Hi, how’s it going? For those people who haven’t heard of The Vespertine Kind could you tell us a bit about the band your story?
Hi Mike, pleasure to chat with you and thanks very much for your time. My name’s Graham, I’m a musician based in the sleepy town of Dawlish. The Vespertine Kind was a solo project I started back in 2018, I’ve always had a penchant for folk, ambience and blues, it was my goal to fuse the sounds found in these genres under this project.
It’s been a difficult time for musicians during the pandemic how have you coped with it?
It’s easy at the best of times to put a lot of pressure on oneself in the music industry. For me, the prime concern has just been to look after myself as best as I can and I’d heartily encourage anyone else to do the same. Take a break day when you need one, there’ll be other opportunities in due course.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
My favourite bands growing up were Thrice and My Vitriol, it was their huge, spacious sounds and intuitive musicianship which made me want to get out and play. They’re outstanding in their own ways respectively!
Are there any particular artists or albums that have influenced your style?
Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Bloc Party, The Shins, Iron & Wine and a bit of Bob Dylan for analytical purposes as much as anything. They all have lyrical mastery when it comes to painting a larger picture with small details.
Could you tell us about the writing/recording of your ReverbNation Competiton winning single “Ehlers Danlos”?
“Ehlers Danlos” was composed by my friend Richard Swift, I heard the music and I loved it immediately. When it came to developing lyrics I felt like a song about my medical condition would be fitting. It’s a genetic connective tissue disorder and causes chronic dislocations/subluxations, cardiac problems and more. I’ll spare the details, that said I used this disease in the most literal sense – the clicking sound throughout the track is actually the sound of me dislocating my jaw and correcting it over and over again. Big thanks to Ash for recording this in his studio!
Are you working on a new album or EP?
I find whole bodies of work are somewhat redundant in today’s fast-paced world, I’m focusing more on releasing consecutive singles rather than a collection of material.
What have been some of your favourite places to perform at over the years?
I’ve had the pleasure of previously performing at Pinewood Studios, Also Known As in Banbury and Parklife festival. The crowds were exceptional in both numbers and spirits, wonderful to have been involved with those events.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have anyone to recommend?
More artists than I could begin to count! Some of my good friends, however, are Dan Chapman, an obscenely talented gent with some excellent music due out soon. Temper Row is also a uniquely skilled artist releasing new music at an impressive rate. Lastly, the guys in Altered Mindset are both excellent fun and extremely cohesive musicians.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
I think it’d be fair to say this year’s a bit of a write-off, with this in mind I’ll be practising and honing some skills in preparation for next year and looking to find new music myself
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