Vakili Band – Walking Sideways

By starrymag | February 24, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Fronted by powerhouse vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Lily Vakili, Vakili Band has unveiled the video for their newest single, “Dreamy Dreamer.” The video comes with the announcement of their sophomore album, Walking Sideways, scheduled for release on February 25, 2022.

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Emotional, driven storytelling.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Patti Smith, for sure, and the unexpected sounds and energy of Sonic Youth expressed by the great Kim Gordon. But the fact is I love listening to all kinds of sound, so influences are many.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song, “Dreamy Dreamer.”

 

A) We recorded a different version of the song for our Oh Alright album (2018). Between the first recording of “Dreamy” and the second, my beautiful mother died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. I wanted to revisit and rework the original version of the song and going into the studio for the new album gave me that chance. I wanted to explore the essential ideas underlying the song and sing directly to the listener. I changed the title from the plural, group-oriented, “Dreamy Dreamers,” to the singular “Dreamy Dreamer.” Because change starts with each of us, individually, choosing to dream. This “Dreamy Dreamer” is intimate and close – it’s the outstretched hand, the shoulder to lean on, the loving embrace. It’s the recognition of our shared humanity.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think the song connects with people because no one wants to give up on their dreams – no one. We all want to believe there’s a reason for hanging on and fighting for basic human decency – and we want to believe that other people share that feeling.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) We got lucky – we happened to film on a beautiful day at the beach at Asbury Park. The band handed out and posted a mix of the “Wanted” flyers like “People Who Dream in Color” and “People Who Say I’m Sorry.” We were just there on the beach and the boardwalk with everyone else. When we were leaving, I forgot a pack of the flyers on the top of the car, and they flew off as we drove by a local soup kitchen. Folks waiting for a meal came out into the street to help me gather up the flyers – reading them out loud as they picked them up. In that spontaneous, unpredictable moment, those people illustrated the hope in the song. It’s one of my favorite memories of that day.

 

Q) I love the wanted posters for the band! Where did the concept for them come from?

 

A) Thank you! You know the social justice chant – “What do we want? – Justice!; When do we want it? – Now!” I thought that the idea of being wanted has different connotations depending on the circumstances – I liked the idea of playing with people’s ideas of being a “wanted person” and the negative associations that come with it. I decided to turn that association on its head by attaching the word “Wanted” with aspirations of love, justice, truth. That and we had all those “mug shots” of the band. [laughs]

 

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I don’t need music to create lyrics because most of my songs originate as poems or phrases that start to bounce around my head. However, that is not the case when Ben St. Jack (lead guitarist and collaborator on “She Wants What” and “Father’s Son”) brings me a riff! In that situation, the riff is the catalyst for the lyrics – I ruminate on the sound and let it take me on an emotional journey. Another approach is simply storytelling – there are stories I want to tell, and songwriting is the way I tell some of them.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) Well, as anyone working with me knows, I love collaboration, so I am in it all the time! And, as a band, all of us – Gordon Kuba, Joel Dorow, Matt Jovanis, Ben St. Jack – we have some very specific ideas about the sound the band has developed and we work hard to preserve that sound while also learning from and appreciating the guidance of excellent sound engineers and producers like David Amlen at Sound on Sound Studios, where we recorded Walking Sideways.

 

Q) What are some themes you’ll be exploring on your upcoming album Walking Sideways?

 

A) There are a lot of different characters on the album – a lot of distinct stories to tell. A girl at a tractor-pull with tats down her back, a prisoner on the run, a woman finally leaving a bad relationship, an addict and, of course, the dreamer. Maybe the theme of the album is empathy, understanding and an abiding belief in both the uniqueness and universality of every person’s story.

 

Q) If you can tease, what tracks on the album are you most looking forward to fans getting to listen to?

 

A) “Rachel” and “When 21”

 

Q) What songs on the album challenged you the most to create?

 

A) “Freeman.” That story has been with me a long time. I wanted to get it right. The band built the sound over many rehearsals and shows – and we also put it away for a while. Then, our producer David Amlen heard it and said, “Come on, let’s do it!” I’m so glad he did.

 

Q) You’re back on tour, congrats! Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Give us a stage and we’re happy. Of course, there’s nothing like playing Ruthie’s BBQ or the Montclair Brewery or Meatlocker – you know, for the hometown crowd (Montclair, NJ – that’s you I’m talking about!). And performing at a venue in New York City – Bowery Electric, Mercury Lounge, The Bitter End – is always amazing. The audience is such a mashup of wildly different types – and you never know who will show up…

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) That is a very tough question. Probably Lil Nas X.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media, for all, is sometimes being ugly and alienating, is also an indispensable way for independent artists to connect with music lovers. It’s a way to communicate about the band’s work, about where our head is at, and a way to say, “Come on the journey with us – and come see us LIVE – because that, as they say, is where it’s at.”

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) “Thank you” barely begins to cut it. We are so grateful for the support – it is sustaining and inspiring. It makes us want to keep on, keeping on in the very best way.

 

 

 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Frontwoman Lily Vakili

 

Pre-save or Stream the album: https://ffm.to/vb-walkingsideways