Introducing Interview: The Vex

They’re on Carl Barat’s radar, and with their raucous live shows their quickly sparking the attention of the masses. Between sparking the attention of a Libertine, said shows, and recording a new EP, The Vex took some time out so to answer some questions, and help us get to know them better. 

Hiya. Could you start off by telling us a bit out The Vex?

Hello, we love spreading good vibes with guitars, drums and amplifiers. We love reggae, rock n roll and metaphysical talks on the transformation of human consciousness. We are all connected.

And ‘Education Kills?’ Obviously it’s something that is worthy of such a tribute but what specifically sparked the need to write a song about it?
When I heard the story of Malala Yousafzai it had a real effect on me. The thought that such a fearless young girl existed in these dire circumstances sparked an innate bravery within us all. I felt this was a story that was worth spreading.

The video for the track is filmed in front of the Houses of Parliament – is politics something you’ve always explored in your music?
That location was just an opportunity that came our way so we took it… read into that what you will. Some of our songs may have more of a political edge than others, some of our songs are about tea.

It’s a tricky topic – a lot of people feel that bands/musicians should use their platform to discuss politics but this seems to only be the case when the audience agrees with their politics. Where do you stand on this? Have you ever felt like you’ve had to censor yourselves/be careful to not upset an audience?

Artists should be able to use their platform in anyway they want. If they wanna sing about Love Island and Snapchat, go for it. We use our platform to sing about existence and life as well as drinking and girls. It’s all about balance. Yin and yang and all that jazz.

The video’s also filmed in your hometown. Do you think London’s shaped the band/sound at all?
London is the home of The Kinks and The Clash whose sound definitely has a London vibe, we’d like to think ours does to. Gertcha.
If we lived in California would we sound like a surf band?… maybe

You’ve said in an interview before that you’ve seen a lot of venues come and go. How does this impact you as a DIY band?

The less venues there is to play means us bands have to think outside the box. Hiring warehouses or boats is an option. There are stages out there waiting to be found.

As for gigging, you’ve been dubbed by NME as “the best live band” they’ve seen in a long time. What can be expected at a Vex show?

That was from an NME interview gave by Carl Barat, lovely fella. Expect heavy rocksteady beats, reggae janks and dirty riffs.

You released your self-titled EP earlier this year; what does the rest of 2017 hold for The Vex?

We’re currently recording our next EP as we speak. So many ideas and songs we’ve gotta get out there. This next batch is gonna be an eclectic lot. Watch this space…

And finally, since it’s festival season: if you could build your dream festival lineup (to play alongside) who would be on it?
Chas and Dave
Leon Bridges
Tame Impala
GOAT
Rage Against The Machine
Fleetwood Mac

This would be epic beyond belief!

The Vex’s self-titled EP is out now

 

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

Melissa, 22. Editor. Student, music journalist, probably talking about Blur or Bowie