Introduction
Are you craving your post-punk vibes? Searching for something fresh to help you heal after Joy Division tore you apart? Look no further! Vacant Pavement has just dropped their latest EP, The Cost Of Complacency. Join us today as we dive into that and a whole lot more!
For Fans Of – Joy Division / The Cure / Idles
Interview
Your new EP is titled “The Cost Of Complacency ”can you tell us why you named it this ?
The name of the EP is directly inspired by the Chernobyl disaster. The disaster was a result of design flaw but also human error. The cost of this human error resulted in one of the worst accidents in all of human history.
You have several songs named after nuclear disasters, and your bands name is vacant pavements , are these two things related?
I think so, I came up with the name during the writing process of the EP and I wanted something that was reminiscent of the music.
How was playing king tuts festival?
Playing King Tuts has been an absolute dream. They have been very accommodating to us and it is a great venue to play overall.
The post punk scene in Glasgow is quite small , is it difficult to get your sound out there and heard?
The post-punk scene is quite small in Glasgow and so we’re trying to get our music out there as much as possible. We have built a group of loyal fans and friends whom we are very grateful for as the project wouldn’t be possible without them.
How did the band meet?
Shannon and I met at Riverside Music College where we both completed our HNDs in Performance. We had worked together in different bands and shared a similar passion for various different music genres.
What drew you together in a music sense?
We love a variety of styles from classic rock to Shoegaze but the one that clicked with us both was post-punk. After a few change ups in the band the members just now are Shannon Bell (bass and synth) myself (vocals and rhythm guitar), and Darren Mulligan (lead guitar) who we also met at college.
We love Pripyat love song! Can you go into what inspired the song?
The song is inspired by the triumph of love over darkness. It is about the human endeavour and how even the most desperate moments can be transcended by love.
What is your favourite line of lyrics on the EP?
I think personally I really enjoy the line “we can race to the moon and we can harness the sun”. I think it really captures the competitive aspect of the Cold War and particularly the arms race between the US and The Soviet Union. We put men on the moon and created bombs so powerful they reach temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun.
How has the EP been received so far ?
The reception has been mostly positive, I think because our music is quite niche it mostly appeals to people who enjoy gothic and new-wave music. Still, we do realise it’s not everyone’s cup of tea which is okay. And so we’re trying to promote it to audiences that we think would enjoy the type of music we create.
If you change one thing about the EP now it is released what would it be ?
I think we would like to have put out music videos with the songs so the listener can further recognize our music. However there may or may not be some on the horizon very soon…
We get a Joy Division vibe from you guys , is Ian Curtis an inspiration for you ?
Yes, we really appreciate Joy Division and their music as they were huge pioneers in post-punk. We have performed a good few of their songs at gigs. I think vocally, Joy Division’s songs are great to perform as I have a similar range to Curtis. He was a very talented songwriter and an inspiration to many.
Speaking of inspirations , if you could cover any song in the world what would it be and why ?
There’s a song called Na Zare by Alliance which is a Russian synthpop song. The vocals are absolutely incredible and I wish I could sing like that. The instrumentation would also really suit our style.
Where can people see you perform live?
We hope to be playing Edinburgh and potentially Glasgow in October time, any gig announcements from us can be found on our Instagram page so keep your eyes peeled!
Where can people listen to your music ?
Our music is available on all major streaming platforms, but for the best listening experience come to one of our gigs!
What did you think of our interview with Vacant Pavements? Let us know in the comments!
All song rights are retained by Vacant Pavements and this site claim no rights over them. All photos were provided by Vacant Pavements. Photos taken by — Jess Crighton.
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