Van Plating is an artist from Lakeland, FL. I first discovered Van when she dropped her album Orange Blossom Child back in 2023. Van’s spotlight is number two of a four-day run of artist spotlights. All four artists in this run are friends, and the last one will drop on Thanksgiving Day. So, it’s a Friendsgiving week of posts! Let’s get into it! Who is Van Plating?

When did Van first start playing music, and what drew her to it? She said, “I started singing before I could talk. Music has drawn me in my whole life. I have distinct memories as a toddler of my Dad playing and singing on his twelve-string guitar and me rambling around on the brown shag carpet, singing along, often in harmony. My grandad on my mom’s side had eight brothers, and they played bluegrass in a pickin’ circle most weekends. My mother loves church music and would play hymns at the piano every morning before we began our morning studies. Music is the thing that makes me feel most alive. I don’t know why, but it’s always been so!”

How would Van describe her sound to someone who’s never heard her music? She told me, “I’m an outsider for sure, but I pull from familiar forms and genres to make my own thing. My trademark Orange Blossom Country sound is a vivid blend of alt-country grit, the intimacy of folk music, mixed with cosmic rock expansiveness—all rooted in my Florida & Alabama heritage. I like to fuse storytelling with swampy grooves, Petty-esque drive, and Jeff Buckley-like soul, creating music that feels, I hope, in certain ways feels both timeless and deeply personal, simultaneously.”

Who or what inspired Van to start making music? She said, “I can’t say it was anything other than some divine spark, somehow. It has nothing to do with anything external and everything to do with the fact that I simply must make. I am compelled, and therefore I create. A very mystical answer!”

Who are some artists that have influenced Van the most? She said, “Brandi Carlile resuscitated me after a lot of years of quelling my voice to parameters that had been placed on me by my then work environment. Since then, I have made my weirdnesses and my too muchness my whole personality, haha. I exaggerate. But she really did set me free. Learning her song “Wherever Is Your Heart” from “Firewatcher’s Daughter” back in 2018 cracked something open inside of me, and I’ve never looked back. As far as my writing. I take a lot of influence from writers I love, like Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, and Patti Smith. I have a line from Berry tattooed on my arm, “a little song to keep us unafraid,” which I got to commemorate my first solo lp—I was afraid the whole year of writing that one! But the songs kept me going. My sonic influences are all over the place and depend on the song, but Jeff Buckley’s vocal stylings, Tom Perry’s tight phrasing, Springsteen’s honesty, the poetry of Patti Smith, it goes on and on.”

What’s been Van’s favorite show to play so far? She told me, “My favorite show in recent memory was back in March in Dallas, Texas. My friend Billy Law invited me to play a show with them at the legendary Sons of Hermann Hall, tons of friends came, some fans I’ve only known previously through Twitter and Instagram, it was a packed house and a really fun night.” What about her dream venue? Van said, “Red Rocks, duh!” I’d personally love to see a Van Plating show at Red Rocks! 

Have there been any major turning points in Van’s career so far? She said, “All the major turning points have been so gradual and so small that if you weren’t paying attention, you might not even know a turning point had occurred. Returning to writing music after a 9+ year hiatus was very daunting, but I did it. Since then, it’s just been showing up relentlessly, being honest, befriending fellow artists and fans, and just continuing to be open to what comes along. I signed a pushing deal two years ago that was a game changer for me as far as resources and having a significant team member in my publisher who is seasoned in the industry, doesn’t blow smoke, but is truly in my corner. We talk every day. He’s become one of my dearest friends. So yeah, sitting down at the piano again after a long time away, putting in the work, and then meeting my current publisher, all those moments are adding up, and I’m just so happy I get to live this art life full-time. I can’t imagine another life.”

What’s something about Van that people might not expect? She said, “I’m very introverted. And I’m not as easygoing as people think from my outward persona.” What does Van hope people feel when they hear her music? She told me, “I hope they feel seen in the music. I hope they feel like they’ve found a friend that gets them, that’s there for them, that won’t ever leave them. My songs are built to live your life with. That’s my hope.”

What does success look like for Van in music? She said, “Success looks like doing this into my 80s and 90s. Success looks like leaving people a whole legacy of words and melodies they can hold onto long after I’m gone.” How does Van balance music with the rest of her life? She said, “I think balance is a myth. It doesn’t exist, at least for me!  My life all flows into itself—my life and my music are all one and the same, and the scales are always tipping in one direction or the other. I like it that way. I hate being bored.” 

What’s one piece of advice Van would give to someone just starting out in music? She said, “It’s harder than you think it is. Make music because you love it. Because you are compelled. Because you can’t imagine doing anything else. If you love it, even when it’s a grind, it’s worth it. Also, don’t create in isolation! Find some friends who are also starting out, be picky, don’t get caught in a cycle of negativity—there are great people out there who are fun, inspired, real, won’t bullshit you, but aren’t toxic. Find those people and pester them until they become your friend.”

Does Van have any upcoming releases or projects to talk about? “So many. Ummmmmm…. I have co-written a boatload of songs with a couple different bands over the past year. Some of those songs will be coming out soon, the ones I wrote with JigJam. Others I can’t say anything about yet! I also have begun production on my dear friend/favorite music Liv.’s next LP, titled “The Ruiner.” Be excited. Be afraid. These songs are terrifyingly good. I’m currently taking a break from my desk to do this interview, and when I go back to it, I’ll be tackling guide tracks for my own upcoming LP. Also, there’s been a Texas/Doug Sahm album we’ve been trickling songs out from all summer. The last single drops next month (September), and the full album has a bonus version on it that I’m as hyped on as the rest of the songs.” You can follow Van on all social @vanplating and you can listen to all of Van’s music here https://vanplating.com/listen !

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Thank you for reading this week’s artist spotlight! I hope you enjoyed getting to know who Van Plating is behind her music. Go check her out, and go catch her at a show. As always, be good to yourself, stay western, and stay tuned!