Vanessa Barnes grew up in newport beach and played drums in local rock and indie bands before she started djing. she has been based in los angeles for years. her sets run through house, disco and techno rather than sitting in one box, and the punk edge from the band years never really left.

Dirtybird Campout is my home away from home.

vnssa to gray area, 3 october 2022

the record that broke her out is Word, cut with Walker & Royce and out on hotboi records on 15 february 2019. the three of them kept going. Rave Grave landed on higher ground on 4 september 2019 and Outer Space followed on rules don't apply on 20 january 2023.

she has hosted a monthly radio show called super creep radio since 2023. she also works as girl math alongside Nala, a duo the two built after taking so many back to back bookings that it needed its own name. that project put out Causing Trouble on 6 june 2025 and Rodeo on 29 august 2025.

her twelve track album Emergency Loop arrived on empire on 1 may 2026. Step Into My Light, a single fronted by the vocalist etty lau farrell, came on 17 july 2026 on heaven after dark.

she has bookings on the board. arc music festival runs 4 to 7 september 2026 at union park in chicago and the lineup bills her as a back to back with Walker & Royce. somos abq follows on 19 september 2026 at the national hispanic cultural center in albuquerque. momentous runs 6 and 7 november 2026 at the momentary in bentonville, arkansas, headlined by SOFI TUKKER with J. Worra also billed.