Hailing from the New South Wales town of Kiama, The Vanns burst from the shadows of their rusty farm shed two years ago to deliver the sound of infectious earthy guitar-driven rock.
They have just released the EP Shake the Hand that Picks the Fight. They hit the Northern this week. Jimmy Vann, lead singer and guitarist, spoke with The Echo.
What did you set out to achieve recording your EP Shake the Hand that Picks the Fight?
We wanted to test ourselves with our sound, and further build on what we have going as a band. Harder to Find was a song that meant a lot to us, not only lyrically but musically; it was a step towards the direction we want to be heading.
What does it mean exactly, the EP title?
The EP name is about disguising and turning a blind eye from the truth. Trying to shut out what you can’t face with temporary reliefs and escapes, which we’ve all done at times – living on a constant high to escape from what’s real. It’s the idea that it’s easy to throw yourself into the deep end but it’s much harder to get out. It was initially inspired by the track Harder to Find.
Tell me a little about the tracks Harder to Find, Skinny Legs, Joker. I liked the beginning of Harder to Find – had echoes of one of those grand old U2 numbers…
Harder to Find is based on seeing people around you, even your mates, spiral down and lose all hope from drugs and just not giving a fuck. Putting yourself in that situation and seeing how easy it is to get dragged into, just not caring and being blinded by time passing by. The song was musically different from all the others, which is why we released it as a single to show our new direction.
Skinny Legs was one of the first tracks written for the EP. It’s reminiscing about a band member’s breakup with an ex-girlfriend.
Joker is definitely one of our top tunes to play live. The song’s about how people may see us as fools, spending our money on dumb shit and staying up all night. It’s an ‘I don’t give a damn what ya think’ song. Just let your hair out and sink a few.
How do you guys write your music? Does it change much when you get into the studio?
We’ve been writing more solidly as a band recently with tracks that aren’t even out yet since Cam Little (lead guitar/keys) joined the band. Cam and I did a lot of work outside of the studio to really capture the vibe in the tracks. Harder to Find and Joker were tracks that were half-written in the studio.
What about playing live; how closely do you stick to your album arrangements?
We always tee up a solid set beforehand, but our live show can change quite a lot depending on the vibe. We’ll always go out onstage knowing what we’re going to play but nearly most of the time we get our jam on. Milk the songs out a bit. Let the guitar do some of the talking for a while.
What should we expect for your Byron show?
Byron is a place we’re always itching to play on tour. That question swings both ways a bit, as last time the mosh was insane, beers were flying, and we had our first circle pit. Who knows what’ll happen this time around – we go all out in good ol’ Byron Bay!
At the Hotel Great Northern on Thursday.
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