An Interview With: Pop Vulture

Leeds based band Pop Vulture have left a breadcrumb trail of whimsical feats in their wake as they make their way towards their debut project.

Angular, danceable no-wave - according to their Bandcamp - to which I'd add 'with a dry and often times scathing wit', Pop Vulture have all the features of a future mainstay act.

The lucky Leeds based label Come Play With Me Records hold a fertile act within their tender grips.

The bands debut EP, Another Success, is set for release on July 5th. 

Peter: First off, how are you guys? How's the general feel of life at the moment?

PV: We are well thank you, we have played a few shows recently after a break and it feels great to be back. Life is feeling all over the place at the moment if we were going to be candid. Ben is in the middle of a house move, and just general freelancing between all of us is tricky and tough to navigate but we are all trying our very best and so far surviving!

Peter: The release of your debut EP 'Another Success' is right around the corner. How was the recording process for you?

PV: The recording process was an absolute blast. Spread out over maybe 3 months, we recorded the drums at Funky Junk with Folly Group’s very own Louis Milburn sitting in the pilots seat. We then bunkered down in The Room Studios in SE London for a while as we dismantled the demos that we had written and figured out the best ways to present them as a collective piece. It wasn’t all smooth though, and there were tricky moments throughout recording and writing. 

Peter: With the tag of 'debut' comes a certain pressure, however large or small. Does this effect your mindset going in to the recording and eventual release process?

PV: I think one big thing that we have been mindful of in that we are presenting the body of work as a ‘debut’ is that we don’t want to put ourselves in a box. Whether that box be post-punk, art-rock or even just ‘guitar music’, we are keen to keep the door open allowing us to continue to explore what we believe is our ever changing music tastes. 

Peter: Your output treads a definite post-punk path. What is it about the jangly, despondent and somewhat chilling sounds that tend to characterise the genre that makes it your path of choice?

PV: It is the music we listen to and love, but more importantly it is the love of the energy we feel and receive when we play live. Live music is very important to us as a band and all of us are very inspired by the energy output of band music. With the origins of punk being very anti establishment, we feel that the messages in our lyrics which combat mental health, capitalism along with other political themes follow along nicely in this 21st century modern version of punk.

Peter: Who would be your dream producer for your eventual (fingers crossed) debut album? Why would you pick said producer?

PV: Sadly, collectively we had all dreamed of working with Steve Albini. His no nonsense approach to record producing, his undeniable talent in record engineering and his sheer fountain of knowledge and stories is something that we as a band really looked up to and wanted to share and experience together. There are a ton of other great record producers that are making incredible sounding records at the moment. From Dan Carey, seemingly pioneering so many young alternative artists that many bands including us find inspiration in, to CJ Marks and her incredible work with Boy Genius, The Amazons and more!

Peter: What are some comforting lies that you once found/still find comfort in?

PV: Damn. Too many. Routine can be a comforting lie, especially when it is unhealthy and seemingly unbreakable.

Peter: And finally, what would you like to achieve, as a collective or as individuals, before the end of 2024?

PV: We don’t want to set our sights short, but I think ultimately we would like to be still writing music together by the end of 2024 and into 2025. Life can get so complicated and busy, and having all met as students we had so much free time to meet up and write music together, an activity that is getting more difficult as we grow older. We love writing music together and we hope to continue to together for a long time.

Many thanks to the Pop Vulture camp! PV’s debut EP ‘Another Success’ is out and about on July 5th.