The Vaniers Write Their Version of an Iconic FIFA Tune on Post-Britpop Influenced Track “Painted Town”
Toronto rock trio The Vaniers are diving into their love of early 2000’s post-Britpop, acid funk, and electronica on their new single, “Painted Town.”Â
Inspired by the FIFA footy anthems they grew up listening to, the song is built around a pulsating piano line performed on a Hammond Cadet organ that bassist/vocalist Diego Paz had sitting in his basement.
Guitarist Alex Iacobellis shares,
“Painted Town” is a pump up song – it’s meant to get you stoked and ready for whatever’s around the corner. At the same time, there’s a strong sense of nostalgia here for us, going back to music from our childhood that unknowingly would impact us as musicians much later on in life. You could say that this song was written for our 10-year-old selves, sitting in front of the TV with the volume way up.Â
First off care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We’re The Vaniers, a Toronto-based indie rock band that formed in 2016.
Tell us a bit about your recent release:
The inspiration to write Painted Town was mainly drawn from the FIFA video game soundtracks. If you’ve played them, you understand that the tracklists have a certain sound and curation to them. It’s hard to describe, but once the main riff for this tune was written, we felt like it would fit perfectly. It really took off from there.Â
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
It always varies. For this particular tune; the main piano line that the song is built around, found its way into Diego’s fingertips one morning on his Hammond Cadet organ. Painted Town ended up being the last song that came together for the record, so we did lots of experimenting in the studio on the song’s structure, not to mention the sound of the keys, in the end opting for a super punchy upright piano as the fundamental element that drives the tune from start to finish.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
We’ve got some exciting things lined up for the summer in conjunction with the release of Painted Town, including a release show on Saturday, July 27th at the Monarch Tavern in our hometown of Toronto. July will see us at Tall Pines Festival in Muskoka and we do have a Canadian tour all set for later this fall – stay tuned for that announcement.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
The release of our first full-length album, “All Together Now!” in 2022 was a big step forward for this band. We were all wrapping up school and coming off the release of our first EP when the pandemic hit, which although challenging, gave us a lot of time to focus on our songwriting. We came out of it as a much tighter unit and as better individual musicians.
Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?
We’ve had the honor of meeting and playing shows with some incredible bands over the years in Toronto and beyond. One band that stands out to us is The Lemon Pistols. Check them out.
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