Nashville’s EG Vines has released new single “The Swim.” (listen above) Vines has been compared to the Arctic Monkeys and called one of the best kept secrets in rock.
EG Vines has shared bills with indie-rock artists from Black Joe Lewis, Grace Potter & The Weeks to throwback power-pop staples the Gin Blossoms. With “The Swim,” Vines fuses hook-heavy ’90s alternative with a Strokes-channeling garage fervor, plenty of surfy FIDLARisms (“take me to the ocean, let me drown”) and an undeniable pop-punk sensibility. The song’s pounding drums and catchy melodies all work in support of a carpe-diem narrative about transforming your life, shaking off the anchors of responsible adulthood and taking a reckless shot at your wildest dreams. As the band frames it in their bio…
Get good grades. Go to college. Get a good job. What do you do when you’re tired of doing what you’re supposed to do? You quit. After spending a handful of years messing around in other bands and a few too many hours toiling away in a cubicle, EG Vines did just that, embarking on a full-time music project that was truly personal.
“The powers that be continue to package fear and hate and sell it to us. Well, I’m not buying it anymore,” Vines says. “I’ve seen too many friends fail to pursue their dreams and I want to be proof that it just takes determination to take a leap of faith, no matter your situation.”
Driven by the need to both perpetually create and also process the ills of the world through music, Vines knew he had to do something different. “I wanted to create something that builds community. Recognizing that when we take time to look at the world from new perspectives, we can rise together.”
Channeling the melodic alternative rock of the ’90s paired with the high energy aura of the punk scene, EG Vines brings a lyric-forward offering that is at once captivating and dynamic. He released his first full-length in 2019, “Family Business,” followed by the atmospheric “Through the Mirror” in 2021, which earned attention from NPR, Rolling Stone and Billboard while Vines played 100+ dates from Texas to New England.
Vines continues to explore new sonic territory on upcoming LP, “Dance Moves.” Echoing a wide range of influences from Radiohead, Weezer and Stone Temple Pilots to the sounds and stylings of the 1980s Paisley Underground, Vines’ latest offers an energetic rock sound without lyrical substance.
“On Dance Moves,” Vines experimented with sounds and recording techniques, reveling in the raw artistic freedom, creating alongside bandmates Ben Cunningham and John Rodrigue as the songs developed. Recorded, produced, and mixed by Vines and Cunningham at Birdtooth Labs in East Nashville, the resulting album is a fully-realized vision for Vines.
Vines is gearing up for a big 2023, with festival appearances and headlining shows across the South, Midwest and East Coast.
