full-time music career. During the pandemic, when gyms started opening back up here (on a very limited, socially distanced basis), I was at a very low point mentally, and I joined a women’s fitness studio called The Balance Culture near my house to help get myself into a better routine, to try to not only care for my body but also to get some of my mental health struggles in order.
That was 2 ½ years ago, and in the process of healing from chronic anxiety, depression, and disordered eating, I’ve found that my mind and body respond really well to consistent, hard exercise!! This is a fact that college student me, or even young mom me, would have never believed. The community and the hard work have been a beautiful instrument of healing in my life–and I’m hooked. These days when I’m at home, I lift weights and do cross-training six days a week, with a rest day on Sunday.
When I’m on the road (which I’ve really missed this year during production on OBC), I have a trainer friend upload workouts for me into a training app, and while I might miss some when I’m away, the consistency helps me sleep well on tour, helps keep my mind regulated, and it also makes reentry into real life less of a mountain to climb. I also limit alcohol consumption on tour and drink about 3 liters of water a day, at home or on the road. One more aspect of performance fun/fitness is having friends that are healthy, positive voices in my life. Friends you can hop in a round with. Friends that celebrate your wins. Friends you sincerely enjoy just because of who they are as humans. My circle is small but priceless, and I wouldn’t be nearly as healthy as I am without their voices speaking into my life.
How are you using your platform to support marginalized people?
Ok, so on this topic, I have some strong feelings. I hope that’s allowed for a cishet white lady! So sure, boost the social profiles of marginalized folks. Yes. Share, tag, post, and interact on social media. All that’s great. Stream their music. Playlist it.
But I think even more important than these things is this one: Hire marginalized people.
Put groceries on their table and gas in the car by booking them for sessions, and invite BIPOC and LGBTQIA friends to join you on stage at your shows as part of the band! Positive visibility is so important. Recommend them for events they’d be great for. There is plenty of room for us all, and we NEED diverse stories–we need the many perspectives brought to us by human beings from all across the spectrum of experience. That’s how we grow in empathy. How we bring real change to the culture to be more inviting and more kind. It starts with us. In song, we can walk in each other’s shoes. So yeah, post, share, tag, but also don’t stop there. Hire, perform, recommend. Show up. Befriend.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
I’m in an album release cycle, so right now, the best way to support me is by helping my streaming numbers fly!
Step 1: find and follow Van Plating on all the socials and especially on streaming platforms.
Step 2: make a tiny 3-song playlist, including one of my singles
Step 3: stream on repeat, in perpetuity or until the next single comes out (which you’ll know about because you’re following everywhere–see step 1 🙂
Extra credit: tell everyone you know to do the same.
For the first time in my career, I have a real shot at editorial placement on Spotify if these numbers keep rising. I won’t make any money off of that–but that’s not the point. The doors opened as a result of having your songs exposed to a wider audience are MANY and vast. So please, do a FL gal a solid, and let’s get these songs streaming so much and so loud that the industry cannot ignore it. That is the best way ya’ll help right now. And I can’t do it without my community. I love y’all! You’re my why.
Orange Blossom Child is available on all streaming services now.
Van Plating — Bandcamp, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok