Venus Anon: “I Am Tougher and Softer Than I Think”

With WIll You Allow It?, Venus Anon turns inward, exploring morality, guilt and the contradictions that sit between wanting to be good and simply wanting to believe that we are.

There is something compellingly contradictory at the heart of Venus Anon’s world. Softness sits alongside dread, beauty alongside discomfort, while moments of vulnerability are met with an instinct to interrogate them rather than neatly resolve them.

On Will You Allow It?, Venus turns that instinct inwards. Beginning with the existential weight of ‘everynite’ and ‘gentle’, the project explores guilt, self-perception and our primal desire to see ourselves as good. It is introspection without easy answers, shaped by the kind of contrasts that seem to fascinate her creatively, from the dark surrealism of Mona Awad’s Bunny to the maximalist production of Janet Jackson and Underscores and the ambient world of Boards of Canada.

As 2026 draws to a close, Noctis caught up with Venus Anon to talk about the ideas behind Will You Allow It?, creating without thinking about reception, finding connection across distance and the “life’s work” waiting for her in 2027.

Will You Allow It? feels deeply personal. Where did the project begin, and what did you have to confront in yourself to bring it to life?

It began with the songs ‘everynite’ and ‘gentle’, which are both pretty existential and laced with feelings about dread and guilt. I thought about the desire to be good and pure, and how many people statistically think that they’re better, kinder or more moral than the average person. Having low self-esteem or fucked-up relationships can cause the opposite. I wanted to write about this primal drive everyone has to be good, or at least to believe that they are, even to the point of delusion.

Who or what has been inspiring you lately, and how are those influences shaping your creative world?

I’ve been very inspired by a book by Mona Awad, Bunny. It’s horror, comedy and magical realism and is entirely about the art of creation. Very dark.And I’ve been listening to Janet Jackson, Underscores and Boards of Canada loads. These all have that sweet spot of contrast that I love. Bunny is fucked up but beautiful, Janet and Underscores have these crazy productions with soft vocals, and well, ambient music is always playing in my house.

As your music reaches new audiences, what has surprised you most about the journey so far?

My music reaching any audience ever is always mad to me because I try to think about reception as little as possible whilst creating. But there’s this magic when somebody from overseas writes and tells you they relate to your experiences. The distance really adds to the wonder.

Looking back on 2026, what has this year taught you about yourself? Are there things you now find easier to express through music than in everyday life?

2026 taught me that I am tougher and softer than I think. Like, whatever I thought I could survive, I probably can times ten. And the things I thought didn’t affect me also do, times ten. This is interesting because it opens up new pathways in the writing to come.

And as you look towards 2027, what are you hoping to explore, create and make space for, both in your music and in your life?

I’m hoping to finish my album, my life’s work