Striking a New Chord

You probably know Von D from her days as the no-nonsense tattoo artist on TLC’s reality shows. Her big break came in 2005 when she was cast in “Miami Ink,” and after two seasons, she packed her bags (and tattoo machine) and departed to LA to open her own shop and land a spinoff: “LA Ink.” The show was huge, cementing Von D as a household name and catapulting her into mainstream fame. But music was always her true siren song.

“Music has always been my biggest passion,” Von D explains, “but I think I let a decade or two get consumed by filming TV shows and running my old makeup line.” She started playing piano at age 6 and was classically trained, but as a teenager she fell hard for the punk rock stylings of the Misfits and the Ramones. “I don’t necessarily regret all the little empires I’ve built over the years, but there is a part of me that wishes I had released my music a lot sooner.”

Don’t go thinking Von D is just another bored celebrity looking to make an album though — music is in her blood and is a lifelong artistic pursuit. “Naturally, people were skeptical when word got out that I was making music,” she says. “And I totally get it. There aren’t too many great examples of people who have shifted from the entertainment industry to music that can be taken seriously.”

Of course, Von D is no stranger to criticism. She was a reality star, after all, and over the past decade, she found herself in the middle of quite a few scandals and headlines that would break a lesser woman. But she’s developed a thick skin and an unbothered attitude. “I think social media can make negative noise louder than the good stuff, even if it is a smaller percentage, but you just got to figure out a way to not care. Or at least not let it derail you,” she says, admitting she sometimes still gets hurt and “slightly offended, but most of the time just annoyed at ignorance when it comes to haters.”

Speaking of haters, Von D’s current transformation — covering her old, colorful tattoos with solid black ink — has caused quite a stir online. “I think I had been fed up with a lot of the tattoos I got over the years for a long time,” she explains. The inked icon says she started the blackout process when she reached out to tattoo artist Hoode via Instagram and invited him to her studio to tattoo her forearm. “I just couldn’t explain how satisfying it was to see all the messes he would clean up with his blackout tattoo work,” she says. “I think at that time I thought I would just black out an arm, but shortly after, I knew I would end up tattooing my whole body.” She knows it’s controversial, which she kind of digs, embracing her role as an agent of chaos in the tattoo world.

But Von D has faced far bigger battles than some online trolls. She also made headlines for a high-profile copyright lawsuit she calls “a nightmare.” In 2017, photographer Jeff Sedlik sued Von D for inking a portrait tattoo that was inspired by a photo he took in 1989 of jazz legend Miles Davis. She contends the lawsuit was merely the photographer’s effort to receive “his 15 minutes of fame — and a fat paycheck.” After a contentious two-year legal battle, a jury ruled in Von D’s favor in 2019.

“I know first-hand what it feels like to be ripped off by people, and there’s not one part of me that believes tattooing fan art is a crime,” Von D asserts. “I’m just so grateful that the jurors took their time and unanimously agreed. I have a feeling setting precedence like that will only help tattooers and other artists in the future.”

It was a difficult, draining, and dark process for Von D. “I lost weight, I lost hair, and I lost many nights of sleep over it,” she shares. “As much as I knew this person didn’t deserve a penny from me, there were times that I wanted to settle just to make it stop. But I knew if I didn’t fight, the damage to the tattoo industry and other artists would be so immense, that I couldn’t live with myself.”

Ultimately Von D decided to take a breath, step back, and reset. She and her husband Rafael Reyes relocated from the LA hustle to a small town in Indiana with their son Leafar. “I traded the city life for a simple life in rural Indiana in the middle of nowhere, and I love it,” she says. “We bought a nice piece of land where we plan to set up our homestead soon, once renovation of our Victorian home is done.”

Von D says she finds immense joy in homeschooling her son, which is how she begins most days. In addition, she attends church regularly, participating in a women’s Bible study and choir practice. It’s all part of a new chapter focused on her faith, which she rediscovered about a year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans shouldn’t worry, though, Von D shows no signs of stopping her creativity. The artist finally shared her musical side with the world through her debut album “Love Made Me Do It,” released in 2021. The synth-pop record features Von D’s vocals and songwriting talents, with collaborations from industry legends like Dave Grohl, Linda Perry, Peter Murphy, and Danny Lohner — a star-studded lineup of creatives who wouldn’t take on projects with just any vocal artist.

She’s keeping that momentum strong with her newly released music video and single “Dead.” The video, directed by Ryan Valdez, who has worked with talents such as the bands Korn and Rise Against, offers a 1980s aerobic dance movement vibe, reminiscent of the popular Jane Fonda workouts of the time — her voice romantically melancholy, and a bold, beautiful, and black aesthetic.

For now, tattooing has been placed on the back burner, but the entrepreneur plans to eventually open a private studio in her small Indiana town. “Right now, we are ramping up for the new album release, followed by a few months of touring,” she says. “Music is my main focus right now.”

Von D is determined to push herself creatively like never before for this new record, which is scheduled for release later in 2024. “It’s been a dream come true to finally get to release my music and go on tour with my bandmates,” she says. “Playing my music live for people is exciting for me.”

Von D invited pop songwriters like Ferras, who writes for Katy Perry and Dua Lipa, and Shari Short, who works with Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, into her goth world, daring them to explore the darker realms, birthing masterpieces her fans can’t wait to hear. “I just think songwriters are the real MVPs of the music world, and are far too under-credited,” she says.

Creating the album has been an intense process for Von D who takes a workhorse-like approach and schedules time for intentional creativity. “Which sounds forced to some, but when I’m trying to balance multiple projects, it’s really the only way for me to get shit done,” she admits. “So, this new album came to life clocking in 9 to 5, five days a week for a few months, locked up in a room with my bandmates and songwriter friends.”

The hard work is paying off, with Von D’s devout fans embracing her new musical direction. “The connection I’ve been able to make with my fans through my music hits different, and I’m just so damn grateful for it,” she shares. The most rewarding part for her is knowing her music deeply resonates with listeners.

“The most fulfilling part of releasing music into the world is when someone else, a stranger you may never meet, is affected by what you do in a way that inspires or moves them,” Von D says. “Music is such a lifeline for us. It’s the soundtrack to our weddings, our heartache, our workouts. And just like tattoos, songs become landmarks in time.”

No matter what creative realm Von D explores, she brings the same level of passion, skill, and authenticity that made her the powerhouse we all know. She is a true original, unafraid to evolve and take risks in pursuit of her art. With a new album, tour, and evolving chapters in life, there’s no telling how far she’ll go.