Hello, Thomas! Your album Balancing Act is out now, what was the core idea behind the project?
It’s funny in a way, because we never really set out with a certain core idea in mind. Sometimes when you write songs the overall meaning is revealed to you some time after. it’s kind of the same regarding album themes. You just need to trust that everything will work out in the end. This time we actually tried to avoid a main idea or core idea, if you like. But as the work progressed, the individual songs started to make sense as a cohesive whole and once we saw the painting which was later used as the front cover, we became convinced of the balancing act-theme.
How does I’m on the Upside reflect the wider themes of the album?
”I’m on the Upside’ is actually almost the odd one out in this batch of songs because it has such a positive vibe and message. Usually our songs are multifaceted and we try to leave different layers of meaning. Some of them contain light but also a certain darkness as well. ‘Upside’ is pretty straightforward and I was actually taken quite aback that Daniel was able to pull off such a happy tune. It came from someplace real. Something deep inside of him. It was great.
This is your sixth studio album, how does “Balancing Act” differ from your previous releases creatively?
I think it’s more self-assured and we have dabbled more with electronic elements this time around. The one album that this is most similar to is our previous effort ‘Funhouse Mirror’ but that is mostly because we use the same musicians for the strings and horns parts. ‘Balancing Act’ also appears to me as its own beast because of its restraint, tension and moodiness. I think it really succeeds as a mix of all these three effects. And I would use these terms anytime in order to try and describe it in a few words.
The record draws on classic 60s and 70s influences, how did you approach blending that with a more modern sound this time around?
The retro influences come easy to us because we are fans of vocal harmonies, vintage gear and just all-round the melodic vein from the golden era of pop and rock music. But I think there was a certain effort this time to try and not sound too dated. We want to embrace the modern tools and possibilities and use them the best way possible as everybody else. So we figured it would be an exciting area to explore further. But we were quite aware that we shouldn’t overdo it because that is very easy to do. It took us some time to figure out the right amount of digital elements and where.
After nearly two decades as a band, what does “Balancing Act” say about where Vinyl Floor are right now musically and personally?
I think we’re kind of on top of whatever our game is. By recording ‘Balancing Act’ I think we have worked with rock music and classical music to the best of our ability. I’m not saying we won’t use string and horn arrangements anymore but I think we need to explore at least a few new areas next time, as well. Or at least dig even deeper. Experiment some more. We both feel a certain confidence which I think is due to us having made music for many years now. But we’re also humble about it and incredibly thankful when people listen to the music we basically create and make to please ourselves. And because it’s a fun hobby!
Photo Credit: Vinyl Floor.