VHS Collection – Retrofuturism

By starrymag | December 19, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Were a rock band first and foremost. Our sound is a combination of synths, rock guitars, big drums, and character-filled vocals, singing about life and love.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) The National, MGMT, LCD, War on Drugs, Phoenix, Bowie.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your song “One.”

 

A) “One” is all about escapism. Sometimes it can feel as if were almost living in a dystopian world with everything that’s going on and you just want to grab the person you love and make a run for it.

 

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

 

A) I think it’s that feeling of just wanting to break out from whatever your current situation might be and just start fresh in a totally different world.

 

Q) How did you come to work with RAC, Fred Falke and Zach Nicita on your remixes?

 

A) Zach is a friend and plays drums with us, so he was an obvious choice. Fred Falke and Rac were at the top of a list of artists we admire, and thought would be a good fit so we were pumped when they said yes.

 

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

 

A) Not always. We’ve been trying several different approaches recently – Starting with lyrics and writing music to them, starting with chords and writing melodies, then filling in lyrics later or writing on acoustics then translating that to our sound later in production. All these approaches have been working recently.

 

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

 

A) We will take the production as far as we can in the demo process. We’ll definitely have the general direction mapped out in terms of instrumentation. Then, we seek the expertise of a producer like Chris Zane or Tony Hoffer to take everything to the next level.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live VHS Collection performance?

 

A) High energy, rocking, dancy, feel good tunes, with an epic light show.

 

Q) What songs off your album Retrofuturism are you looking forward to performing live?

 

A) “One” and “Animal” have been super fun to play live and have gotten a great response. We also excited to mix in some of the quieter songs like “Otherside.”

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your upcoming album as a whole?

 

A) I hope people can relate to what we were going through when we wrote it. A lot of the themes are deep and universal; wanting to escape, feeling isolated, falling in love, big ideas. I hope people will connect with that and feel like they are not alone.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) Mercury Lounge holds a special place in our hearts. It’s where we played some of our first shows and started to build an audience. The room is also a perfect size and sounds amazing. I also live right across the street.

 

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

 

A) Post Malone, Pre-Malone, Karl Malone, all the Malones really.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) A Deeper Understanding by War on Drugs. I love the sound choices and vibe of the whole record. Couple that with Adams’ insightful lyrics and I’ve been playing it on repeat.

 

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

 

A) It’s the main way we get the word out to our fans about tour dates, upcoming releases, etc. We haven’t been great about playing that whole game, but it’s been useful.

 

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

 

A) We do it for you! We massively appreciate the support. It’s what allows us to keep making music. Keep coming to shows and well keep putting ‘em on!

 

 

All Questions Answered By Nils Vanderlip