The Act: VC PINES

The Releases:
‘BONES’
'BONES' (PIANO VERSION)

The Format: DIGISINGLE

The Release Date: OUT NOW

The Digital Links:
orcd.co/vcpines_bones
orcd.co/vcpines_bones_piano

The Gigs: fresh from playing a frankly mental show at the Sebright Arms in Hackney for Jack Saunders' Hopscotch night in the company of Inhaler, Whenyoung and Blossoms(!!?) VC Pines next pines for these venues here:

28th January - London Hoxton Colours
Lunacincos Festival presents Abbie McCarthy's Good Karma Club w/ Alfie Templeman + Olivia Dean
1st April – Brighton Prince Albert
2nd April - London Bridge Omeara
16th April – Leeds Oporto
24th April – Bristol Crofters Rights

The Truth: ‘Bones’ is the new single from VC PINES, aka Jack Mercer, a man who once fronted indierock combo The Carnabys but who now creates his own carnival of noise which embraces alternative soul, poetry and punk performance. 'Bones' was released on October 16th and his first release since the casually hectic success of the ‘Indigo’ EP on fierce panda back in the spring when the VC Pines big bold band played sold out shows at The Lexington and The Great Escape.

The original release of 'Bones' was joined by a special chilled out piano version on December 6th,a month of months which saw VC Pines record a BBC session at Maida Vale, get daytime airplay on Radio One as BBC Introducing track of the week AND be anointed one of their acts for 2020.

Much like early single releases ‘Garden Of The Year’ (a Steve Lamacq Livener and 6Music playlist smash in late ‘18) and January’s slinky ‘Vixen’ (itself a Jack Saunders fave on Radio One earlier in 2019), ‘Bones’ finds VC Pines in vivaciously playful soulful mode, albeit with a shadowy undercurrent, as Jack explains:

“Bones was inspired by the film ‘Onibaba’, a vintage Japanese film with themes of war, romance, famine and death. The protagonist of the film becomes a stalker in the name of love due to such desperate times as a way of survival and this is something I wanted to explore: to get in the mind-set of someone with such infatuation that they become obsessive. ‘Bones’ is written from within the mind-set of a teenage stalker in present day.”

Rather excellently 'Bones' is the first track from VC Pines' second EP, slated for release early 2020 and slammed full of sinewy soulful vibes. There's a colour-coded theme to the whole entertainment-packed enterprise as well, as Jack explores his synaesthesia in the studio:

"I found out what synaesthesia was during a lecture at music college, when the lecturer seemed to be describing how my brain worked. I always thought that that’s how everyone saw the world and that various senses were triggered by certain things and that’s just how we lived. Then when I realised that wasn’t the case, and that I had something different, I started to use it as a tool. I still think it must have something to do with my epilepsy.

"Since then I’ve always used my synaesthesia, particularly chromosthesia to write songs. ‘Bones’ as a whole song for example is orange in colour in my head, with shades of violet/purple to add darker elements in certain areas. The main riff and chorus chords are orange, as are most of the other layers instrumentally such as the majority of verse chords with some purple and blue in there. The keys melody throughout the second verse is also purple, with a blue at the end of the sequence. It all helps me visualise the song whilst writing to create something with that I really feel when playing live on stage. I can see and feel the song as it moves throughout."

VC Pines kicked off his live career with a slew of excellent packed out shows at Notting Hill Arts Club, the Social and the Old Blue Last, where he was backed by a seven-piece band brassed-off to the max. Continuing the uplifting theme earlier this year as part of the glowing ‘Indigo’ campaign VC Pines played a sold out show at the Lexington alongside epic appearances at The Great Escape, Live At Leeds and Stockton Calling before rolling through the summer festival circuit, including slots at All Points East and Reading / Leeds Festival.

“Lovely record!” - Steve Lamacq

“A soft, soul-filled performance shines through melded with wonderfully clean guitars and tight, snappy drums. All of this lies underneath a punky, yet delicate vocal that is complimented with some stunning instrumentation.” - Yack Magazine

“Dynamic, alt-soul musical vibes with soaring vocals to match.” - Headliner Magazine

“A bold and vibrant indie-pop swoon.” - Mystic Sons

“The powerful soul-inspired song is heightened with emotion with the help of VC Pines’ intoxicating vocals.” - Atwood Magazine

“I love the natural soul sounds, the low notes are almost like Johnny Cash.” - Jack Saunders BBC Radio 1 (Next Wave)

www.vcpines.com
www.facebook.com/vcpines
www.fiercepanda.co.uk