What happens when you distil the sound of 90’s Britpop legends The Verve, Cast, Stone Roses and Oasis? A hybrid of melody and psychidelia ensues. The sound swaggers and transfixes the listener; it takes them back to the heady days of the UK’s glorious musical past and fills them with anticipation as to where it is rising next. This sound is more than just a ‘time capsule’ of nostalgia however. This sound is reborn, resurgent and alive. This sound is Vida.
Growing from strength to strength since their 2016 release of Fade Away, Vida are becoming well known the length and breadth of the country. Their raucous, boisterous and loyal fan base - who are also known as ‘The Vida Army’ - create an atmosphere unparalleled amongst any other unsigned band in the UK.
Vida formed in Alloa, Clackmannanshire back in January 2013. An upbringing that revolved around music brought together school friends Jamie Pollock (Lead Vocals/Guitar) and Nathan Evans (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), with a mission to create mesmerizing melodies that would rival and surpass their favorite bands from the 90’s Britpop era. Following a few personnel changes during the bands formative years, Vida have now settled with their most consistent and musically talented line up to date which includes Jamie Piggott (Drums/Backing Vocals), Craig Scobbie (Bassist) and Greg Ballantyne (Keyboards)
The culmination of refining and crafting their melodic, anthemic sound saw the 2016 release of “Fade Away”. The release has so far proven to be a pivotal moment for the band, catapulting them from local underground favorites to the UK’s rising stars of a currently resurgent UK indie rock scene.
More hits soon followed with the release of acclaimed EP ‘Masquerade’ which captured Vida in their aforementioned melodic prime. Vida were soon in the eyes and ears of the nation as lead single ‘When I Call’ received its UK debut on Soccer AM. This led to Ocean Colour Scene legend - Steve Craddock - offering to record the bands latest project at his home studio. From this base, Vida crafted fan favourite 'Where We Came From' and the widely loved B-side 'What's Going Around'. With over 200,000 plays and 6,500 monthly listeners that span the globe from London to Sydney, it would be fair to say the releases so far are testament to the bands undoubted reputation for producing quality music.
Demand for gigs across the UK is high marking this year out as the busiest one yet for Vida. 2017 got off to a flyer as The Sherlocks requested they be the main support for their Scottish dates of their debut UK Tour. This Feeling then offered Vida their own UK tour that saw them make their London debut and play gigs in Birmingham, Manchester, Dunfermline and Glasgow in front of packed audiences. Vida have also successfully played - and drawn huge crowds - at this year's Isle of Wight and Reading & Leeds Festivals.
A special mention has to go to the bands career highlight at Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival. Here ‘The Vida Army’- at a capacity This Feeling Jack Rocks Tent - lived up to their exuberant reputation. Bouncing from start to finish the capacity crowd chanted each line word for word back to the band on stage creating an animated and colourful atmosphere. Gigwise lavished praise on the performance describing the scene as “like a football-terrace crowd, the kind you would see at a Courteeners or Oasis gig, with moshpits, rowdy lads and flags held aloft as fountains of beer constantly arc the air. Whatever this band are doing, they’re doing it right”.
Vida will still be touring around the UK for the remainder of 2017 with pretty much every weekend booked up to see the year out. If you have not yet seen this band - tipped for great things by music pundits from This Feeling, Clash Magazine, The Scottish Sun and Gigslutz - then what on earth are you waiting for.
Most Notable Successes: • Following the release of debut single 'Fade Away' in May 2016 successes include: Achieving over 200,000 plays on Spotify • Playing to a capacity Jack Rocks Tent at TRNSMT Festival • ‘When I call’ the lead single from • ‘Masquerade EP’ receives UK debut on Soccer AM • Recording with Ocean Colour Scene icon Steve Cradock • Radio X Track of the Week with 'Where We Came From' • Radio X airplay for Pete's Picks (Peter Crouch) with 'Fade Away’ • Headline act for a This Feeling UK tour with dates in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Dunfermline and Glasgow • Main support for The Sherlocks UK tour in Scotland and the North East of England • Playing and invited to major UK Festivals such as Isle of Wight Festival, Y Not Festival TRNSMT and Reading & Leeds Festival.
Key Quotes: • "This is like a football-terrace crowd, the kind you would see at a Courteeners or Oasis gig, with moshpits, rowdy lads and flags held aloft as fountains of beer constantly arc the air. Whatever this band are doing, they’re doing it right" - Gigwise • "Make no mistake Vida wear their influences loud and proud but this is no Oasis/Ocean Colour Scene tribute act, these boys are the real deal." - Gigslutz • "Having just toured with The Sherlocks and a Steve Cradock produced single due to drop over the summer, these boys are undoubtedly ones to watch" - Clash
Links: • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/09nDm4EPCbS9Mkh6NlOhT2 • Facebook - www.facebook.com/wearevida • Twitter - www.twitter.com/wearevida • Instagram - www.instagram.com/wearevidaofficial • Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/VidaBandOfficial