NASHVILLE |DT: MAY 5, 2015
FM: AARON FETERL/MIKE GOWEN, MSO PR
 |
THE VANITY
–THE EMERGING AUSTIN-BASED FIVE-PIECE ROCK BAND–
PREMIERE VIDEO FOR “RIVER”
TODAY (5/5) VIA POPMATTERS.COM
TRACK IS LEAD SINGLE OFF DEBUT ‘STRANGERS’ EP
 |
“…there’s no denying that these five guys are a rising talent in Austin’s bourgeoning music scene; things are only looking up for them.”
– POPMATTERS.com, May 5, 2015
Today (5/5), THE VANITY–the emerging Austin, Texas-based five-piece rock band comprised of Alex Dugan (vocals), Mic Vredenburgh (guitar),Matt Sledge (guitar), Augie Gmitter (bass) and David Grayson (drums)–have premiered their video for “River.” It is the lead single off their debut three-song EP STRANGERS,available now on iTunes, Google Play,Amazon and Spotify.
Check out the video premiere on POPMATTERS.com here:http://tinyurl.com/nmzyfla
**YouTube link and embed to video for “River” below**
“In the end we decided to do what we do best–we found a cool spot that we liked and shot it live,” says frontman Alex Dugan. “We set up in the basement of this historic 150-year-old building here in Austin. The basement allegedly used to be where they kept the gold during the Texas Constitution, I’ve also heard it was used to be a brothel in the 1800’s, but now it’s this super awesome Indian restaurant. Austin has such crazy history if you really look hard enough.”
The Texas natives introduce their EP–mixed by Kevin Killen (U2, Bon Jovi, Elvis Costello), produced by Bruce Hughes and mastered by Bob Ludwig–with “River,“ a guitar-heavy feel-good track that has an infectious chorus. It was inspired by “letting loose and just having fun while writing music with each other,” says guitarist Mic Vredenburgh. “Lyrically, I was inspired by a relatively dark moment in my life,” admits Alex Dugan. “I guess you can credit addiction, narcissism and a girl that doesn’t need to be named for that.” Next up, “Cowboy Killer,“ an edgy, guitar-driving up-tempo track embracing band’s outlaw bravado, “has to do with drug running along the Mexican border,” says drummer David Grayson, who adds, “It has a funky driving up-beat tempo that people can dance to.” STRANGERS closes out with “Black & Blue,“ which underlines the band’s ability to craft a mood and deliver a memorable melody with layered guitars.
To coincide with the EP’s release (3/3/15), THE VANITYplayed a string of dates opening for Cold War Kids this past March,followed by a number ofshowcase performances around this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival. Confirmed tour dates for this summer below, with more to be announced soon:
Saturday, June 6 – Houston, TX – Eleanor Tinsley Park (Free Press Summer Festival 2015)
Sunday, June 7 – Houston, TX –Eleanor Tinsley Park (Free Press Summer Festival 2015)
Friday, August 28 – San Marcos, TX – Float Fest
 |
THE VANITY (L-R): Augie Gmitter, Mic Vredenburgh, Matt Sledge, David Grayson and Alex Dugan
Here’s a sample of the praise THE VANITY has received so far:
“…the EP is full of memorable, guitar-driven melodies laced with the frontman’s powerful vocals.”
–Chuck Armstong, DIFFUSER.FM, March 2, 2015
“First up was Austin’s the Vanity, who showed off a driving, highly polished rock sound that called to mind Rick Springfield jamming with Sunny Day Real Estate. Their tunes were tight and professionally crafted, warming up the crowd nicely with their pleasant kineticism.”
–Nathan Smith, HOUSTONPRESS.COM, (Houston, TX), March 6, 2015
“…The Vanity have that old school Austin sound of bluesy rock coupled with indie pop elements that create a whole new sound that’s all their own… As you can tell, if you were going to have an Austin act on the festival [Free Press Summer Festival], these guys are a great one to include…they should impress everyone when they perform, and make new fans as well as delight old fans. Catch them at this year’s festival while you can, because it seems like they’re going to get bigger and bigger with each passing year.”
–David Garrick,FREEPRESSHOUSTON.COM, April 27, 2015
“The three tracks from the EP, ‘River,’ ‘Cowboy Killer,’ and ‘Black & Blue,’ all soar with youthful exuberance and excitement, led by singer Alex Dugan’s powerful, gritty croon and the tight, kinetic guitar playing of Mic Vrendenburg and Matt Sledge. Bassist Augie Gmitter and drummer David Grayson provide an unshakeable alt-rock rhythm section on which the songs hinge for intensity, particularly through Grayson’s precise bursts of sound and energy. On Strangers, the Vanity’s greatest strengths aren’t their inventive melodies, of which they have plenty, or their intelligent approach to dynamics, which the twin guitar players seem to have college degrees in. It isn’t even the band’s ability to create clever lyrical landscapes atop buoyant and outright fun music, which is how you could describe each track. On Strangers, the Vanity’s greatest strength is how they employ a great deal of restraint, and it works wildly to their advantage… Strangers is a confident debut that feels longer than its three tracks.”
–Scott Ruggles, AMPKICKER.COM, April 23, 2015
“…local young rock outfit the Vanity, who formed in early 2014 and just released debut EP Strangers, embraced a full array of lighting. The result was a visibly high-energy performance with a hugely dynamic rock sound (think Because of the Times-era Kings of Leon) that’s still a little rough around the edges, but likely to snag headliner status after a couple more years of refinement.”
–David Hall, READTHEHORN.COM(Austin, TX), March 11, 2015
“Austin locals The Vanity opened the show with a rocking punch. Vocalist Alex Dugan was a crowd entertainer, passionately yelling and jumping around. Between their alternative rock sound and their entertaining performance, it was clear that these guys have the potential to go far.”
–Jenna Million, POPPUNKPLEASE.COM, March 8, 2015
“To describe The Vanity one could imagine if James Dean were frontman in a punk and southern infused alternative rock band. . .Not only was their stage presence impeccable, but the tunes that these guys are putting out are outstanding. They just recently dropped their first EP, ‘Strangers’. The young band was a fantastic opener and absolutely showed that they have the potential to grow their fan base.”
–Faye Fetters, THROUGHTHELENSMAGAZINE.COM, March 8, 2015
For more information on THE VANITY, visit:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud
YouTube link to video for “River” here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yKSSkHUUj4&feature=youtu.be
Embed here:<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/3yKSSkHUUj4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
###
For press inquiries, contact MSO PR:
Aaron Feterl │aaron@msopr.com
Mike Gowen │ mgowen@msopr.com
