Easily one of the best things about being an artist is being able to look back on your past work and see how much you’ve grown. This year, there’s no denying that Vinyl Theatre will be able to do just that. Early this month, the band returned with “Feel It All,” their first song since the release of their full-length, Origami last year, and within just one listen, it’s obvious how much they’ve grown and evolved between releases.
Following the split with their first label, Vinyl Theatre took the chance to regroup and hone in on exactly what they want to create with their next EP, which fans can expect later this year. Now, the band has their sights set on the future. With tour dates alongside Vesperteen kicking off today and more new music coming soon, 2018 promises to be one hell of a year for Vinyl Theatre.
Interview by Shannon Shumaker
You guys are just kicking off what promises to be an incredibly busy 2018! What are you looking forward to the most this year?
It’s a definitive year for us in many ways. A lot of doors have opened up creatively so I think what we’re looking forward to most is being able to explore new ways of writing without any boundaries. Of course touring is always a highlight for us and a chance to share our music with our fans and the world but I think the surprises will be in the live show and new music direction.
Last month, you released your new single, “Feel It All.” Can you tell us a little bit about the track? What inspired it?
It was a song we wrote in about a day’s time. We had to overcome a couple of years of being kept off the road mostly and then we unfortunately went through a departure from our first label. Through some frustration and maybe even some relief the song took shape. It’s just about getting up again. Sometimes it’s really easy to just sit in the depression and let it overcome you but the song marks a transformative moment in our careers where we chose to keep making music.
“Feel It All” kind of takes a step away from the sound on your last album, Origami. What goals did you have in mind when you were working on this track?
Origami was our record to be a rock band. We focused on blending synths with guitar and letting guitar be the lead dance partner over synths in the record. We’re free to do whatever we want creatively, I think that’s where the next few tracks from us are going to live; In creative freedom. We’re exploring musically and in some ways just saying ‘screw it.’ If it sounds good and we like it, no need to be formulaic. No need to fit into any boxes or check any either. We’re just being ourselves and loving music again.
The song comes from your upcoming EP that you’ll be releasing later this year. What did you want to accomplish with these songs?
I think we just want to make a statement that this is who we are. The songs range from a Bruno Mars-esque love song to a “Get back up take on the world” anthem in Feel It All. They aren’t necessarily all over the place but they’re snapshots of writing sessions and influences. One day we might be in love with Cage the Elephant and channel that feeling and another we might be in love with some Bruno Mars.
How do you feel you’ve grown as artists or just in general with the writing and recording of these new songs?
We’ve just let go of a lot of stress of pleasing people we have to answer to creatively. I don’t go into a song thinking “I think this is something so and so would like.” Usually a so-and-so is someone we have to answer to at the end of the day choosing songs that make the cut. Now I just think, that sounds rad. I respect that sound and those lyrics and would listen to them outside of this band. A lot of the new ideas that Chris is coming up with completely knock me off my feet so I’ve been trying hard to keep up.
What would you like listeners to take away from the EP?
I think they’ll be a little shocked. It’s not all pop-rock or pop-punk or just rock anymore. I hope what they take out of it is the snippets of reality from our own lives we tie in. There’s a lot of real emotion and excerpts from our lives hidden in the lyrics.
You’re also just getting ready to hit the road alongside Vesperteen! What can fans expect from these upcoming shows?
We haven’t played any shows with them yet but from what we’ve seen on social media and youtube they’re as energetic as we are on stage. There’s some real passion in both bands and I think that’ll make for a really good show every single night. We’re playing a lot of old favorites and debuting the new of course. We have a really tight set around 60-65 minutes packed with as many songs as they have requested as we can manage and of course some of our personal favorites.
With “Feel it All” out now, can fans expect to hear some more new music soon?
We are planning on 2018 being our most prolific year in creating and releasing music so definitely keep your eyes open for more. By the time people are getting used to Feel It All we will have something else on the table for them…
Do you have any other big plans for the rest of 2018?
We are looking at doing some other tours but most importantly for us right now we are tending giving the new songs new life. Music videos, and reimagined versions of the songs are making their way into the world as well in time.
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you for having us! I just want to say thank you to all of our fans and anyone reading this, I hope to catch you at a show soon. We won’t keep you waiting long to hear even more new music.
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Tour Dates:
w/ Vesperteen
March 8 Vaudeville Mews- Des Moines, IA
MAR 09 The Record Bar- Kansas City, MO
MAR 10 Slowdown- Omaha, NE
MAR 11 Gothic Theatre- Englewood, CO
MAR 13 The Prophet Bar- Dallas, TX
MAR 14 Vanguard- Tulsa, OK
MAR 16 Speakeasy in the Music Lounge- Austin, TX (SXSW)
MAR 17 Future of Music Showcase at Shiner’s Saloon- Austin, TX (SXSW) 1PM (No badge or wristband required)
MAR 18 The Bronze Peacock at House of Blues- Houston, TX
MAR 20 Jack Rabbits Live- Jacksonville, FL
MAR 21 Crowbar- Tampa, FL
MAR 22 Soundbar- Orlando, FL
MAR 23 Vinyl At Center Stage- Atlanta, GA
MAR 24 Motorco Music Hall- Durham, NC
MAR 25 U Street Music Hall- Washington, DC
MAR 27 The Foundry- Philadelphia, PA
MAR 28 Middle East-Upstairs- w/ Vesperteen Cambridge, MA
MAR 29 Knitting Factory- Brooklyn, NY
MAR 30 Cattivo- Pittsburgh, PA
MAR 31 The Loft- Lansing, MI
APR 03 416 Wabash w/ Vesperteen- Indianapolis, IN
APR 04 Subterranean w/ Vesperteen- Chicago, IL
APR 05 The Old Rock House w/ Vesperteen- St Louis, MO
APR 06 The Rave / Eagles Club- Milwaukee, WI
APR 07 The Garage w/ Vesperteen- Burnsville, MN
APR 27 Bogart’s- Cincinnati, OH
APR 28 Newport Music Hall- Columbus, OH
APR 29 The Shelter – Detroit, MI
MAY 01 House of Blues Cleveland- Cleveland, OH
MAY 03 High Noon Saloon- Madison, WI
1 Comment
I’m pretty sure Chris is now running a music production website or at least it’s someone with the same name. Does anyone know?
https://keyboardkraze.com/