Vana signs to Sumerian Records and drops brand-new single ‘Pray’

Auckland-based, RnB tinged industrial metal vanguard, Vana has announced her signing to Sumerian Records and releases “Pray”. The signing marks a significant shift for the self-taught multi-instrumentalist, who has already built a devoted global following and over 85 million streams across platforms independently. Stream the new single HERE and watch the accompanying video HERE.

“Pray” explores the fracture of reality through the lens of someone experiencing psychosis and mania, twisting religious iconography into a portrait of psychological chaos. It also reflects Vana’s personal relationship with religion and its impact on her life. Raised in a religious household, she remains deeply informed and respectful of religious theology, even as she subverts it. An influence that runs through her writing alongside her fascination with gothic literature, anime, Lovecraftian horror, and the perspective of the misunderstood. These are just some of the influences that will shape the lore and world building of her highly anticipated debut album, slated for release next year.

Speaking on her new release and singing to Sumerian Records, Vana shares

“This song stems from the idea of how it’d feel experiencing psychosis. Sonically, this song is just as chaotic as I’d imagine someone’s psyche would be if they were in a manic episode. Almost as if both the angel and the devil on your shoulders were both screaming in your ears at the same time.

“Signing with Sumerian feels like I’ve found a label that understands my brain. “They believed in ‘Pray’ the second they heard it, as well as in the world I want to create around my project. This song is the beginning of a whole cinematic universe I’ve been dying to create. I feel like I just joined the perfect team to help me make the chaos in my brain real. Launching ‘Pray’ with Sumerian already feels like the start of something huge, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve been cooking!”

Vana taught herself guitar, bass, and production as a teenager in Auckland, originally imagining a career as a lead guitarist before stepping into the spotlight herself. Her breakout single “Beg!” amassed 18.8 million Spotify streams and 1.7 million video views independently, cementing her as one of the most buzzworthy names in alternative music. With 765,000 monthly Spotify listeners, 895,000 TikTok followers, and 298,000 Instagram followers, she’s built her fanbase through unfiltered online connection, streaming on Twitch, engaging fans over shared obsessions with fantasy gaming, horror films, and anime.

Vana’s sound pulls from post-hardcore pioneers like Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil and Bring Me The Horizon, filtered through the lens of contemporary artists like Brakence, Chase Atlantic, and $uicideboy$, with lyrical inspiration drawn from gothic literature, Lovecraftian horror, and the world-building of games like Baldur’s Gate 3.

Vana‘s music proudly creates space for audiences who’ve felt like outsiders in traditional metal communities, particularly women and LGBTQ+ listeners. She’s vocal about inclusion, mental health, and female empowerment, using her platform to advocate for representation in a historically male-dominated genre.

Vana (pronounced VAH-NAH) is a New Zealand-based artist whose industrial alt-metal sound merges brutal riffs with haunting electro-pop elements, trap-influenced production, and visceral breakdowns. Raised in Auckland (originally born in Anaheim, California), Vana is entirely self-taught, building her sound and fanbase independently before signing to Sumerian Records in 2025.

Her breakout single “Beg!” amassed over 18.8 million Spotify streams and 1.7 million video views, earning her acclaim from Rolling Stone Australia, Vice New Zealand, NZ Musician, and Rova. With over 85 million cross-platform streams, 765,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and a combined social following of over 1.2 million across TikTok and Instagram, Vana has established herself as one of alternative music’s most compelling new voices.

Drawing influence from Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Bring Me The Horizon, Brakence, and Chase Atlantic, Vana‘s music is equally informed by gothic literature, Lovecraftian horror, fantasy role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3, and fragrance descriptions on niche perfume forums. She co-produces all her music with Vincent Ernst of Magnolia Park, crafting a sonic world as lore-driven and visually ambitious as it is sonically uncompromising.

A passionate advocate for inclusion, mental health awareness, and female empowerment in male-dominated spaces, Vana uses her platform to create a safe space for women, LGBTQ+ audiences, and anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider. Her debut album, arriving fall 2026 via Sumerian Records, will introduce a dystopian fantasy world rooted in dark femininity, villainy, and the perspective of the misunderstood.