Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
We find out all we can about the alt-soul artist ahead of his show at Zerox, Newcastle on Tuesday 3rd October
Photo by Alex Rorison
Who are you and where are you from?
VC Pines, sometimes known as Jack, born, raised and trapped in London.
What is it you do?
I’m an alt-soul artist
How long have you been doing it?
I’ve been performing live music since I was 14, I used to play in pubs, then a band, and started the VC Pines project about 4-5 years ago.
What inspires you?
I get inspiration from loads of places, films, galleries, poetry, but musically, probably the music I grew up on. It was a mix of Soul – Isley Brothers, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye – and Punk – The Stranglers, Iggy Pop, The Damned – Then I started discovering music for myself, and found artists like Outkast and Gorillaz, so I think my music is a culmination of all of those things.
Tell us about your music.
It’s heavily influenced by my epilepsy and synaesthesia. My epilepsy is Temporal Lobe, so it’s very sensory and triggered by or triggers memories. Nostalgia is often the seed that grows into a song, they’re all memories that I’ve delved into or blown up. I like to develop these ideas until the skeleton of a song is there and feeling solid, and then start producing in the studio.
What have you got coming up in the future?
My debut album – MRI – was released on 8th September, and I’ll my UK tour starts on the 12th Sept!
Where can people find out more about you?
Find me @vcpines and see you on tour! X
