Varis has spent the past eight years building a career rooted in music, creativity and self-discovery. From growing up in a musical family to discovering rock and pop influences, his journey has been shaped by curiosity and a willingness to explore his own artistic identity. As a singer, songwriter and producer, he has learned to embrace different influences while staying true to what feels authentic. In an interview with Top 10 of Asia, Varis shares how his upbringing shaped his musical identity and the challenges of being a working artist.
Varis has been an artist under the name Varis for about eight years, ever since he was in college studying music. “Yes, that is my actual birth name given by my parents,” he says. “Throughout my time working, I’ve produced all my own songs and worked as a producer for other artists as well.”
He was raised in a very musical family. “My father is a musician and my entire family plays music, so singing and playing instruments was always encouraged at home,” he shares. “My parents would regularly play their favourite songs at home and in the car, introducing me to timeless artists such as The Carpenters and The Beatles. As I grew older, I began discovering music independently, with rock bands such as Linkin Park and Green Day becoming early favourites before leading me towards My Chemical Romance, Muse, Arctic Monkeys and many more.”
His musical journey continued to expand when he entered music school, where friends introduced him to new genres. “I became interested in artists like John Mayer, Tom Misch and Tame Impala. Generally, I started gravitating towards Pop music. That was also when I started producing my own music, which is why my music sounds like a combination of so many things.”
Beyond music, Varis credits his upbringing with giving him the freedom to discover himself. “My parents never really placed any career or educational expectations on me. So I had the opportunity to do a lot of self-discovery on my own,” he says. “Their willingness to let me experience trials and errors, and make my own decisions helped me understand what I wanted to pursue from an early age.”
A pivotal moment in his career came in 2018, when he completed his first EP, Self-Titled, while still in college. Created with his friends through a DIY approach, the project became an important milestone in defining his artistic identity. “That first EP felt like the first compilation of songs that represented who I am,” he recalls. The experience also shaped his philosophy towards creating music. Rather than focusing solely on singles, he prefers albums and EPs because he believes a full record can tell a story with greater depth and allow an artist to paint a wider picture.
Being a working artist, however, comes with its own challenges. “It does have a way of messing with your heart a lot because you have to expose yourself to the world,” he says. Balancing personal creative ambitions with outside opinions and expectations can be difficult, For Varis, the answer has been to simplify the process. “I think I was able to overcome all that by stopping myself from over-complicating the work process and just going back to doing things in a simpler way.”
To stay inspired, Varis believes in stepping away from the role of creator and becoming an audience member again. “Most of the time I make an effort to experience as much art as possible. I seek out new music and bands to listen to. I also watch a lot of movies and TV shows,” he says. “No judging, no analysing how or why it works, just enjoying the journey that the art is trying to take you on. When you can feel that joy and wonder from the art, I think inspirations will follow naturally.”
“I think having trust is everything. Building trust with the people you work with, your fans and audience, and most importantly trusting yourself, your own ideas and your decisions,” he says. “For me, success is something you should aim for but it should never be as important as the journey along the way to it.”
Varis has one simple message for aspiring artists. “Trust yourself and create what feels right to you. People will always tell you what works, what doesn’t and whether your work is good or bad. However, there’s no right or wrong way to create art. So just start by making something you are proud of.”