songwriting

Vinny Peculiar: The Curse of You Know Who

Posted on by patrickdonders

Sixteen albums in, Vinny Peculiar has long since carved out his own peculiar corner of British songwriting, literate, funny, warm-hearted and quietly eccentric, with an eye for the characters, contradictions and absurdities of everyday life. Classic English pop melodies carry the words, the songs always flowing easily even when the ideas take unexpected turns.

His new record, The Curse of You Know Who, finds him as curious as ever, wandering through conspiracy theories, misinformation, alternative realities and modern pop culture, with personal histories inevitably finding their way into the songs.

We spoke to Vinny about the ideas behind the record, how the songs took shape, Katy Perry in space, AI girlfriends and what comes next.

After sixteen albums, the remarkable thing is that the well still seems to be full of stories, characters and strange little worlds. Where did the inspiration for The Curse of You Know Who begin?

Writing in recent years I’ve taken a ‘concept’ and hung stories/ideas on it/them, so with The Curse of VP it was [mostly] conspiracy and misinformation feeding into song titles and angles, so you get alternative beliefs, some of them reimagined and mixed up with my own history. Moon Landing features a former headmaster…and plays with the popular idea of Kubrick’s stage management of the landing. I’m interested in people who flaunt popular wisdom and develop their own realities, ‘Billy Liar’ did a lot of that just to survive. AI Girlfriends work on a similar level of self delusion. Governments are very keen to call out conspiracy theory, there’s always more to it than they’d have you believe…

Your lyrics are obviously a huge part of what makes a Vinny Peculiar song a Vinny Peculiar song. But listening to this album, I’m struck just as much by the melodies and how effortlessly these songs seem to move. When you start a song, what comes first: the story, the words, the melody, or can it be any of those?

Different songs start in different ways, sometimes I’ll have a title and write on acoustic guitar or piano and things happen simultaneously, this was the case with Katy Perry, it started life as a country n western song. The harder edged rock songs are typically developed from riffs beats sounds and such in my home studio. Sometimes I’ll have a title but often I’ll develop the music first, cut it all up to suit. Flat Earth was a bit like that, I recorded several versions….

Katy Perry in Space is a great example. Everyone already has an opinion about Katy Perry going into space, so how do you turn something that is already part of the public conversation into a song that feels like it belongs entirely to you?

Katy Perry well yes, such a bizarre story, and true apparently, I have nothing against her, she’s a great pop writer but I don’t think this was her finest moment. I just tried to gently point out that there’s all this madness and suffering here on planet earth and she’s taking selfies in space on a vanity trip…

The album moves from Katy Perry in Space and AI Girlfriend to Flat Earth, Runcorn Abductions and Moon Landing. There’s clearly a fascination with conspiracy theories and alternative realities running through it. What attracts you to that world?

Its a fascinating world yes, I like to think I’ve retained a certain level of ambiguity in mining these ideas, in part I’m having some fun with it but there is more to it than popularism decrees, that much I do know…

You’ve made enough records now that you presumably know what a Vinny Peculiar album needs to be. Is there actually a formula that you can rely on, or does starting a new album still feel slightly uncertain and unfamiliar?

I’m always looking for ways to deliver albums in a ‘different’ way, I’ll be recording in rural Sweden soon which will spark a whole new ‘vibe’ I like to think. Watch this space, and thanks for having me.

Built to Hit: Mopar Stars on Official Researchers Of The NJ Devil

Posted on by patrickdonders

There’s an immediacy to Mopar Stars that doesn’t need much explanation. The songs hit hard, the melodies stick, and underneath the noise there’s a sharp eye for the contradictions of ordinary life: good days and bad ones, optimism and bitterness, getting by and wanting more.

On their new release, Official Researchers Of The NJ Devil, Mopar Stars have taken the raw energy of their earlier recordings and opened it up. The sound is bigger and clearer without losing its edge, giving the hooks, voices and sheer physical force of the band more room to land.

We spoke with N-A-O about making the record, the importance of lyrics, trusting the rest of the band, turning songs into something that hits hard live, and the unexpected response to the album so far.

The sound of Official Researchers Of The NJ Devil feels raw and immediate, but at the same time it is huge, melodic and incredibly catchy. How did you find that particular sound for Mopar Stars, and was it something you were consciously looking for?

I wanted the recording to sound modern and unpretentious. I also wanted the backing vocals to be very clear this time.

Our first two demos were all smashed onto cassette and have this murky, distorted sound. I’m a big fan of that, but for the LP I wanted to record more tracks and have them be immediately discernible and memorable.

As far as the songwriting goes, the melodic and hooky nature of the record is definitely on purpose. I tried to make it catchy, for sure.

There is a darker side to the album hiding inside all those great riffs and hooks. Songs like “Everybody Wants What I Got” and “Only Bar In Town” almost become bitter anthems about work, money, loneliness and the way people try to get by. How important are the lyrics to you, and do you see the songs as being connected by that darker view of everyday life?

I would say no, the songs aren’t connected by a pessimistic outlook. Some of the songs on the record are bright and sunshiny, and some are bitter and dark. As a person, I don’t feel the same every day. I wanted the record to reflect the good and bad qualities we all possess, and the good and bad thoughts we all think.

The lyrics are very important to me, and I take a lot of care when crafting them. The vocal performance and lyrics are the second most important thing that makes a song good, behind the drums!

What is the dynamic within Mopar Stars when you are writing and recording? How do the different personalities and ideas in the band shape the songs, and is there much pushing and pulling before a song becomes what you hear on the record?

There isn’t a lot of pushing and pulling. I write a completed song and teach it to the band.

That being said, the band is really good and we’re very comfortable together. I believe it’s important to let the band make their own parts, mostly. I basically let them do whatever they want, then edit with them. Bill also offers arrangement help and advice.

There is something very physical about these songs. You can almost imagine the room going completely nuts when you play them live. Was making a record that would really come alive on stage one of the goals when you started working on it?

It wasn’t a conscious choice when I wrote the record. I think the live forward quality of the record comes out more when we start playing the songs together in our practice space.

Everyone comes from punk music, so having it be “hard hitting” is something we absolutely consider.

The album is out now, so it has left your hands and people are starting to form their own opinions about it. What has surprised you most about the way people have responded to Official Researchers Of The NJ Devil so far?

I was surprised to sell out the first pressing really quickly. That was nice.