Vib Gyor
Sam Robson catches up with Leeds five-piece Vib Gyor following the release of new EP "The Stalker"
Vib Gyor produce melodic whirlpools of keyboards and guitars fronted by the vocal lovechild of Billy Corgan and Jeff Buckley. Things are going well for the band; the first EP went down a treat locally and nationally, they played In the City this year, and one of them is called Zane (that is so hot right now).
Maybe it's about time we got to know them better...
Your new EP "The Stalker" was launched for download this month, would you say there is a greater feeling of optimism about it than the "Insomnia EP"?
It sounds darker. We are striving to be optimistic and uplifting but it's hard to get away from the melancholy but yeah we are more optimistic than ever before! Some of us have all left jobs to concentrate on the band... this band is full time for us now.
Possibly "optimistic" was the wrong word for you lads, "conviction" is maybe more suitable... in the final track of The Stalker you sing "You think that if I make it I'll piss it up the wall... you're wrong". What do you see as "making it" for the band as a whole, and what's being in Vib Gyor all about for you?
I think that the answer to this comes in stages ... we want to get signed to a label that understands us and lets us be creative without restraint, and we want to be respected like some of the major acclaimed bands of past and present.
This is our life at the moment and we believe we can become a successful band and established songwriters. I personally [Zane] would like to write for other artists - lots of different styles.
[Jonny Mulroy] Vib Gyor is about getting together and being creative... then eating strudel and custard... (laughs)
Apart from your encounters with fine Austrian pastries what would you say has been your most significant moment so far?
That moment is the realisation that the five of us are a perfect match of character and creativity allowing us to realise what has been in our subconscious for years ... we've appointed good management which has given us a valuable source of feedback on the business front. Unfortunately you have to think about the business side of things.
How do you write songs? Are they ideas put together by the band or are they songs brought to the band by one songwriter and further elaborated by the band?
[Hegs] I can't answer that. I'm the bass player dude
[Jonny Hooker] Me too. I'm the drummer
Someone will come up with an initial idea which on a good day evolves into a song when we all start contributing. If I [Dave] have an acoustic idea and vocal, I can play it to the band and a few hours later we have a fully arranged and orchestrated song.
And on production...
[Zane] I do spend a lot of time on this on my home computer. I'd be producing professionally now if Vib Gyor wasn't around. It's all done at my house with very little equipment. Just mics and computers. I'm training Jonny Mulroy up as well. We'll be definitely producing our own stuff in the future although I'd like to work with a top producer.
[David] I personally can't wait till we get the time and opportunity to record an album in a studio. What Zane does is amazing, considering the set up, but with the time and resources, I think we'd amaze ourselves, let alone everyone else...
Promises, promises... playing In the City in Manchester must have been exciting, how did it go and what do you think you've gained from it?
In the city seemed to be just corporate meetings for the industry and not about the bands. It was good to see some of the other bands though, and we got some feedback from the industry, especially from American A&R, which I think is more suited to our style of music. It seems the UK want the next NME band, so if your not wearing alligator skin Gucci shoes, you're fucked! The US just want good songs and melodies!
Can you tell me more about what's coming up for the band in the near and distant future (apart from purchasing some alligator skin shoes)?
A hell of a lot more songs. There are big plans but I'd rather not go in to detail until it's happened, so we'll just be writing and preparing. We've only been together for just over 6 months, so we need to build material for B-sides etc... and keeping our heads down and working hard. There are things happening on both sides of the Atlantic and we need to be prepared...
The HMV showcase on the 28th October at Joseph's Well will be our last gig of the year in Leeds.
If there is one message you would like to be imprinted on people's minds having heard your records or seen you live what would it be?
Life is more than a 3 minute pop song on the radio. Great music has emotion. We are the housewives choice in a Reader's Wives kind of way. I don't actually know what I mean...actually ... I would say follow your heart not the fashion 'a la momente' but then I'm a cynical old fool, and not easily swayed...
So when Reader's Wives becomes fashionable you guys are going to be HUGE! Finally I want you to picture a scenario: You're forming a Happy Mondays tribute band and there are only two people auditioning for the part of Bez. These two are George Bush and John Kerry, who would you select and why?
[Zane] I'd kill them both whilst they're auditioning! You don't get that opportunity everyday.
[Hegs] George bush because he's a fooking dancing monkey...
[David] It's an insult to Bez - throw Bush a banana!
If you can get over their Strudel fascinations, and obvious lack of respect for a monkey's dignity then I would recommend attending the band's website where both EPs "Insomnia" and "The Stalker" are available to download.
