With the release of their latest EP ‘Somewhere Else’, south coast punks Miss Vincent have proven that there’s definitely something special in the water down there that makes it the perfect breeding ground for dark, mysterious yet infectiously punchy punk records! From the wild, untamed bouncy basslines of ‘The Lovers’ to the dark, sultry and beautifully enticing ‘Beauty in Darkness’, ‘Somewhere Else’ draws you in from the first listen, a myriad of big rock melodies, soaring vocals and a veiled sense of impending anarchy mixed in with the softer, spine tingling dark nuances that is sure to shake every venue to its core on the band’s upcoming summer tour, dates for which can be found below.
We spoke to vocalist Alex Marshall about the reaction to the EP so far, the effect of the south coast scene on Miss Vincent’s musical output and the writing process behind ‘Somewhere Else’, which you can read below:
How has the reaction been to the EP so far for you, both online and at the shows you’ve played since its release?
Alex: Well, we played our first show since the release a few days ago in Southampton, and both there, online and in print the reaction has been fantastic. We really took our time on this EP and people seem to get what we’re about and what we were aiming for with it, and that’s such a great feeling.
Do you have a favourite song from the EP, or one that means the most to you?
Alex: A few people have asked me this, and I really struggle with it! I love all the songs, but I think if I had to choose one right now it would be The Lovers. People have been super into it at shows, and it’s a bit of a watershed moment for us. Lyrically there’s a lot in there – I’m a huge Edgar Allen Poe fan, and Tamerlane and Annabelle Lee really informed the feeling behind the song. It’s also named after this famous pair of skeletons that were buried in an embrace called The Lovers of Valdaro, and it really set my mind racing to think about them, and all the beautifully macabre imagery and questions about their life inspired me.
What is the typical song writing process like for you? Do songs tend to come together quickly or is it more of a slow process of crafting each track?
Alex: It’s a mixture of the two. When I sit down to write, I generally just hash out whatever is in my mind and try to get it down before the idea disappears – so in that way, it’s a real spur of the moment thing. But then, I’ll send the demo to the boys and we’ll spend a lot of time crafting it into a fuller, more coherent song, because what they get given is a pretty raw demo. So the initial idea comes together quickly, but in order to get it into a state that’s pretty close to “finished” (and no song ever really is), is a much slower process.
What made you choose ‘Cold Hands’ as the lead single for the EP, and can you talk a little bit about the concept behind the video for it?
Alex: Cold Hands is just a great catchy punk rock song. I loved the fast verses and the way the really poppy chorus was almost a counterpoint to it. So it just seemed an obvious choice, alongside The Lovers, which was the first video we put out, for people to hear before the EP came out. The video itself was a bit of a nod to The Ramones’ video for I Wanna Be Sedated, in that it’s all shot from one angle. The content was very much trying to replicate the feeling and themes of the song visually, putting us in day to day situations of breaking the cyclical and habit forming nature of sadness. It was a lot of fun to make, and it’s got my cat in it, so that’s a massive plus.
How has the blossoming South Coast Punk scene, spearheaded by bands like Creeper, affected you as a band? Do you feel a sense of kinship with other bands from your scene?
Alex: I would say “blossoming” is probably being a bit kind to the scene in general, because being in a DIY punk band is still tough. Creeper are really blazing a trail for our scene, but it’s not quite trickled down yet. They’re killing it in every respect, and we’ve always been huge fans of them right back to Our Time Down Here. They have always been stalwarts of punk rock and are the best, most genuine people. One day I’m gonna be “that guy” standing in the crowd at Reading Festival watching them headlining, telling anyone and everyone that I was at their first show. We feel so much love in our scene, not just from Creeper, but also from everywhere in (I hate the phrase) “The Underground”. But outside of Creeper, I feel like there are still so many bands that don’t get afforded the opportunities that they should. Bands like Harker, Screech Bats, Sad Blood and even us, are still very much going it alone. Although there’s no route we’d rather take, because we’ve always been a hard touring band rather than a cool internet band, I do feel like there’s a whole scene of great bands bubbling just below the surface right now that are just waiting to break.
Are there any bands in particular that have influenced your sound or has it grown from a mixture of influences?
Alex: Again, it’s a bit of a mix. There’s a lot of common ground between all 4 of us that form a basis for our band – bands like Alkaline Trio, Bayside and Against Me are collectively our favourites. But then there’s all sorts of other bands that can shine through on occasion – Lawrie is a massive Brand New fan, Owain and I are big Calabrese nerds, and Jack and I are super into Bad Religion.
Are you excited for the tour with Energy this summer? How did that collaboration come about?
Alex: They heard about us from our last EP, and we’d seen them on the Creeper tour in March and they killed it. They contacted us and mentioned they were coming back this Summer, and so obviously we were gonna say yes to touring with them. We’re so stoked to be heading out with them – I remember them from their first iteration in like 2008 and loving them then, and their new stuff is even more anthemic and awesome. “A Prayer For Rain” is a banger and I can’t wait to watch it every night on tour.
And from the sounds of it, that tour is going to be you definitely don’t want to miss! Miss Vincent will be touring across the UK this summer, so there is no excuse not to go and check these guys out- you’ll be in for a truly raucous punk party!
5th Jun – London, Thousand Island
29 Jul – Manchester, Satans Hollow (supporting Energy)
30 Jul – Liverpool, Arts Club (supporting Energy)
31 Jul – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge (supporting Energy)
01 Aug – Glasgow, Audio (supporting Energy)
02 Aug – Newcastle, Jumping Jacks (supporting Energy)
04 Aug – Leeds, Key Club (supporting Energy)
05 Aug – Nottingham, The Maze (supporting Energy)
06 Aug – Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms (supporting Energy)
07 Aug – Bournemouth, The Anvil (supporting Energy)
08 Aug – Dover – The Booking Hall (supporting Energy)
09 Aug – London – O2 Islington2 (supporting Energy)
Or, if you can’t wait that long, ‘Somewhere Else’ is available now to purchase from one of these stores:
Spotify – http://spoti.fi/2rxTYZv
iTunes – http://apple.co/2mv5LJx
Amazon – http://amzn.to/2rxO8HH
Deezer – http://www.deezer.com/album/15520562
And why not check out the band’s video for their new single ‘Cold Hands’ while you’re at it?