5 writers, 5 questions, 1 band, hand-picked by the MWA writers. Welcome to FIVE x FIVE. This week: Chicago rock trio, ¡Vamos!.
¡Vamos! has been a staple in the Chicago rock community since their first release back in 2013. Now the guys are busy supporting their latest effort, Spiderbait, and a brand new moody music video for the track “Demon” – just in time for the Halloween season. We had a chance to chat with Ryan Murphy about the band and new record for this week’s FIVE x FIVE.
What went into writing and producing this full-length album? Up until now you guys have put out EP’s and singles. Was there a lot of added pressure knowing these songs were going to be pressed to wax?
Pressure? We barely even know her. JK – We went into this originally with the plan to release an EP on vinyl. Our already fruit full relationship with Dan Rico and Ian Wisnewski (MAX PELT) was blossoming even more than we ever imagined. So, we decided to put it out there. It was well received and we were in need of a challenge. Dan Rico was a big influence in the production of SPIDERBAIT. We all had ears on the design but I believe Josh and Dan had a really great report and vocabulary with each other. This made for a very smooth process. Dan explored our melodies a bit further by bringing some of our pop sensibilities to the forefront. We also wanted it to sound raw.
“Demon” was one of the first songs I heard from you guys, back in 2013 or so, and most likely on CSC. How did it make the jump to Spiderbait two years later?
It’s a really good song. It has survived like 3-4 tours. It will live on! It was recorded very quickly when we were with CSC and Jeff Kelly. We still had yet to really explore the tune.
From Heat Wave to Spiderbait, how would you sum up Vamos in up a sentence or two? What is the Vamos experience about?
Vamos is loud, driving, delightful and should leave the listener uneasy but excited for more. Vamos is Josh, WIll and Ryan. It is what we like, breathe and challenge ourselves to create.
“Bad Hook” sounds like it, at the correct volume, could level a building. What building would Vamos most love to level with sound?
Trump tower or the DMV.
You’ve performed at several of Chicago’s underground DIY venues as well as commercial giant SXSW. Is your music received differently on those opposite ends of the spectrum? Is there a setting you prefer?
Of course. Everyone has a different idea of what we “sound like”. We love the blood sweat and beers of the basement for sure. We feed off of that and those are some of our best shows. I think as we progress and grow as musicians there will be more to hear. We do so much vocally. Sometimes you get to a house show and theres like “a” mic and no one gives a F**k. We wanna do our sound justice. ROCK JUSTICE. Seriously though. We wanna rock you like a hurricane, tornado, typhoon, t-storm, tropical storm, blizzard, flash flood…etc…..In the end its really about that long game and not sweating the small stuff.
You can stream Spiderbait in full on Bandcamp or Spotify and if you’re into vinyl make sure to pick up a copy of the 12″ out on Maximum Pelt for just $12.