2020 was supposed to be Vanilla Sugar’s year.

After releasing their debut album She in January, Vanilla Amber was slated to join Canadian electro-rock band The Birthday Massacre on a world tour. However these plans were quickly put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the touring industry seemingly overnight- resulting in a cancelled North American tour and a postponed UK tour.

But this change in plans hasn’t kept the rising musician from furthering her musical abilities.

Now almost exactly a year later, the powerhouse vocalist, instrumentalist, and now home chef behind Vanilla Sugar, Jessica Perry, is working hard at home to help keep her creativity alive and further her music career despite the lack of touring. Having released a new music video, as well as a steady stream of content across all of her social media channels, Perry is reimagining what it means to be an artist in the digital age and helping build her brand so that her next tour will be bigger and better than ever.

We had the chance to talk with Perry about these changes, as well as what she is doing to stay busy and healthy throughout the past year.

You can read our full interview below, as well as find links to connect with all aspects of Vanilla Sugar at the bottom.

Second Society Report: How are you holding up during this insane year that is 2020? Hopefully your friends and families are staying safe and healthy! 

Vanilla Sugar: I have been pretty good, actually! I have my introvert moments, so I can handle staying busy at home. I think that is the key to staying sane during all of this. 

Second Society Report: Did you have any big releases or tours that were put on hold because of the pandemic? How has that affected the band? (could be personally, financially, morale wise, etc.) 

Vanilla Sugar: Oh yes. I was so extremely sad, but I prefer that we plan to be safe! I was scheduled to go on tour with The Birthday Massacre in the US and UK April 2020 through November 2020. April came so quickly and the tour was postponed until September 2020…which also approached extremely fast – and the US leg ended up being cancelled. The UK portion of the tour has now been rescheduled for July and August of this year. I can’t wait!

Second Society Report: How have you been spending your newfound “downtime” while the world has been essentially shut down? 

Vanilla Sugar: I decided to use this time to get to know my fans more. I have live streams every week across all different platforms so I can interact with everyone in any time zone. On Tuesdays at 7pm PST, I live stream video games on Twitch! That is super fun; we are all able to chat and hang out virtually. On Thursday nights at 7pm PST, I host an “Ask Me Anything” session on Facebook and Instagram Live. We talk about whatever comes to mind! On Saturdays at 1:30pm PST, I live stream a cooking show on Youtube and Twitter. Fans can suggest a dish they would like for me to make and I create a gluten free and vegan version of it. That has been pushing me to become a better cook for sure. I am trying all kinds of new recipes.

Second Society Report: Have you picked up any new hobbies while quarantining that you’d like to share? 

Vanilla Sugar: Yes! Definitely cooking and baking. I used to just make whatever was fast, but now I am making dishes from scratch!! I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013. It really changed my world. I had to change my diet to all gluten free dishes. Most of the packaged gluten free foods I have found taste like cardboard and are just not great. They do NOT taste like the real thing. I decided to use this time during the pandemic to really hunker down and start creating my own food from scratch so that just *maybe* it would taste better. I also have found that a majority of vegan meals I have had from the grocery store, or going out to restaurants (in the past), haven’t been that great. I decided that I would cook with scratch ingredients and make gluten free and vegan foods so good that even someone who ate meat and gluten wouldn’t be able to tell the difference! 

Second Society Report: Have you worked on any new releases during this time? Any that are already out or that we can get a sneak peak of? 

Vanilla Sugar: I have been using this downtime to work on different musical ideas for sure. I enrolled in school online to finish getting my degree in music since all of my tours have been postponed. It’s really helping me look differently at the way I compose. I recently released my debut album, She. It is available to stream on your favorite music platform. You can also watch the video for the single, “ThisDarkPlace” on Youtube and Facebook. 

Second Society Report: If already out- what was the inspiration for the release? Have you written any songs specifically about the state of the world right now? 

Vanilla Sugar: Helping people through music is what inspires me to create.  Music saved my life when I was younger. I was depressed most of the time and did not know how to handle it. I got into KoRn, and felt like I could really connect with their lyrical content. They talked about deep, dark things I had never heard someone else be so open about before. I want to do that for people who listen to my music. I want them to know that they are not alone; that there is someone else out there they can relate to. “She” is a deep dive into my head, and I really let myself express how I feel about my insecurities and anxiety issues; hopefully someone can find support in that as well.  I can definitely see myself writing a few songs for the next album about the state of the world right now for sure. 

Second Society Report: How has it been being an artist in a time when you cannot tour? How have you been working to promote your music and expand your reach? 

Vanilla Sugar: I was sad about it at first. Playing every night really helps me release so much stress emotionally and physically. It was amazing to have in person interactions with people who appreciate what you do. But now I am looking at trying to connect more with fans through social media platforms. I created a TikTok and started posting more on Instagram; through doing that, I have met new fans across the globe. Social media can really bring people together from anywhere in the world. 

Second Society Report: Do you have any words of advice for fans that are feeling particularly bummed out about the live music world coming to a halt?  

Vanilla Sugar: Don’t give up!! Sometimes it can feel incredibly overwhelming, but this will pass and we will be back to attending shows and enjoying live music. I have had my own moments of feeling that way, but realized that this is all temporary. Musicians are still creating and we will be back to gigging again soon!

Second Society Report: When the world returns to a safer spot and we are able to (hopefully) attend live shows again- say in 2021- what do you hope to achieve?

Vanilla Sugar: I would love to be able to tour and pack theaters. That would be so much fun. Some short term goals for me are going back into the studio after this pandemic to work on album #2, and shoot some more videos for She.  

Second Society Report: Is there anything you wish your fans would know about you or about the current state of the music world? 

Vanilla Sugar: Let’s be friends on social media. I believe in creating a positive and fun environment for everyone. We will all be ok as long as we support each other. 

You can stream Vanilla Sugar’s album She, available now, and be sure to connect with the band now via the links below.

Website / Facebook / YouTube / Instagram / Twitter / Twitch / TikTok