Her album Ecca Vandal was released on October 20, and is a tantalizing mix of punk, rap and rock, held together by Vandal’s magnetizing and ferocious vocals. 

The debut was recorded entirely in the living room of her two-bedroom apartment. Vandal said production ended up taking a year and a half after starting fresh.

“I had a collection of songs which I thought was going to be the album, and then I actually decided to scrap them and start again,” she said. 

“I asked myself if the music was actually representative of who I am as a person, and I felt as though some of those songs were just me figuring out a few things and discovering myself.

“I wanted to explore all the different nooks and crannies which have formed over the past few years.

“That meant I had a to dig a little deeper, and that’s what I did for the album.

“I got more vulnerable, louder and more outspoken.”

Vandal is the child of Sri Lankan refugees who left their home country for South Africa, before leaving the oppressive culture of apartheid to settle in Melbourne. 

A distaste at being neatly catagorised emerged, and Vandal said she’s now drawn to the indefinable in life.

“I think that as humans we’re wired to avoid unfamiliar things, we aren’t drawn to that which makes us uncomfortable,” she said. 

“But I am drawn to things that challenge my thinking.

“It’s not necessarily about gender or race, but I’ve never been able to identify any other artist doing heavy music with the same colour skin as me who is female.

“I haven’t found a role model like that and it was tough for me to try and put my music out there and try and find people to play to. I wasn’t sure that people would embrace it because I didn’t have anyone to look up to in that regard.

“I’m really grateful that the people that do come to my shows are like-minded risk-takers and individuals.

“I’m proud to look out into the audience and see a diverse crowd.”

Ecca Vandal plays Karova Lounge tonight. Tickets $17, doors open 8.30pm. Support acts Fan Girl and The Second Sex.