Whether it be through collaboration, under the guises of Avola and EMS or through the lens of Trigger Object, Vern Avola’s body of work is a trove of sonic delight.
The Portland, Oregon artist is the exponent of cerebral noise music that you can dance to. A subtle hedonism, the vital undercurrent in her work that dispels any notion of experimental music being likened to an intellectual exercise. Not in Vern’s World.
While there are nuances under each of her aliases, what interconnects Avola’s body of work is civic vitality. A fragmented soundtrack to life, as she smashes darkness into absurdity. It’s untethered, real-life commentary through sound that unlocks the mind.
Pummelling as much as it is an endorphin rush, while Avola travelled through new portals on 2023’s Psykor, pivoting from the Avola moniker to Trigger Object on 2024’s Ghost Bros OST, her glorious ascent continues on Choking on a Crunchwrap Supreme as the World Burns. Her most most compelling work so far.
The civic vitality shines through even brighter on Choking on a Crunchwrap Supreme as the World Burns. Led by field recordings, Avola illuminates everyday realities. From taped-off crime scenes and the rumble of motorcycles filling the streets to alarms being triggered in Best Buy, these are just some of the threads that form this unique patchwork.
Starting with the title track and latter on Cloud of Daggers which both underline Avola’s maximalist, hyper world. All-consuming, multi-layered noisescapes designed to fry your senses. And there’s more. The screaming synths of Mechanical Bull Party Rental (Apocalyptic Remix); the glitch-laden, dancefloor bound Gum Disease Gun Control; the seamless one-two of L. Ron Karesh and Goodbye Beautiful. Moments where Avola excavates reality tunnels that lead to a brighter future. Even for those who lack optimism, Trigger Object is just as much an escape route via said tunnel, such as the multi-faceted nature of Vern’s World.
Recently, we caught up with Avola, who shared some insight into what makes Vern’s Word, well… Vern’s World! From her process and inspirations, to the making of Choking on a Crunchwrap Supreme as the World Burns, and more.
S13: What are your first memories of music?
Vern Avola: “One of my earliest memories is my mom playing Neil Young’s Needle and the Damage Done on her guitar to help me fall asleep when I was little. I was maybe three, so I had absolutely no idea what it was about. Knowing what it’s about now — that’s a lot to process. (laughs)
S13: Do you remember the moment that inspired you to start making music as Trigger Object?
VA: “I had this list I kept of phrases and words I’d heard or thought of that might make a good song or album title, and I was watching one of my favourite trash television shows, Ghost Adventures. The main ghost hunter, Zak Bagans, decided to use the woman who owned the haunted establishment they were investigating as a trigger object — to try to conjure some paranormal activity.
“The whole thing was so hilarious and stupid and I couldn’t get over him just calling her a TRIGGER OBJECT. It felt so loaded… unintentionally? Who knows. But the phrase started to burn into my head, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I also go through phases where I switch up what I perform under every few years, and the time had come again. My musical style hasn’t really changed… just the name.
S13: From the album title to the track names, it shows your sense of humour. How important is that during these times?
VA: “Being able to laugh when shit sucks is critical for survival. And honestly, it’s something I do involuntarily – when I experience or hear about something tragic or terrible, that’s just where I go. It’s how I cope.
“But yes, bringing it back to the music – I think having a sense of humour is really important right now. Being able to take the edge off, to laugh at the absurdity of it all, even just once in a while. You have to.”
S13: Was the recording process on Choking On A Crunchwrap Supreme as the World Burns any different to Ghost Bros OST?
VA: “Yes, pretty different actually. For Ghost Bros I had this humongous sample bank I’d built during a month-long residency at Pioneer Works in New York, and a lot of the gear was fairly new to me, so I was learning and experimenting constantly. Until that residency, I’d never had the opportunity to record uninterrupted for that many hours – it was a lot of exploring. Once I had it all ready, though, I recorded things pretty quickly, like I always have.
“With this one, everything moved much slower. I started recording in 2024, I was more comfortable with my tools, and I just took a lot longer putting things together – longer breaks between writing and recording songs, and even longer breaks between recording and mixing them. The rate at which chaos was hitting the world and my personal life last year felt like a real sign to slow down and embrace it when life was telling me I needed to stop and do something else. I’ve never been intentionally slow with music or really anything – so that was new for me. But I’m genuinely grateful I let things breathe, because I’m really excited about the result. And I’m so grateful for all the friends involved with the artwork and the physical album, who also needed that extra time to get their parts done.”
Trigger Object - Choking On A Crunchwrap Supreme As The World BurnsS13: What was the key aspect you wanted to capture with the record?
VA: “I really just wanted to convey a solid soundtrack to how the world feels inside my head.”
S13: I’ve always been interested in politics through sound, and I definitely think this release feeds into that. Is that something you’ve thought about?
VA: “Not directly, but I feel like it’s really unavoidable. If you’re alive right now and experiencing the world in real time, you’re going to have some kind of reaction to what’s happening. Maybe you’re an asshole who thinks all this shit is awesome – and if that’s the case, this album is not for your enjoyment – but most people are just one of the many billions on earth who don’t understand why maniacs are trying to destroy everything. This album is very personal. These sounds are my feelings in a really raw way.”
S13: You’ve got your own label, too. How much does that feed into the narrative of your work?
VA: “The label is really a necessity more than anything else. I keep making music, and within budgetary limits it means I get to do it exactly the way I want. I don’t have to answer to anyone, change anything, or deal with the weird control issues you can run into working with other people. That said, if someone wanted to help me release my music without telling me I need to change anything, I wouldn’t turn them down.”
S13: Are there any necessities you need close by when you’re making music?
VA: “I like to have natural light, yummy snacks and bubble water at the ready. And a nice place to take walks when I need a break.”
S13: Do you work on music every day?
VA: “Not directly – but I’d say I work on something related to it every day. Maybe I’m not practicing or jamming, but I’m booking shows, making plans, editing my website, working on artwork. It’s pretty all-consuming when you’re doing everything yourself.”
S13: Is technology and equipment something you’re always looking at in order to find new creative avenues?
VA: “Not always – it usually only happens out of necessity. A few years ago, I went on a long quest to replace my old drum machine / sampler because it had become rare and expensive, and playing out with it meant risking damaging it regularly. That became untenable. When the gear I’m using now gets too hard to fix, or starts to feel monotonous, maybe I’ll start exploring again. But right now, I’m genuinely happy with what I have.”
S13: Do you think Trigger Object is an accurate reflection of your personality?
VA: “I think so. I think absurdism and the heaviness existing in the same space is pretty true to how I actually move through the world. And they’re not separate things – the absurdism isn’t a mask for the heaviness; they’re genuinely the same impulse. Finding something funny and finding something devastating that aren’t that far apart.”
Choking on a Crunchwrap Supreme as the World Burns is out now via EMS Records. Purchase here. Visit Vern Avola’s website here.
