Few things in life feel as electrifying as watching someone discover who they truly are, and then turning that truth into art you can dance, dream, or headbang to. Today’s guest, Brianna Tuerff, is a living example of that magic. A transgender musician from Phoenix, Arizona, Brianna creates electronic and instrumental metal soundscapes under the alias Brianna and the VSTs, a name that hints at her love affair with synthesizers and digital creativity. Her music blends psychedelic textures, punchy beats, and guitar-driven energy, drawing inspiration from genre-fusing icons like Apollo 440 and Ozric Tentacles. Whether she’s experimenting with trippy instrumentals or layering intricate electronic arrangements, Brianna’s tracks invite listeners to escape reality for a while, a skill she first honed in childhood with a trusty Super Nintendo and a pair of headphones. Brianna isn’t just a musician; she’s a storyteller of transformation. She documents her gender transition openly, both on Reddit (as Neonnimrod) and through her YouTube channel BriannaIsGreat, where she shares everything from music updates to personal reflections.
For her, community and visibility aren’t optional, they’re lifelines. It was seeing other trans people live openly that helped her realize she wasn’t alone, and now she pays that forward by sharing her own journey with honesty, humor, and vulnerability. Her creative path hasn’t been a straight line. Before her transition, Brianna fronted a comedy punk band called Thunder Stump, a chaotic, cathartic project that let her channel rage and irreverence into loud, fast, and gloriously messy songs. But as her self-understanding deepened, her music evolved into something more layered, reflecting feelings of displacement, joy, emotional release, and the renewing spark of self-discovery. It’s art that speaks not just to the ears but to the lived experience of finding one’s place in the world. In our conversation, we cover everything from the influence of being transgender on her art, to the bizarre questions she sometimes gets online, to her fashion loves (hint: think florals, stripes, pinks, and the occasional lolita tea dress). Brianna opens up about the challenges and triumphs of transition, the realities of being a trans woman in today’s political climate, and her hopes for both her music and the LGBTQ community at large.
She’s candid, she’s witty, and she’s refreshingly unwilling to sugarcoat the harder truths, whether that’s about makeup struggles early in transition, the cost of gender-affirming care, or the divisions within queer activism. So plug in your headphones, imagine a swirl of neon lights and reverb-soaked guitar riffs, and join me in getting to know Brianna, an artist whose sound is as bold as her truth.
Monika: Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brianna Tuerff, a transgender woman who creates electronic and instrumental metal music under the alias Brianna and the VSTs. She documents her transition on Reddit as Neonnimrod and on YouTube through her channel BriannaIsGreat. Hello, Brianna!
Brianna: Hello Monika! Thanks for having me!
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| Brianna's music page. |
Monika: Could you start by telling us a little about yourself?
Brianna: My love and passion is music, everything from writing and playing to recording and producing. The science of sound has always fascinated me. My first serious musical project was a comedy punk band called Thunder Stump, which I fronted years before I realized I was transgender. That band helped me channel and release a lot of rage.
Monika: And what was your life like before your transition?
Brianna: My life pre-transition isn’t particularly fun to look back on, but I do have a comforting nostalgia for listening to a wide variety of music and playing Super Nintendo games, as both remind me of the parts of my childhood where I could zone out of reality. I was born in and currently live in Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States, but I feel that my future creative success lies elsewhere.
Monika: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Brianna: If money were no object, I’d say somewhere in the northwest, or possibly in Canada, either in Toronto or Vancouver, depending on what happens politically where I live. I’ve vacationed in those locations and fell in love with them.
Monika: How would you describe your music, and who have been your biggest inspirations?
Brianna: Most of my work lately has had a very psychedelic rock vibe. I'm currently working on an album with a more electronic feel and writing a bunch of lyrics to break my cycle of primarily making instrumentals. I think my biggest musical inspirations have been a mix of Apollo 440 and Ozric Tentacles, the former for their brilliant fusion of electronic elements with distorted guitars, and the latter for their trippy, intricate instrumentals that are really easy to zone out to.
Monika: Do you think there is such a thing as transgender art?
Brianna: I suppose so. All art tends to come from a place of hurt, joy, experience, or simply from something powerful enough to inspire creativity. Even so, while all transgender artists have probably had very different experiences in life, I don’t doubt that a similar feeling comes through for all of us when we convey an artistic message through any medium.
Monika: In what ways does being transgender influence your own music and artistic vision?
Brianna: I believe that my being transgender contributes in a big way to my music. I’ve consciously created songs inspired by certain feelings, such as feeling out of place, struggling to move past powerful emotions, experiencing the joyous realization of who I am and the new doors it opened, and the overall renewing feeling of transformation. I try to put as much of my lived experience into my work as possible.
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| Photoshoot after hair dyeing. |
Monika: What inspired you to share the details of your transition on Reddit?
Brianna: Community is such an important thing. I reached out for the sake of hearing others and being heard myself, because what helped me decide to transition was seeing that I wasn’t alone, that there were so many other trans people out there living their lives and supporting each other.
Monika: How did you first realize that you were a transgender woman?
Brianna: I figured it out about two years ago when the topic was appearing more often in the media. Until then, I knew almost nothing about trans people, or even that we existed as a community. After this sudden increase in public attention, I felt compelled to do some research, and as I read about what makes someone transgender, I realized I was reading my own life story. I burst out crying, realizing not only who I was, but also that I wasn’t just alone or profoundly broken.
Monika: What impact did that realization have on your life?
Brianna: My whole life pre-transition was a constant cycle of feeling out of place, uncomfortable, stressed, and troubled by everything in a way no one else seemed to be, along with frequent thoughts of suicide. All of that melted away once I understood what was really going on. I want everyone who needs to hear what I did to figure themselves out and see that they are not alone on their journey.
Monika: I’m sure your Reddit followers ask you a variety of questions. What are some of the most common ones?
Brianna: Sometimes I’m asked where I live and what the situation is with trans acceptance in my area. Sometimes I’m asked what makeup I’m wearing. I also get an uncomfortable number of propositions for sex from weird strangers, but thankfully, they’ve mostly kept those out of the comment section.
Monika: What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Brianna: I tend not to answer anything too strange. It’s mostly people asking about “what’s in my pants,” but I haven’t been asked anything truly hilarious yet.
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| Out at a mall early in transition. |
Monika: How would you describe the stage of your transition right now?
Brianna: I’m not really certain how to categorize it. Basically, for the past year and a half, I’ve been presenting as a woman full time, and I’m at such a stage of comfort that I can function in society with minimal issues.
I plan on getting sexual reassignment surgery in the future if I somehow come into a ridiculous amount of money. I also still need to get electrolysis because if my makeup isn’t on point, I’m still afraid to use public bathrooms sometimes, and that really causes an issue.
Monika: Are you happy with the results of your hormone therapy so far?
Brianna: Very much so. I started hormones a year ago, and the effects have been more than I expected them to be at this point. It’s not just the physical changes that help, running my body on estrogen has had a huge number of positive effects on me mentally and emotionally.
Monika: Do you have any transgender role models or public figures who inspire you?
Brianna: A lot of my cisgender friends have been surprised by my complete lack of knowledge regarding trans people in film, music, and politics. I guess it never really occurred to me to specifically look into it. However, there are a couple of YouTubers who have really kept me going when I needed to hear an understanding voice. The most prominent of them is Stef Sanjati.
Monika: How did Stef Sanjati’s story resonate with you personally?
Brianna: Right after coming out to my best friends, one of them sent me her channel and her video about figuring out that she was a woman, and it resonated so much with me because those feelings sounded so familiar. We began our transitions around the same time, and she is just such an inspiration to me. She’s a few years younger but so strong, entertaining, and positive. Not to mention, she has the courage to talk about political issues regarding the trans community that even just reading about causes me to shut down and become too depressed to talk about.
Monika: What was the most difficult part of coming out for you?
Brianna: I was incredibly lucky to have a very liberal family. However, coming out was still scary, as it is for anyone. I did lose a large number of “friends,” and I discovered that my friend with benefits was a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) who began emotionally abusing me and treating me terribly until I finally cut her out of my life.
Another major challenge was dealing with extreme dysphoria when going out. Learning makeup for the first time and covering my face as much as I needed to was a huge struggle during the first six months, especially since I hadn’t started hormones yet.
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| Joke stockphoto image 'laughing salad girl'. |
Monika: How do you view the current situation for transgender women in your country?
Brianna: I think we, trans women and all trans people, are a strong, outspoken group who know what we want and demand to be heard. Politically, we’re living in a strange time. We’ve become the target of many fabricated problems, like the so-called “public bathroom scare,” which is probably one of the most ridiculous witch hunts in recent history. No one has ever been harmed by a trans person in a bathroom. We just need to pee, damnit!
Monika: What do you see as the biggest challenges within the trans community itself?
Brianna: My biggest concern is that, as a community, we are often very divided. It’s sad to see many people who “pass” discounting the needs of those who feel they don’t, and vice versa. On top of that, the LGBT community as a whole sometimes fractures over its own separate issues. I wish for a much more inclusive community where we all work together and everyone gets the support they deserve.
Monika: How do you feel transgender people have been represented so far in films, books, and the media?
Brianna: We’re far too often portrayed as crime victims, sex workers, or punchlines. Even when a transgender character is the main focus, their story frequently ends in tragedy, death, de-transitioning, or simply a very bleak place.
Trans identity is not a tragedy. I hope to see more transgender characters in the future who aren’t defined solely by their gender and who can achieve great things, or even just exist as neutral characters without it being a huge deal. Normalizing transgender characters will do wonders.
Monika: Are you involved in political activism or lobbying? Do you believe transgender women can make an impact in politics?
Brianna: I believe we are capable of anything as a community. Personally, I have some unpopular views on the voting system, whether voting really changes anything or if those in power can be shifted by voice alone. I’ve fought by the book for equal rights for years and seen little to no return, so I’m a bit jaded.
Still, when there’s something I can take action on, I jump in and help, I’d have trouble sleeping if I didn’t.
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| On my way to high tea. |
Monika: How involved are you in your local LGBTQ community?
Brianna: Not as much as I probably should be. It’s something I’m actively trying to change by getting more involved.
Monika: The transgender community is often included as part of the broader LGBTQ umbrella. Do you think transgender people are able to effectively promote their specific issues within the larger LGBTQ movement?
Brianna: I think the LGBTQ community offers a wonderful platform. However, as I mentioned earlier, it worries me how many groups want to distance themselves from the trans community, sometimes out of ignorance about who we are, or a fear that we won’t be accepted. They say, "Let’s just get OUR laws and rights," even if that negatively impacts the trans community.
Monika: Are there transgender activists who want to separate from the LGBTQ community entirely?
Brianna: From what I understand, yes, some transgender activists want to form a distinct movement, because transgender rights are fundamentally about gender, not sexual orientation. Personally, though, I believe we’re stronger when we work together, and I’d love for us to remain part of the same united force.
Monika: How would you describe your personal style? Are there particular types of clothing, colors, or fashion trends that you especially enjoy wearing?
Brianna: Very much so! My casual wear is typically a little floral or black dress, or some mix of striped shirts with skinny jeans or a skirt. I’ve recently fallen in love with pinks and pastels, so I’m all about those recently.
I do also enjoy lolita fashion and tea dresses, but I’d only wear something so ornate for going out to proper high tea with my friends. Not so much as everyday outfits.
Monika: What role does love play in your life?
Brianna: Romantic love? I can live without it for long periods of time, but I do prefer to have it. I’ve never been in a long-term relationship yet for lack of a partner willing to commit to me, but the short ones I’ve had were nice. I like to get really emotionally involved and have deep connections, but most people my age, I find, prefer having the option to jump ship.
Monika: Have you ever thought about writing a memoir or a book about your experiences?
Brianna: Despite writing many songs in my life, writing about my past would be an organizational nightmare. The other day, I recorded a YouTube video five times and deleted it because I was unable to convey a clear message containing all of the things I was trying to say.
In the future, it’s certainly a possibility though.
Monika: What advice would you give to transgender women who are scared of transitioning, or worried about discrimination and hatred?
Brianna: I encourage people to be their true selves more than anything, but make sure (especially if you’re young and living with family) that you have a safe security net and won’t be kicked out of your home with nowhere to go. Also, if possible, make sure to surround yourself with friends who will continue to love and support you through it.
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| Brianna's vlog on YouTube. |
Monika: What are your immediate goals, and where do you envision yourself in the next five to seven years?
Brianna: Right now, I’d love to make enough money to support myself and grow my tools for creating music and video. In 5–7 years, I really want to be in a better place financially, in a band with other people again, and to really be doing something with music that I feel impacts the world in some good way.
Monika: My pen friend Gina Grahame once told me that we shouldn’t limit our potential based on how we were born or by what we see other transgender people doing. She said our dreams shouldn’t end on an operating table, that’s where they begin. Do you agree with that?
Brianna: I agree entirely! Nothing’s worse than getting everything you wanted and then having no idea what to do. Transitioning helps us to be ourselves and live the exciting life we want with minimal complications. I’d hate to get done with surgery, look in the mirror, and think... ‘now what?’
Monika: Brianna, thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s been a pleasure talking with you.
Brianna: Thank YOU. It was a pleasure to be interviewed!
All the photos: courtesy of Brianna Tuerff.
© 2017 - Monika Kowalska
