Vicky von Vicky’s Latest Release “Not The Man” Elevates Toronto’s Music Scene
When you need a song you’re not going to skip, and when you’re seeking a band you’re not going to want to simply pass over – then you’re looking for Vicky von Vicky and their latest drop, “Not The Man.”
The Toronto-based four-piece, featuring Michael Wynn on guitar and vocals, Paul Pasanen on drums, Rolston Miller on bass, and Tom Nesbitt on guitar, are officially back. And they’re on the indie circuit with new music and a renewed focus on songwriting and collaboration.
Vicky von Vicky formed in the late ’90s featuring former members of Kingston’s Trains of Winter. The group recorded and released two albums – their eponymous debut in 1998, followed by Farmers & Artists in 2001. After a lengthy hiatus, the band decided to reunite in 2019 and are eager to unveil fresh music and forge new connections with people who like listening to something just a little different. And they’re leading that charge with their release “Not The Man”.
“The song itself is about a relationship, which may or may not be one-sided in the narrator’s mind,” explains Wynn, going on to add: “It touches on the roller coaster ride of not knowing how another person feels, etc. especially at the beginning of some sort of connection. And not being able to think about anything else but that person.”
A fan of lyrical quirkiness from that of the Pixies and Velvet Underground, Wynn says he’s “always been attracted to the Springsteen-style of songwriting, where you develop characters and a story, largely fictional, that is drawn from personal experiences. I usually like to put some sort of twist on it, too, like the Pixies would. And for myself, somewhat ironically, when it comes to writing ‘happy-pop’ songs I tend to go the ‘breakup song’ route.”
The result is “Not The Man”, an up-beat, indie rock anthem Wynn had tinkered out by September of 2022.
“I knew the chorus would be hard to forget once you had heard it a few times, as I myself was not able to get it out of my head,” Wynn recalls, adding: “I immediately knew this was something I wanted to put out and record.”
Produced by Nixon Boyd of Hollerado, Wynn recorded his newly minted tracks between Boyd’s Orillia-based studio, Simcoe Mechanical, and Banquet Sound in Toronto. After completion earlier this year, Vicky von Vicky collectively decided to release the music as a reunited group.
“Being someone who has played in various bands for the last few decades, I was asking myself, ‘why am I still creating music?’” reflects Wynn. “However, I soon realized it’s something I need to do, it’s in my DNA, the process is just something that is therapeutic and that satisfies my soul and makes me happy.”
And the band is prepared to leave both their legacy fans and new listeners happy. Vicky von Vicky are “Not The Man”, but absolutely the band you’ll fall in love with all over again.
Watch the video for “Not The Man” below and learn more about Vicky von Vicky via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Michael Wynn, the singer/guitarist for Vicky von Vicky. The other members are Rolston Miller on bass, Paul Pasanen on drums, and Tom Nesbitt on guitar. My brother Chris was in our band early on (late 1990’s /early 2000s) when we first were a band. He lives on the west coast now so we asked Tom to fill in. Chris has and always will have an open invitation to play with us. For our first reunion show he was in town (Toronto) and both Tom & him played. It was fun!
We went on hiatus in the early 2000s and hadn’t really done anything musically until several years ago when a close friend and former bandmate of ours passed away, this was around the year 2019. As a tribute, we decided to re-unite and play a one-off gig of sorts at an open mic. We had so much fun that we continued jamming, and that jamming led to getting gigs which has led us to releasing new music. We even include one of the songs he wrote in our setlist now.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “Not The Man”?
I don’t think I’m unique in this, but my process usually involves recording ideas as they come as voice memos on my phone, all labeled with dates, I do this so I don’t forget them. At some later point in time, I go back and listen (and relabel), and qualify what I think is good or not.
I think recently Paul McCartney said that he thought songwriters need to work through songs right away and shouldn’t store them on their phones but for me, this works really well because if I listen at a later time I can be more objective to how good an idea is. That is unless, of course, the music inspires me instantly.
In the case of “Not the Man” I first recorded a voice memo in August of last year, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kept writing and developing it until mid-September of last year. I was a bit obsessed with just finishing it off. So I guess I loosely followed the McCartney process for it. But generally, I go back to songs and pick out the ones that still resonate with me and then work on them.
After presenting “Not the Man” and 4 other demos to the band, (I don’t think I actually gave them enough time to process the songs! Sometimes I can be impatient), I declared that I would go ahead and record them with Nixon Boyd later in the year as a solo project. Full disclosure, Nixon is my cousin! So I am very lucky, as he and I have collaborated a ton on my solo stuff (Melted Wings), and he has produced it all.
Over the course of one weekend in December (2022) at his new studio, called Simcoe Mechanical (Orillia) we recorded the drums & bed tracks. Nixon’s studio partner Taylor Knox was on drums & Nixon on bass. I believe this was the first time they had worked collaboratively on something and it was fun to watch. The rest of it including vocals & guitars was completed in January at Banquet Sound (Toronto).
Once everything was mixed & mastered, I shared the songs with the band and collectively we decided to release it as Vicky von Vicky. We have already included some of these new songs in several gigs since.
What’s it like being a musician in Toronto?
For us this is not a full-time thing, we all have lives outside of music. Years ago we had aspirations to do this full-time, but it is such a tough business to crack and things have changed so much, there is no one playbook on getting success. We do it mostly for ourselves now, and that should be the main reason you do anything. Creating and making music is part of all of us, it gives us that outlet we need, and everyone needs. For myself, I seem to have a musical energy that comes and goes occasionally. I think during one stretch of a few years in the mid-2000s, I barely touched the guitar and certainly didn’t write any songs. Over the last 15 years or so it’s been the reverse of that. I just enjoy the process too much these days.
The other members all live in Toronto, but I live in the West GTA. I used to live in Toronto in the 1990s, and loved being able to see anyone whoever came through town. And usually, everyone did. I saw a LOT of bands back then, like Modest Mouse at Lee’s Palace right after the Lonesome Crowded West came out, or the Foo Fighters at the Opera House before they had any music released. I can’t count the amount of times I saw the Jesus Lizard at the Horseshoe, those were wild shows. I even saw Johnny Cash at Massey Hall which would have been his last show ever in Toronto. At the time he was covering Rusty Cage by Soundgarden.
Nowadays it seems there are a lot more venues and tons of bands, but generally, if you want to see someone live, despite its downsides, Toronto still gives you access to that (if you have the money & can get tickets!). But it’s still very hard to make a dent as a band and get noticed. There’s generally too much music to process for everyone anyway.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
I would have to say 54-40. They triggered something in me that I think was missing from most bands & music before them (this was in the late 1980s). I remember seeing them and Art Bergmann twice in the span of a few days during my first year of university in Kingston, and thinking yes Canadian bands can be cool. It was a very small venue near the penitentiary and I was so close to the stage. It was a lot of fun. Also being in Kingston in the early 1990s I saw a lot of the Tragically Hip, our roommate did stage sound for them on one of their first tours to the US.
Recently I have been blown away by The Sarandons from Toronto, they are making some very good music. They recently did a cover of Sharon Van Etten’s “Every time the sun comes up” and it is just amazing. I also recommend seeking out Castle Frank & Lenny Bull.
You’ve been making music for a while now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
If music makes you happy, keep doing it, don’t be discouraged. I think humans need music, it is something that deeply appeals to us. Some of us listen to it, others just make it, and some of us do both. Loving music is basically 2 sides of the same coin. But having said all that, remember there is a TON of music coming out, some good & some bad, almost too much for people to process. Being heard will take more than just a good song these days. Put in the effort to promote yourself. Lastly, play live, it doesn’t matter if no one comes to see you, just keep doing it, That is the one thing I think bigger bands do, and smaller bands need to keep doing. Whoops I guess that’s more than one piece of advice!
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