If history is anything to go by, Italy is repeating its 60’s resurgence of Western-inspired, progressive and psych-rock sounds when it produces acts like The Vickers. The Florence quartet have seasoned themselves with over five years touring independently and with established acts, and releasing two solid albums, as well as being in the process of recording their third.
Largely inspired by the hooks and catchiness of British invasion songs, The Vickers thrive off delays, surreal vocals and driving bass but with firmer rhythms and more guitar pedals. And they’re also devout vinyl fans. But as much as they are invested in the age of digital music and what it can do for independent musicians, they also appreciate the analogue textures that come with recording rock music…even through the microphone of a 1965 Philips tape recorder. Front man and guitarist, Andrea Mastropietro, discusses the taste-makers that have inspired their music, their forthcoming album, and why vinyl records are just as important as Spotify.
What is your earliest experience discovering rock music?
I think I was 14 or 15. I fell in love with rock music when I saw a television playback exhibition of The Byrds. After listening to the incredible Mr. Tambourine Man, I moved myself near the shelf in the living room. It was like the Rickenbackers had drove me to my dad’s record collection.
Why do you think there has been a resurgence in psych-infused sounds in recent years?
You know, it's just the history of rock music. Like Tony Wilson said, the musical movements move themselves like waves. We had ten years of great indie rock music, a catchy singles era. When I think about this era I'm thinking about The Strokes, Libertines, Arctic Monkeys. Now we're changing. We have longer songs, and the use of vocals is pretty different from the 2000s. It's definitely happening. There’s an obvious change in music development.
Apart from The Beatles, who else has influenced the band’s songwriting and style?
We love 60's productions with a tight rhythmic section, driving bass, reverbed guitars and spatial vocals. We also love the little recording mistakes on the albums, and we love music on vinyl. We consider songwriting to be the one of the purest forms of art in these crazy times. We love songwriters like Ray Davies, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Bob Dylan, Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Neil Young and many more…people who know how to write a good song.
How does the live music scene in your hometown of Florence foster its artists?
We have a lot of talented musicians in Florence. Most of these bands are deeply influenced by British pop/rock and psychedelica, and particularly in the last four years or so a lot of cool bands have been born here. At present, Florence is a very good place to play in a band, but the main problem is the musical situation in Italy which makes things harder for musicians.
Following on from your She’s Lost EP, you’ll be releasing your third album later this year. The inaugural third release from a band usually signifies a departure from early styles. Can we expect new territory from The Vickers? And what can we expect from the release as a whole?
Yes, the new album will be different from the past. Our LP, Fine For Now, was an album strongly influenced by British music. We tried to do an LP full of singles, catchy tunes, and short and fast tracks. She’s Lost is different. It’s a space song, a psychedelic dream made of delays, and echoes with surreal vocals. We decided to take more time to produce the songs so we experimented with new sounds and we approached the songs in a different way. We have worked very hard and we're proud of our record - it's gonna be an amazing year.
We hear that you’re big fans of vinyl. Have you heard that the humble cassette is also making a comeback?
Yes, I have heard about that. I think there will be a Cassette Day in September. We'll support it! We love music in its real physical form. Sometimes we use a small 1965 Philips tape recorder to record our demos. As you can see we're out of time.
What about digital over vinyl?
Vinyl, vinyl and vinyl. Nowadays there is a mass of music available via the internet, such as Youtube and Spotify. Not everyone can understand the differences between click ‘n’ play on a PC screen and taking a physical object in your hands, putting it on, and watching it spin around. I think that people will need to touch something real and they will always need to have direct contact with a record. With vinyl you can touch music, you can see the notes spin around on your record player, and best of all, the album covers are amazing. They are bigger than CDs!
You’ve been fortunate enough to have shared the stage with some very accomplished acts. Which band do you admire most for their work ethic?
Wilco and Paul McCartney. They are professional musicians, real artists and artisans too. Their work ethic is unmatched.
Music wouldn’t be the same without….
ELECTRIC GUITARS! Playing electric guitar is still one of the most revolutionary acts that you can do as a music artist.
Famous last words...
A great time is coming and we want to spread our music everywhere. Love The Vickers because they love you.
