Artist Of The Week #249 - VC Pines
This week’s Artist of the Week is VC Pines - who has just released his long-awaited debut album ‘MRI’ via Believe.
Largely inspired by his lifelong struggles with epilepsy and seizures while growing up in the capital, ‘MRI’ is the formation of years of countless experiences that have come to form the VC Pines sound. Moving, passionate, and always mesmerising, this new collection stands at the zenith of his songwriting prowess to date, brimming with emotive textures that highlight some of his most heartfelt and intimate journeys.
He took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there VC Pines - how are you? So your album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Yo, I’m good thanks, thanks for having me. Haha it feels like a weight’s been lifted! Making and releasing music feels like therapy to me, harbouring these songs means holding on to things I’ve realised about myself and the world - good and bad, and releasing them means letting them go. It’s been a journey, as an independent artist, pulling this project together and getting it released, but feeling proud to have put it out in the way it should be.
It is called ‘MRI - what is the meaning behind that?
The album encompasses my mental health, particularly my epilepsy, and the journey it’s taken me on in my life so far, and takes me on every day. I managed to get hold of my MRI brain scans from when I was diagnosed, and I’ve used them as album artwork. The introduction track - Chamber - is one of my favourites, it’s this beautiful, soft, inviting chord sequence, it’s warm and welcoming like a seizure feels to me when they start. And then there’s an MRI machine slicing in and out of the track, really jarring and almost ruining it. I really wanted that strong juxtaposition. So the title, and the artwork itself are a representation of the themes of the album. The artwork for me, symbolises not only my epilepsy, but the daily mental health struggles people go through as young creatives and hopefully as a reminder to use your struggles as inspiration.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
It was recorded in various studios, houses and squats throughout London. One minute I’d be at Ross MacDonald’s (The 1975) house finishing ‘colours’ and the next in a session with HECK that turned into a squat party. I feel like the album has pieces of every part of London stitched into it.
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
There are themes of Love, jealousy, addictions, anxiety, neurology and hope. It covers my life from my epilepsy diagnosis to now, so there’s a lot being said. I’m influenced by so much, I go through stages of being a sponge, and soaking up everything I see, hear, smell and remember. But my big influences are OutKast, Iggy Pop, Steve Lacy, and King Krule, amongst loads of others.
If the album could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
That’s a good question. And I have no idea haha, I love film, of all styles and for so many reasons so it’s hard to choose one! But I’d love to write the music for a film directed by Harmony Korine or the Safdie Brothers.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album - if so, which one and why?
It’s gotta be either:
‘I don’t wanna drag this on for too long’ - Lost Love, which repeats over the longest outro I’ve ever written
Or
‘Socials crippled, algorizzled, devil’s nipple in my mouth, to feed my brain with good ideas so I can spit them back out’ - Dangling
I feel like I never gravitate towards writing songs about happiness or feeling content, which again I think is why writing feels like therapy. And so the devil’s nipple is a way of getting all that angst in and spat back out into song.
Now the album is out there - what next?
MRI UK TOUR
And straight back into the studio to produce for other artists and round of my own next project.
