“Arto Vaun is a songwriter/musician and poet from Boston, MA. With his first project, a duo called Mishima USA, he played shows with artists like Rufus Wainwright, Ben Kweller, Daniel Johnston, Wheat, Kimya Dawson, War on Drugs, Mark Eitzel, and Wheat. Then life took him overseas for over 12 years, where he wrote a book of poems, finished a PhD in Creative Writing, and was an English lit professor. But he was writing songs nonstop. In 2013, he released The Cynthia Sessions. Now he’s back with Stuck Inside a Map (out in June 2024).“
“Build My Own Fever” is the third track and off of Arto’s debut project Stuck Inside a Map, set to release July of this year. The project is the result of around 6 years of somewhat reclusive songwriting while he was overseas and grappling with loss, grief, anger, and rebirth. It’s an album that signals me coming out of a decades-long fog brought on by the high dose of tragedy, upheaval and PTSD he experienced in his teens through 30s. Speaking on the track, Arto said “I wrote ‘Build My Own Fever’ partly as a response to feeling overwhelmed by all the uncertainty in the world lately, and the sensory overload we’re all dealing with. It’s about trying to stay grounded even when things feel untethered and chaotic, and finding perspective to see the universality and connectedness between and around us all”.
Arto is a versatile artist who excels in both composing music and crafting poetry, which we’re excited to showcase on our Substack. Lately, I’ve developed a keen interest in the poetry of musicians as a means of exploring and expressing my emotions. I find it an incredibly therapeutic practice to write my own as well. However, Arto’s talents extend far beyond poetry. His latest music is a high-energy blend of indie rock, featuring powerful guitar riffs and deeply relatable lyrics. I can’t wait to listen to his full album when it’s released. This new single already shows a lot of promise.