A une heure de leur concert à la Flèche d’Or, les Vaccines se détendent autour d’une bière au Mama Shelter. Justin Young, chanteur et compositeur, accorde à Peace Blind le temps d’une cigarette afin de parler de l’écriture des morceaux, de la rencontre du groupe avec Albert Hammond Jr. ainsi que du deuxième album.
What is the process of creation?
Well, on the first album, it’s just a case of um… I wrote the songs on acoustic guitar and then I took them to the rehearsal. The band practiced and we kind of created them together and just tried to make them as simple as possible and let the songs breathe in a way they would on an acoustic guitar, so not like (mimicking some kind of Satriani-like guitar chorus )… Just everything very simple and naked almost.
Simple and naked but with all that reverb. Could you imagine your songs without any reverb?
No (smiling). Not really…
So on the 2d album, there will be…
…I hope there will be reverb, yeah (laughing)!
On Youtube, there is a version of It’s all good that comes to an abrupt end, like it’s unfinished or something…
Maybe it was unfinished. I can’t remember… I can’t remember how it finishes…
Did you totally miss the end of the song?
I don’t know that. That’s a good question. But, really, I can’t remember that. Sorry…
Will Tiger Blood be part of the 2d album?
No, no. Tiger Blood is going to be in between the 2 albums. It is going to be all our new songs on the 2d record. We’re gonna start playing a few of them on our next tour, but not tonight (smiling)…
Too bad… Speaking of Tiger Blood, how was the meeting with Albert Hammond Jr.?
Well, that was very good because we grew up as massive Strokes fans and it’s a good sort of experience really. You know, to make music with someone you really respect and also to make music with someone who’s creative as a musician. I think we really want to work with someone who’s creative on the next record because it’s like there’s an extra-member of the band. He can help you visualize the songs in a way you wouldn’t necessarily imagine it…
Did you ask him or…
Other way around. We heard that he liked our stuff, he offered and we said ‘Okay, let’s do it’!
What kind of changes can we expect for your 2d record?
I think we’ll write songs more together. Maybe we’ll expand our ideas more, not kind of linear. It will be interesting sonically.
What about the themes of the lyrics?
I think the lyrics will change as well because it’s very much a way you are in your life at that moment, you know…
What is your favourite current band?
What’s my favourite current band? Well, that’s a good question…
The Drums?
Yeah, no… No, I like them but I don’t really listen to them. I really like Tame Impala, they’re good. They’re very good!
During your gigs, you never really improvise. For instance, you make the intro of ‘If you wanna’ a bit longer, but nothing more. So, do you have the exact same rigid set?
Well, I mean, to be honest, we like the idea of the songs being very simple. So we never really improvise. Sometimes we’re like ‘Oh, let’s play this song instead’. But I like the idea of presenting the songs as people know them. I think it’s better for everyone.
We couldn’t agree more! Are you gonna do any covers tonight?
No, not tonight. We often do The Standells’ Good guys don’t wear white, but I don’t think we’re going to do it tonight…
Okay. Well, that’s all. Thanks for your time!
Okay, cool. Cheers mate!
Le concert est d’une efficacité remarquable: simple, concis et bref! Du Blow it up d’ouverture au final Norgaard, les Vaccines sont parfaitement calés. Tous leurs titres font danser le public, mention spéciale au brûlot pop-punk Wreckin’ Bar et au désormais classique Post Break-Up Sex, joué pour une fois à une vitesse raisonnable.
Justin, qui a subi trois opérations des cordes vocales depuis les débuts du groupe en 2010, a retrouvé sa voix de stentor : il chante avec puissance les refrains fédérateurs de Wetsuit et All in White, repris en chœur par l’audience. Le guitariste Freddie Cowan adopte des poses de rocker à la Mick Jones : qu’il caresse ses cordes ou qu’il maltraite son vibrato, son jeu est bien réglé et va droit au but.
Justin nous l’avait dit plus tôt, pas de reprise ce soir. Au final, le groupe joue l’intégralité de son album, plus son dernier single Tiger Blood et un We’re Happening d’anthologie !
Interview réalisée en collaboration avec Jim Calamel
Très bon groupe, certinement LE group de l’année xxxD