Vega and 10 Questions with TotalNtertainment.
With their new single out now and the release of the new album out in June Nick from Vega spoke to us about their new album, that state of the British rock scene and what he’ll be doing once lockdown is over.
1. The album “Grit Your Teeth” is due out right in the middle of the lockdown. I guess, ironically, there is nothing you can do at the moment but grit your teeth and battle on… ?
Absolutely. The album was originally due to be coming out on May 8th. We’d got our headline tour in the UK booked. We’d got some dates with H.E.A.T. booked. European dates with Magnum, they were booked. All around the release of the album, it couldn’t have gone better then this happens and, well, it’s all gone. It is frustrating but there is nothing we can do about it really.
2. The album release been delayed. What about the recording of it? Was that affected at all?
No. We recorded it last Summer around August time. We had to deliver to the label by Christmas time. It’s been a long time in the making but we were waiting for this moment and here we are. We obviously pushed the date back because of what happened but you can’t push these things back indefinitely because the label have got a load of bands that need releasing. It got pushed back from May 8th to June 12th. Our touring will now start in October providing we’re all back to normal by then.
3. I take it then you’re looking beyond this and planning for the future ?
Yes. The album is out in June, we’ve got a new single coming out this week, there will be another single in May which will keep people entertained. We’re just going to keep having to remind people who we are between now and October and hopefully the album will get a second wind and maybe work in our favour? Who knows what is going to happen with this situation though. From January though we’re planning on being very busy touring around Europe and the UK so there is lots of plans in the making right now. Most of it is confirmed, we’re just trying to finalise the logistics and things like that. Things are looking good so long as they don’t go Pete Tong again before then [laughs].
4. Will you be looking at online gigs and things like that ?
Well, it’s difficult, unless we can all be in the same room, which we can’t at the moment as we all live in different parts of the UK. We’ve done a piano version of a song and we’ve got a few other bits for people so we’re doing what we can. In terms of online gigs, until lockdown restrictions are lifted and we can all be in the same room, we don’t have the facilities to do it.
5. The album has been described as “stadium rock for 2020”. What kind of bands would you put it alongside ?
We’ve always been inspired by the big stadium rockers like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake but we also incorporate elements of not-so-stadium rock bands. Tom and Joe are into bands like Mansun and Oasis and we like the darker edged stuff like Soundgarden and Chris Cornell’s solo stuff. There’s loads of different elements that influence us and make us sound like we do.
6. From Def Leppard to Mansun, quite a range of bands there. Who do you think the album would appeal to ?
I think if you just like really big choruses, big rock, big sounding bombastic songs. That kind of vibe really. It might not necessarily appeal to a Mansun fan though. We wanted to write an album that is full of energy, full of bite and, if you put it on, you know you’ve listened to it.
7. In the last few days a “health expert” has stated that he things concerts and festivals won’t return until late 2021. What is your take on that ?
I honestly don’t think they know that. There’s a lot people out there who love scaremongering at the moment. The questions the media are asking at the moment are so shit they’re just trying to trip people up. One presenter asked tonight if they cared more about saving young people than old people. I’m mean, come on, as if the Government are going answer that and say yes, you’re right. What a ridiculous question. There are too many people trying to doom and gloom their way through this. One thing I’ve been doing with my time during lockdown and that is unfollowing people on social media.
8. Before this all kicked off, what were your thoughts on the state of UK rock ?
It was OK. The problem is the promoters won’t take a risk on the bands. They’d much rather prefer to take the safe option and book bands who put bums on seats than take a chance on a new band. Those headline bands aren’t going to be around for much longer but the promoters don’t seem to be looking beyond that and to the future. It also doesn’t help that the facilities for smaller bands in the UK aren’t the best and some of the venues are really bad.
9. Just for a bit of fun now. If you had to choose between not brushing your teeth or your hair for the duration of the lockdown which would you choose ?
Probably not brushing my hair because, at the end of the day, I could just tie it back and it wouldn’t be a problem. I couldn’t not brush my teeth for weeks. You’d end up walking around with camel breath.
10. Finally, thanks for your time and good luck with everything. What are you going to do when lockdown is over ?
I’m going to go and see my other half. She lives in Sweden so we haven’t seen each other for ages. One of the things I miss most is not being able to see family and friends. The thing I keep thinking is that, although we’re on lockdown, I can still go and sit in my garden so it’s not the end of the world to be shut in. I can imagine for some people it must be difficult especially those who are locked in flats and can’t do something like sit outside. Hopefully though, this won’t last forever and life will soon return to normal.”
VEGA new single “(I Don’t Need) Perfection” is out today Friday 17th April 2020 via Frontier Records. The single is taken from their upcoming album “Grit Your Teeth”, which will be released by Frontier Records on Friday 12th June 2020. For more information go to vegaofficial.co.uk
