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Exhilarating Groningen alt-rock outfit The Vices have released their new album ‘Unknown Affairs’
Pulling inspiration from rock juggernauts like The Strokes and Cage The Elephant, with a bit of early Red Hot Chili Peppers thrown in for good measure, The Vices’ fusion of Britpop and surf rock has propelled them outside of their Dutch hometown and onto stages alongside the likes of Yungblud, Nothing But Thieves and Black Honey. Today sees them release their second album ‘Unknown Affairs’ via Mattan Records after a stint stateside at SXSW and New Colossus Festival and ahead of an appearance at London’s Bush Hall tomorrow for their own curated Vice Fest event (18th March).
Speaking about the album bandleader Floris van Luijtelaar says, “‘Unknown Affairs’ is about finding our own voice in a world with many tastes and opinions. We all have our beliefs and things we value or find important. Some sort of lines or boxes that we live our lives within. While these things might feel as if they are true they really aren’t. We don’t know anything. This world is filled with ‘Unknown Affairs’.”
“The album is not so much about drawing outside the lines but more about realizing that these lines do not exist at all. So we closed our eyes, the lines disappeared, and we could create whatever we wanted, write whatever we wanted, and let our deepest feelings and ideas go free without boundaries. In the end, That is the only thing you can really say something meaningful about, about what you think and feel yourself. So we did!” He continues.
The new record features eleven standout tracks, one of which being the previously unheard ‘At Least That’s What They’re Saying’. Elaborating on the song’s ambiguous lyrics Floris explains, “As a child there were many things that I didn’t understand. Why are dreams like a sin? Why do we often behave in certain patterns and act in certain ways? People told me that I would understand these things when I got older. Now I am older. I can repeat the empty reasons and say, ‘well, at least that’s what they’re saying’, but I still don’t understand…”
Back in their homeland The Vices have established a palpable buzz, from being crowned a ‘3FM Talent’ by 3FM, reaching the top spot with their debut album ‘Looking For Faces’ in the Dutch Vinyl Chart, winning the Pop Stipendium prize of €10K and being invited to be the house band on TV ‘M’ on NPO 1 – and live, the band have performed at Best Kept Secret and Sziget. Earlier this year the band appeared at ESNS, which saw them be named as one of Gigwise‘s ‘7 Acts We Loved at ESNS 2023‘, evidencing their widespread appeal on a global stage.
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