News

Hey Vanity Frontman Marc Halls Announces New Solo Record

• 27th May 2015

With his day job as the front man of Essex rockers Hey Vanity now on hiatus, singer/songwriter Marc Halls has announced he will be keeping a hand on the musical tiller with the release of a new solo EP titled ‘Bittersweet Memories’ on 13th July 2015.

In support of the release, he’ll be appearing on the Jagermeister stage at this year’s Field Day festival, before a short run of headline shows in June.

“Late last year I went through a bit of a strange phase” he explains of the new material “For the first time in years I had no real musical plans; no tours, no release, I was uninspired to do anything musical at all. I started focusing pretty much all my attention on negativity, sitting around all day watching upsetting documentaries and getting bitter at the state of the world. It put things in perspective and made me realise that I’ve spent way too much time stressing over my ‘musical career’ as if it were anything but something I just love to do.”

Whilst nods to his rock heroes in bands like Reuben, Coheed & Cambria and City & Colour are still looming large, Hall’s new material contains a big helping of country, folk and blues inspiration from songwriting greats like Loudon Wainwright iii, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell. The result is a folk-infused, blue-collar heart-on-sleeve offering that has more in common with contemporaries like Frank Turner, Dave Hause and Rob Lynch.

“After a well-needed kick up the arse from a close friend I started writing again and these songs were suddenly pouring out of me, everything I wrote seemed to be about the bands I’ve been in, friendships and relationships I’ve formed & lost, and most of all, how much I regret taking it all too seriously. ‘Bittersweet Memories’ was the result. It’s the most honest, D.I.Y recording I’ve ever released, I recorded and mixed everything in my ‘Man Cave’ (garden shed) using only whatever I had in there. I even restrung my first ever guitar for the first time in 10 years (£30 acoustic from Argos) and recorded two of the tracks with that, turns out it sounds awesome! This EP is a very simple, stripped back piece of work (and my next release is going to be bigger and louder), but this is just what I wanted it to be.”

‘Bittersweet Memories’ is released 13th July 2015.

Stream new track ‘Playground Swings’ here:

UK Tour Dates:

6th June – Field Day – London
7th June – Field Day – London
12th June – The Worlds End – Brighton
15th June – Buskers – Eastbourne
24th June – The Fleeting Arms – York