Evil Vampire Woman | Rap Music and Banjo in a Tower
“The fact that I’m able to evoke that kind of feeling, with just me, my speaker, and my room is so special. It’s bigger than me.”
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Interview and words: Juno Rylee Schultz (she/her)
Research: Kylie Tuinier (she/her)
Edits: Bex Stump (she/her) and Nathan Thatcher-Miller (he/him)
Evil Vampire Woman is an artist and a banjo player, but she’s also a vampire who explores music from her ancient tower. It all happens through her phone on TikTok.
I never learned Evil Vampire Woman’s name. I actually don’t know if she remembers her name from her human life. I thought it rude to ask. I was more interested in her life as a vampire, and the music she makes–and how it connects to the pieces of her life.
I performed the correct ritual and sacrifice under the moon to have a conversation with her (read: I mailed her two pints of blood. She says it’ll grow back. I’m not worried about it.) and we talked about rap music, banjo, ukulele, and how it feels to have her music and spirit travel across the world through the Internet.
“When I play banjo, I feel like I’m making sense of the rap music and understanding it through my banjo and myself. I play along when I feel like I wanna play along. I can’t force myself to do something if my body and spirit aren’t being called to it.“
Currently, Evil Vampire Woman is mostly listening to rap music, but our conversation started with The White Stripes, a rock/blues band duo that Evil Vampire woman really likes. She told me that even though she’s an evil vampire, and not White Stripes drummer Meg White, she understands the spiritual connection the two share with their closeness to music.
Evil Vampire Woman was gracious to speak with me about her art and plans for more music, as well as her plans for touring in the future. She may be an ancient being, but she’s already got her SoundCloud launched, and she’s ready to take over this time period with her music.
Evil Vampire Woman said music is everywhere in her life, socially with friends, but also by herself in her room. Music has always been a part of her life.
“I played the piano as a younger vampire. When I was 12 – I mean 212, my bad – I got really into the ukulele. I was a ukulele girl. I picked up the bass too. I was asked to be in a band. We played Rage Against the Machine covers. I played guitar too, and then picked up the melodica. I was a rock star when I was 212 years old. I play six other instruments.”
Though it seems like the banjo has always been a part of her, with how comfortable she is with the instrument, she says the twangy strings actually came to her in college.
“Banjo came while I was studying in college abroad. I missed the itch and I wanted to feel closer to America. I felt like a runaway cowboy. It felt like I was reaching out and connecting with pieces of what I liked about America when I was far away.”
She was drawn to the movement and emotions that carried across the strings, and it felt so natural to use it for exploring, simultaneously a musical instrument and a tool from the past.
It was in college that the Evil Vampire Woman first started listening to rap music as well, previously being more consumed with emo music–and thinking rap music may have just been for people who were popular and happy.
“I went through a late phase of extreme feminism, late in high school, and that got in the way of me enjoying Playboi Carti being like “I’ma go fuck that bitch (Yeah), I’ma go thrash that bitch (Yeah). Shawty gon’ suck this dick (Yeah), shawty gon’ suck this dick (Yeah).”[laughs] but then I heard it in someone’s room in college, and it clicked for me. I actually was getting into country and rap at the same time [laughs].
Most of my covers are rap music. When rap music was blowing up more, I was too busy being depressed and into emo music. I’m kind of a late bloomer with rap music. Back then I just assumed rap music was for popular and happy people.
Evil Vampire Woman continued strumming strings that reminded her of home while studying abroad, as well as her exploration of rap music with the banjo as her guide.
“When I play banjo, I feel like I’m making sense of the rap music and understanding it how I can, through my banjo, myself, and the lyrics provided. I play along when I feel like I wanna play along. I can’t force myself to do something if my body and spirit aren’t being called to it. The banjo is the tool I use to explore the rap music I am listening to. What I’m doing is essentially DJ’ing with a live instrument. I don’t know … I just know what feels right and can do it. I’m the Meg White of Banjo.”
The performance art is important too. Evil Vampire Woman is obviously a real vampire, and an immortal being, but that doesn’t mean effort isn’t necessary for it to come through on TikTok.
“It is like a very character driven thing, but you know, underneath the evil vampire woman is a normal human. You know, the image, is like a really lovely image. A black room. Medieval vibes. Reminiscent of old times. Candlelight, that whole image. Very reminiscent of olden days, old and spooky, and then it’s juxtaposed with modern times. I mean, I obviously have grillz on, my makeup and hair look more obviously modern. Eyelash extensions. It’s very clearly performance art, but also I am an Evil Vampire Woman. It conjures up this ancient, archaic image of a gothic woman alone in her tower. I’m trying to make sense of it alone in my room.”
If you ever are fortunate enough to see Evil Vampire Woman outside of her mysterious tower, she prefers to keep her performances inside her art on TikTok, and her music on SoundCloud.
“I keep it pretty wrapped up. I got pretty pressed when someone at my high school alumni reunion addressed me as ‘banjo vampire girl.’ I was like ‘I’m your friend from high school.’”
As a Vampire, she’s in awe of how much modern technology can be used to bring us all closer together, bringing the world to her gothic tower when she’s ready to play and perform.
“It used to be impossible to have and share music without technology. You used to have to have people come together physically for music. It feels like you don’t have to be in communities now to learn things, reach people, and share music.
The difference and way I’ve touched people’s lives is wild too. I had someone reach out like ‘I’m from Alabama and this reminds me of my grandpa and high school’ like the fact that I’m able to evoke that kind of feeling, with just me, my speaker, and my room is so special. It’s bigger than me. I’m like a vessel where art happens. It’s like God has chosen you to make it.”
I asked if she’s ever been to the American South and Evil Vampire Woman said she hasn’t, which is part of why it’s so special.
“You’re chosen. [laughs] There’s no logical reason for why I’d be able to touch so many people in the American south. I came to the states when I was 16. I’m from Transylvania [laughs].”
Evil Vampire Woman has live shows planned in the future but she doesn’t “wanna be expected to like, pop off as Taylor.”
She said she’s going to go up there and do what she’s always done, except onstage.
“Like I’m not gonna sing. I’m just gonna go up there and play my banjo along to the music.”
She doesn’t see her Vampire situation as a problem either. Most of her concerts will be at night, or at the very least indoors. Evil Vampire Woman is excited about the future, and all the art she has planned, even if she doesn’t have it all figured out. If anything, it’s more exciting and real that way.
“It’s kinda cool not knowing what to do, with technology, booking, everything. It kinda reinforces the vampire thing.”
Evil Vampire Woman is exploring rap music and this realm in her magic tower with her banjo. Be sure to follow her on TikTok and SoundCloud for Evil Vampire Woman video messages and music.
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