Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's Questionnaire

1. What town or city do you live in? Why do you live there instead of anywhere else? Describe your home.

Link Answered before Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's first Contract.

I live in Los Angeles in a little apartment above an old vinyl record shop. The building is old, has creaky floors and the lights flicker from time to time but I am really proud to call it mine. You can find plants everywhere in my home and the walls are covered with different posters of my favorite bands. I keep my keyboard and guitar by the window so I can write music while people watching. I stayed in LA because this is the city where everything happened it. It is where I lost myself and where I'm slowly finding my voice again. After finally breaking free from the agency that controlled everything I did. I'm starting over to make music that is real and stand up the industry that chews up and abuses their artists.

2. How do you get your money right now? What do you spend it on?

Link Answered before Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's first Contract.

I work part-time at the vinyl shop downstairs. It’s quiet most days. The owner’s easygoing, and they let me control the playlist, so I get to fill the space with music I love or stuff I’m working on. It’s a good day job. Steady, simple, plus it below my home so I don't have to travel to far. At night I play at small underground shows, warehouse parties, or different venues. Nothing major but I love these types of locations because I get to test out new songs to see what sticks. I've also got a bit tucked away from my big pop star days. Not a huge fortune but enough to give me some breathing room.

3. Describe your Ambition. What are you striving for? How far would you go to achieve this? Would you kill for it? How close to death would you come for it?

Link Answered before Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's first Contract.

My ambition is to make music that is a real reflection of who I am with no one telling me how to sound or who to be. I want to stand up to the music industry that controls young artists and discards them when they are no longer seen as "profitable" or easy to control. I've seen what it does. I survived it. Now I want to fight back. Becoming a magical girl is a declaration of me saying "I'm tired of being quiet" and using this power to protect the vulnerable artists. Plus to show the industry that they can't keep burying their abuse with money and "glitter." I'll put myself on the line, again and again, it it means making a space for those who deserve to be heard. I've already lost everything once and I'm not afraid to brush against death if it means I can save another person.

4. What was the most defining event of your life (before signing The Contract), and how did it change you?

Link Answered before Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's first Contract.

My most defining moment happened during one of my last big shows. It was a sold-out arena, the kind of thing I have been dreaming about for years. I was promised I could close the night with a song I actually wrote. But the day of the show, right before my final performance, my old manager dragged me into a back room to tell me I'm not allowed to anymore. When I insisted on performing my song, he sneered, “That garbage? It's not marketable enough.” I tried to fight back, telling him it was my music and my voice when he slapped me hard across my face and shoved me against the wall, his eyes cold as he hissed, “You’re lucky we even tolerate you. Don’t forget who pays your bills, or you’ll be nothing.”

I was so exhausted and sleep-deprived from endless tours, press, rehearsals that I swallowed my pride and went onstage under the harsh lights, singing someone else’s words with a fake smile stuck on. The crowd cheered, but inside, all I could feel was a suffocating emptiness growing louder. Afterwards, alone in my dressing room, I finally broke. That’s when I knew I had to get out, even if it meant losing everything I’d fought so hard to build.

 

5. Name and briefly describe three people in your life. One must be the person you are closest to.

Link Answered before Rowan "Ro" Vantablack's first Contract.
  • Maya: My best friend who I am really close to. She is a tattoo artist that is extremely witty and has a really strong sense of loyalty. She is the kind of person who calls me out when I'm messing up but will always have my back when it counts. She has seen me at my worst and my best.

 

  • Jax: The owner of the vinyl shop downstairs. He's almost like my music. He knows almost every type of music and isn't afraid to tell me his thoughts are on my new songs. He gave me a job when I needed one and a space where I can test out my new stuff without any pressure.

 

  • Derek: My old manager who was manipulative and controlling. He is the reason I almost quit making music. He took advantage of my dreams and kept me locked in a cage of contracts and lies. I don't really want anything to do with him and try to stay out of his way.