Late TV On the Making Of ‘Vanity City’
What was the creative process like for this particular 'Vanity City?'
As a band we write and rehearse every week in the basement of a pub, perhaps for that reason we like the music to sound as sleek and sophisticated as possible, because for me personally, music is all about creating an alternative version of reality where everything is better. We wanted to whip up our cocktail of influences; jazz, art-rock, funk, yacht-rock, synth-pop, indie… and pour it all into a suitably elegant glass for your consumption.
How does 'Vanity City' fit into your overall artistic vision?
I like to describe Late TV as the house band for the talk-show in your head. However, the songs on this record are designed to flash up like set-pieces in a late-night movie. So, you’re still tuned into Late TV but it’s cinematic. It’s a romantic movie too. Each tune is a sideways rumination on different aspects of the romantic experience. The recurring themes of love, desire, passion, confusion, frustration, jealousy, and excitement are woven into the narratives and delivered via music I like to think walks a line from David Bowie and Talking Heads through to Bad Bad Not Good and Mildlife.
Which song do you like the best and why?
I’m the guitar player so I have to say ‘Fools Fools Fools’ .. As it kicks off with a wailing guitar lick, it has a bass solo from Ryan too, and there’s just not enough of those in the world right now. I’m also very proud of ‘Night Tennis’, because it doesn’t sound like anything else out there. Ryan was playing a bassline influenced by ‘Hercules’ by Common. The keyboards are spacey prog-rock, there’s some spikey ska riffing, and the vocal is somewhere between Pulp and Roxy Music. I love it.
How did your band members initially come together?
Beu, our drummer and I have been playing together since we were kids, and we had a band in school. Since then, we’ve just kept on going, developing it, and hoovering up anyone who seems like they would bring something new and interesting to the fold. Ryan found our advert when he was looking to buy a double bass but found a band instead. We’ve tried all kinds of things; we had a brass section for a while. Recording the album Martin, our keys/synth player also played the tenor sax and we’ve since recruited Hannah who plays keyboards and also picks up extra backing vocals.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
Musically, it can be a jam stemming from a riff or an idea that someone’s playing. Or sometimes it’s more traditional, written on an acoustic guitar then kicked around by the band until it's completely unrecognisable. As the lyricist it's just about being receptive, and noticing things in books, movies, other people’s conversations, all miss-heard and re-interpreted like an echo. Sometimes it’s as free as just an idea for a title and me thinking; “I want to hear a song that’s called that!'', ‘Great Gulfs’, ‘Pour Me Out’ and ‘Topaz Galaxy’ all started that way.