I had the pleasure of meeting up with Vibeka Amador recently, and I have to tell you, she is a force. Her assuredness is prevalent. It shines through not only in her immediate presence but also in her proven work ethic. She is an established musician in the Treasure Valley with exceptional vocals, a full schedule, and big dreams for it all.
She started performing kind of by accident. The bar she was working for needed music on Thursday nights, so she stepped in to play for free. As she grew in her stage presence and ability, so did the opportunities. She found herself booking shows and diving into what has become her life over the years. She took the opportunity and ran with it.
Vibeka is a Treasure Valley native. She grew up singing in choir and playing various instruments like the harp and cello but never considered it a viable career. She dabbled in guitar in her teenage years but put it down, eventually focusing on becoming a wildlife photographer. She’s always had a deep passion for traveling, hearing her dad tell stories about his wanderings and tagging along with him to Norway to witness her family’s heritage. She knew from a young age that whatever career path she took, it would need to involve creativity and travel. She went to school to be a photographer, thinking it would fulfill the need of travel and work. After realizing it wasn’t quite what she was looking for, she dropped out and worked as an HR representative for a home health care agency. A short while later, she took a break to work on a whale-watching boat in Alaska, bringing her forgotten guitar along. She busked on the docks and wrote songs in her downtime. Upon returning to Boise, she knew she wasn’t built for the 9-5 fluorescent light scene. She left it to start bartending, and fate took hold when she volunteered to play Thursday nights.
Since those early gigs, Vibeka has grown significantly as an artist and individual. She learned a few hard lessons in the beginning of her musical career: trusting the wrong people, getting scammed with recording attempts, and involvement with a band that didn’t align. None of this deterred her spirit. She took every set back as a learning lesson and chance to pivot into something greater. Using her sassy wit and dry humor, she created her own identity on stage. She established great rapport with local and out-of-state venues that she frequents regularly; her schedule is never dull. As far as songwriting goes, she’s consistent, often giving in to insomnia-fueled song lines that just can’t be ignored. She loves to pull phrases from eavesdropped conversations, notes app thoughts, and her own conversations. She describes her lyricism as authentic, unimaginative reality. There’s no fallacy in what she sings; it’s real-life experience that materializes.
These days, Vibeka is focusing on several big transitions. One of which is releasing an 8-song EP she’s been working on for the past year with Jesse Rundle at Mixed Metaphor Recording. It’s set to release this upcoming summer. Along with the release, Vibeka has worked to create a six-piece band called The Poppies, featuring her best friend and fellow local songwriter, Olivia Frost. They have some big stage shows they’re preparing for over the summer, one of which is at the Olympic on May 22nd! Vibeka continues to maintain a busy solo gig schedule while also incorporating duo shows with Olivia. They became friends as Olivia was establishing her footprint in the valley. Through shared experiences and similar lifestyles, they’ve grown to be huge supporters of each other; performing together became a natural progression of their friendship and will continue with the formation of the band. Vibeka recently purchased a conversion van that she lives out of part-time and has come in handy with mini tours in Utah, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. Later this year, she will be performing at the Yellowpine Festival and the Emmett Cherry Festival, along with a tour scheduled in Dallas, TX.
Vibeka has been approaching her career with zest and persistence; she wants to have fun doing it. She wants to grow with continued challenges and opportunities. She was inspired by Alyssa Liu at the Olympics this year and her insistence on creating joy in performance. She’s taken that inspiration and applied it to her day-to-day life. There’s big plans for stage outfits, noting a six-inch pair of bedazzled cowgirl boots and mentioning a quote she heard on a podcast recently: ‘If a little girl can’t dress up like you for Halloween, you’re doing it wrong.’ She’s excited to have the band going to boost the presence on bigger stages, her EP release, and every opportunity that’s presenting itself. She’s diving in and doing it all with grace and joy.
Vibeka is truly one of a kind. I admire her obvious tenacity and ambition. I have no doubt she will continue to grow and lead as a Treasure Valley musician and beyond.
Dream big, my fellow music family, and approach it with love and joy! Just like Vibeka.
You can find Vibeka on Instagram and Facebook for booking, shows, and witty, on-the-road updates. This is also where you can find updates on the band, its members, and their upcoming shows. Be on the lookout for her EP dropping soon!
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