“On a Beautiful Day” marks the latest EP release by The Vapor Trails, an ensemble led by the harmonious collaboration of father and son, Kevin and Scott Robertson. This collection comprises four resounding jangle pop melodies, potentially the pinnacle of their musical journey so far, each endowed with a remarkable ability to stick in your mind. Among these, “Next Life” holds a special place in my heart due to its mesmerizing guitar solo that ingeniously cleaves the song in twain. Nevertheless, the remaining trio of tracks is a testament to the duo’s unwavering affection and meticulous artistry. These songs aren’t just heard; they are felt.

In a candid discussion, Kevin Robertson delves into the genesis of their latest musical endeavor and illuminates the profound experience of forging a deeper connection with his son.

The meaning of success has changed over the years. What would success look like for the new record?

Success is relative, as they say. I guess my idea of success is taking an embryonic song idea, which in the case of The Vapour Trails could be either an idea of Scott’s or mine, and shifting it from ‘an idea’ to a fully recorded piece. Then, in turn, going out there and playing it live. I never get tired of that process, and for every songwriter who enjoys what they are doing, I think that still excites. Of course, global success and top 10 hits wouldn’t go amiss either! Haha.

What’s the gig you will always remember? And why?

For me personally, I would say our band’s first time playing at The Cavern Club in Liverpool. My son and I formed our band together 6 years ago when he was just 15 years old, and the idea (at his request) was to form a band to give him access to the experiences of performing live. To actually reach a point where you are looking across an iconic stage like the Cavern Club’s and seeing your kid playing great guitar riffs, realizing you are up there together performing songs you wrote together, is a genuinely great moment for me as a dad. Couple that with the camaraderie and excitement involved in playing that gig with friends like Nick, Andy, and Kenny (whom I have known for decades), and I think that’s been pretty unbeatable so far.

How do you decide when a song is finished and ready to be recorded?

The whole songwriting process for me starts with melody. I work outdoors, and usually, a melody comes into my head. It’s a case of reaching for an acoustic guitar as soon as possible to get the chords down. Even though I wouldn’t say I’m a fantastic guitar player, I create a lot of guitar riffs and arpeggio parts too, so 9 times out of 10, particularly with my own solo material, I have the whole thing nailed reasonably quickly. With The Vapour Trails, I have the great privilege of collaborating as well, which gives me the other side of the coin. Scott might have a reasonably finished idea that I help with, or vice versa. As was the case in the early days, it was a 50/50 collaboration. As soon as all those elements are in place, or a combination of those elements sounds good, we can begin the recording process. Also, I always think that if a song sounds like a good song with just one vocal and one acoustic guitar, it’s worthy of recording with a full band.

You can’t control the way people ‘hear’ your music. But if you could make them aware of certain aspects that you think set your songs apart, what would they be?

Well, first off, it’s been a long time since I ever thought about ‘making’ people like my music. People can often be set in their ways regarding what they like and don’t like in music, and that’s fair enough. As far as listening goes, I can personally find things to enjoy in many genres, and I don’t mind listening to hissy lo-fi stuff or full-on high-level production, as long as the song is good. What I would say to people is that if you listen to a Vapour Trails song, or even my own or Scott’s solo material, you get a mixture of both those things. You get the DIY approach with limited resources from our home studios, but you also get a splash of color from an external producer. I’m not really into just making production sound great; there’s no point in that without a decent song behind it. On top of that, our songs are always created because Scott or I believe they are worthy of being out there; otherwise, we wouldn’t bother releasing them. So, Vapour Trails songs represent a Father & Son collaboration in terms of songwriting and a blend of different recording techniques and production. That alone might set them apart from other material.

If you could choose three singers to provide harmony vocals on your next record, who would you ask?

Okay, so I’m going to answer that question based on three artists whom I believe are not only great singers but also masters in the art of harmonizing. Firstly, if this were a “Dead or Alive” scenario, David Crosby would be my immediate choice. However, if we’re talking about our next Vapour Trails record, I’d go with Graham Nash. I simply don’t think you can find anyone better for those high parts; he’s an absolute killer. My second choice would be Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, who, in my opinion, is one of the best folk folk singers around, period. Lastly, I’d choose Brian Wilson, who, even in old age, would harmonize brilliantly and ensure that every note is perfect in relation to the final vocal production. These three brilliant voices would nail those harmonies.