The Vindys – Bugs

By starrymag | June 15, 2023

By: Kelly Kearney

 

 

Peter-John Campbell:

 

Q) Peter, you directed this video. How did that opportunity land in your lap?

 

A) Out of nowhere I got an email from Jackie one day. She had seen some of my work I did for another band and reached out. I think we clicked immediately. Over the next few weeks, we spent a lot of time on the phone and emails working through ideas until we landed on the concept.

 

Q) How collaborative was your working relationship with both the band and also Michael Grimes the cinematography?  

 

A) It was great. Michael and I have been working together for a few years. We really jell. The Vindys really just fit right in with our process. It was a long day and we were all tired, but honestly it wasn’t a stressful shoot at all. We had a lot of fun.

 

Q) For both of you, what was your reaction to finding out the video would be included in Tribeca’s short category “Bats**t Crazy?”

 

A) So, I found out a few weeks before I was allowed to tell anyone. I was freaking out. I told my wife and kids but had to just put it out of my mind.

Jackie on the other hand, when I called her, I think she thought I was punkin’ her.

The whole experience is beyond words. Overwhelming honestly.

 

Q) What are you hoping to get from the festival experience, as both a featured artist but also as a fan? 

 

A) You know, every festival has its own scene. Tribeca is bigger than life. To be accepted is an honor I never expected to receive.

What do I want to get out of it? Oh man, just being here is enough.

 

Q) What are the upcoming projects that you are busy working on?

 

A) We just filmed our next music video with Indré that will release in August.

I’m also in post-production for a short film I shot last year with my friend Kathleen Zion, who is an amazing actress. It’s a bit of a personal project but I’m very proud of what we created.

 

Jackie Popovec:

 

Q) I loved this single and after listening to it once I found myself singing “in my walls, in my head” for the rest of the day. What is the story behind the song? 

 

A) After I discovered yellowjackets in the ceiling above my bed, the thought that 10,000 bees could have landed right on my head while I was sleeping was in my head for weeks after that. The song came together from this concept.

 

Q) The video was inspired by a real-life horror story. Talk a bit about those 10,000 yellowjackets and how that led to this dream-like video inception. 

 

A) I wanted the music video to be fun and absurd.  I had the idea early on that the guys would be the bugs that were coming after me.  A friend of mine has a house decked out with all these set-like rooms, so the story was built around a dreamy concept that allowed us to use all the different scenes you see in the video.

 

Q) Jackie, your vocals on this are amazing, so seasoned, and mature, with this almost retro vibe that feels both familiar but also entirely your own. What’s your background in music and did you always want to be a musician? 

 

A) I pretty much new since I was a kid that I wanted to perform and be involved in music.  Summers at home were boring because there were no kids in my neighborhood, so my mom bought me this karaoke set up that I would play with for hours and hours learning all sorts of American standards. I learned to play guitar and started playing bars and restaurants since I was fourteen years old.  After high school, I earned an Associate’s Degree in Music Production at Mike Curb College of Music Production in Florida. And upon returning home, when I met John Anthony (guitarist), we decided to put a band together and build a fan base in the Northeast Ohio area.

 

Q) What was your reaction to finding out the video would be included in Tribeca’s short category “Bats**t Crazy?” 

 

A) When Pete [John-Campbell] called me, my first reaction was, “What am I gonna wear?!” I really didn’t know much about Tribeca other than it being a major film festival.  To find out that we are one of sixty-five picked out of eight thousand submissions for short films is insane.  And then to find out that there were only eight music videos picked and that we are among music videos done by The Black Keys and Lizzo is completely freaky! We still don’t understand how our little video made the cut, and I still think they might change their mind and take it back even after it premiered! [laughs] We are super proud and honored of the recognition.

 

Q) What are you hoping to get from the festival experience, as both a featured artist but also as a fan?

 

A) I’m always interested in how productions work. It was fun to peel back the curtain on Tribeca and see how a red-carpet event works, how the screenings and discussions work. We had so much fun talking and meeting with people from the other short films. Our category “Batsh*’t Crazy” was a full of dark humor and wild creativity so it was a perfect and welcoming first experience.

 

Q) Are there any artists or films you are excited to see?

 

A) We were really excited that the Black Keys music video was also a part of our selection, so we were really excited to see another band from Ohio’s film on the screen and we got to meet the director. I really enjoyed all the short films. My favorite was a short in French called Dead Cat.

Q) The Vindys will be playing Arlene’s Grocery in New York on June 23. What can fans expect from a live performance? 

 

A) Often times the venue may dictate our performance or setlist or mood. So, I imagine you’re going to see the more rock side of The Vindys come out in NYC with a punk name like Arlene’s Grocery as the venue. We are also playing the 25th at The Beach House in Long Island with Phillip Phillips. You might find us in a beach vibe state of mind over there! It’s always different with us. You can expect a fun show with power and attitude!

 

Q) What else is on the band’s summer lineup? What should fans be keeping their eyes and ears out for? 

 

A) We’ll be supporting Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo in Detroit later this summer. We’re heading to Reno and San Francisco late September and we will have new music for 2024!

 

Q) Jackie, what would you like to say to people who are fans and supporters of The Vindys music? 

 

A) Vindys fans are always welcome in our circle!  There isn’t a city that we’ve been to in the country where we can’t find friends or family from Youngstown, OH.  We love to represent our hometown everywhere we go! There have been many times when our extended Vindys family and friends have helped us out on the road with places to stay and running our merch!  So, we can’t say enough about how grateful we are to our fans!