Since the release of their 2011 album What Did you Expect from the Vaccines?, The Vaccines have experienced a meteoritic rise to fame, and for good reasons. With their less-is-more attitude and the lyrical skill of frontman Justin Young, these four have generated a refreshingly cool and apathetic style of rock, which appeals to the young and smart at heart. Following their album’s critical success, they quickly began touring at home and in America with the likes of Crystal Castles and Mumford & Sons. The Vaccines are classically rad, ignoring the hype and doing what they love – touring, playing, and collaborating with their fellow bandmates and best friends.
The Vaccines have done incredible things since beginning their journey, managing to check off an enviable chunk of their bucket list. Playing alongside the Rolling Stones? Yup. Reaching No. 1 on the UK Album charts? Yessir. Touring the world, headlining festivals and playing to arenas of tens of thousands people? Psh, easy as breathing. What is truly mindblowing is how much they’ve done in such a short amount of time. This can be explained by their three years of nonstop touring that has brought them to three continents, countless countries and seemingly infinite festival lineups. Productive and already prolific, their second album, Coming of Age, was released in September of 2012. An album that showcases Young’s aptitude for self demoralization, Coming of Age further cemented The Vaccines as keystone figures in the indie rock world.
This Friday night The Vaccines will be playing at the Majestic Theater, looking to showcase their latest EP, Melody Calling. Completed in L.A. with the likes of producers John Hill and Rich Costey, Melody Calling strays from the minimalist nature and lyrical content of their first two albums. This summery EP feels lighter and more laid-back than anything put out by The Vaccines before, which is a great sign of growth. This past Wednesday I spoke to guitarist Freddie Cowan. I asked him whether the band had made a conscious decision to make Melody Calling different from their other two albums, to which he replied ,“No,” that that was just the “nature of the beast of touring and experiencing.” Evolving, I guess, is just part of this weird thing called life.
Freddie said he was pumped to play Madison Friday. He said that “small clubs” are his favorite joints to perform in. When asked if he had ever been to Madison he said no, but that he heard it was “beautiful.” I pressed him further, asking him if he would dare to sample a cheese curd, to which he replied, “What is a cheese curd?”
The Vaccines will be playing at the Majestic Friday and if you haven’t already, go and buy a ticket. Melody is calling, and who among you are foolish enough to resist?
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