VHS Collection are an electronic indie rock band from New York City known for their kaleidoscope-synth sounds and high energy live shows. Today they released their new self-titled debut EP. The EP was recorded with Brooklyn based producer Abe Seiferth (LCD Soundsystem, Yeasayer, RAC, Bear in Heaven).
Officially formed last year, VHS Collection packs an extremely impressive sound for such a new band. This is largely attributed to their rich history as friends before bandmates. The three core members, James Bohannon (vocals, guitars), Conor Cook (vocals, guitars, synth), and Nils Vanderlip (vocals, guitars, piano) have played music together since they were kids growing up in NYC.
VHS Collection’s new single, “Lean” is anthemic electro rock-n-roll tune that hints at signs of greatness. They deliver a refreshing take on North American indie rock that can be compared to MGMT, Passion Pit, The National and Arcade Fire. Their lead single is an indie pop tune that has potential to make an impact in 2016. Look out!
If you are reading this in New York be sure to check out their upcoming show at Rough Trade on Friday, December 18th 2015.
In the meantime stream their debut EP and read a brief Q&A with the band members below.
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Casablanca Sunset: How would you describe your music to someone that has never heard you before?
VHS Collection: We are essentially a rock band that uses a lot of synthesizer and other electro elements. VHS Collection was playing live for a year and a half before we recorded our first EP. Before that, we had been writing songs on the guitar for about a decade. This made us identify ourselves as a rock band before we thought of ourselves as electronic music producers. That said, we always liked and wanted a modern sound, so we always brought in synthesizer and electronic drum elements into our music.
CS: What are some of your musical influences?
VHS: Too many to list, but some of our favorite bands are Phoenix, LCD Soundsystem, St. Lucia, Modest Mouse, Talking Heads, M83, Phish, Daft Punk, and Muse.
Per the Phish reference, VHS Collection is definitely far from a jam band, but I’d say Jam Bands were a big reason why each us got really into our instruments back in the day. I also listen to a lot of electronic music. I particularly like electronic producers that perform with live bands. My favorite electronic acts these days are Caribou and Todd Terje.
CS: How long have you guys been playing together?
VHS: VHS Collection played its first gig at a friend’s party in May 2014. That said, we have all known eachother and have been playing music together for the better part of ten years. James and I went to grade school together and have always jammed on the acoustic guitar through the years. Nils and James went to the same high school, where they recorded their first album together as “The Curfew Refugees.”
CS: What did the production process look like on the new EP?
VHS: We worked with a producer named Abe Seiferth at his studio in Brooklyn. Abe had produced for a number of NYC bands that we really looked up to, including Yeasayer and Bear in Heaven. He had also worked on the last LCD Soundsystem record as an engineer. We chose to work with Abe because his work seemed to balance rock and electronic music in a way that made sense for us.
We had been playing the songs on the EP live for over a year when we went to record them. We spent 7 days straight, 12 hours per day, in Abe’s studio this July working on the tracks. The process essentially involved dissecting and rewriting or rerecording every drum, bass, guitar, and synth part of every track. Originally we thought we would record 6 – 7 songs in that period, but we quickly realized how much time and work it took to really make these tracks strong. Following that week, we were in and out of his studio working on revisions, mixes, vocals, etc, until we finally finished the tracks late in the fall.
CS: Any noteworthy plans for 2016?
VHS: Yes! We are booked at a few major festivals for the summer and fall of 2016. We can’t say which ones just yet, but stay tuned. We are thrilled about this, as our dream as musicians has always been to perform for big festival crowds.
We are also planning on recording a releasing a full length record in the spring. We will play a handful of live shows in the winter and spring, but will be mostly focused on recording the first half of next year.
Thank you guys! Looking forward to hearing more down the road. For updates on the band check their Facebook and Website