Earlier this month, we shared Teenage Vertigo’s latest single ‘Kasey’, and it’s been on repeat in our office ever since.
A stirring ambient cut that delivers melancholic guitars and powerhouse vocals, the indie rock ballad outlined a new, slower-going sound for the Perth six-piece.
“We began experimenting with a more complex and mature sound to our songwriting,” Teenage Vertigo tell us of the impetus behind ‘Kasey’ and their new direction.
Below, the band swing by for a wide-ranging chat about ‘Kasey’, collaboration, and their desire to “create a space where both ideas and criticism can be expressed.”
Catch our full interview with Teenage Vertigo below, and scroll down to listen to their single ‘Kasey’.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Finishing off 2023 with a total of 41 gigs played, we’ve decided to take a step back this year to build our sound, write more music, and plan a number of new and upcoming projects set to hit the limelight later this year.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you live, what do you love about it?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: All born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, we began to kick off playing gigs in our hometown Fremantle.
The thing we all love most about living in WA is this feeling of connection to the nature, community, culture and environment that surrounds us. A nice walk down at our beautiful beaches on a sunny day isn’t too bad as well!
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HAPPY: Your new single ‘Kasey’ explores a slower, more ambient sound. What inspired this shift in direction, and how do you see your sound evolving in the future?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Kasey took more of a deep and meaningful turn in the writing process. Towards the end of 2023, we began experimenting with a more complex and mature sound to our songwriting.
After being a band for over 3 years now, writing inspiration has branched from our life events, admiration of our peers, and the life exposure we experience more and more everyday as young growing adults.
HAPPY: The lyrics on ‘Kasey’ are deeply personal and poetic. Can you talk about the story behind the song and how you approach writing about difficult experiences?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Without giving too much away Kasey is inspired by a person from one of our band members past attached to but they weren’t the right person which led to heartbreak and the ultimate decision to let them go no matter how much it hurt.
To put it bluntly, the result of a trashy situationship. As cliché as it sounds, songwriting is a deeply personal and meaningful way I like to express my thoughts and feelings and tell stories.
The song Kasey was written to be interpreted beyond the cliché heartbreak anthem you hear about. Kasey is inspired by the concept of learning to let go and move on from something or someone that may be holding you back.
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HAPPY: Aliyah Portinha’s vocals on ‘Kasey’ are stunning. How do you work together as a band to craft vocal performances that showcase your strengths?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Often when forming new ideas for new songs, the vocals will often stem from a key instrumental or vocal melody that fits well with the work in progress piece.
The lead vocal melody, harmonies, dynamics and tempo depends on the mood and storyline that is built during the songwriting process.
For instance, the slurred vocal placement was a deliberate choice that complemented the steady light strumming instrumentation.
With a song like Kasey, which explores feelings of remorse and reflection, the vocals were manipulated to work hand in hand with the instrumentation to embody this ambient, gloomy atmosphere we were trying to create.
Although we are known for our fun, groovy and hard hitting indie sound, a song like Kasey has really helped bring forth different aspects of Aliyah’s musical theatre training and technique in which began her singing career.
HAPPY: Who are some of your biggest influences, and how do you incorporate those influences into your music?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Artists and bands such as Little Guilt, Loathe and Karnivool have really inspired the ambient, calm, heartfelt anthem we were hoping to achieve with Kasey.
John Mayer influenced the instrumental lines of the piece, resembling the gentle and emotional drive in his music.
The dominance of the bass line and the laid-back tempo paired with the consistently fluctuating dynamics of the piece help reciprocate this emotional build-up, connecting with the lyrics’ emotional progression.
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HAPPY: As a six-piece band, how do you work together to create a cohesive sound and vision? Do you have any unique collaborative processes?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Often, when it comes to songwriting, a member will bring in an idea that they want to play around with.
Some days, something as simple as a jam sesh will turn into the melody or lyrics of a song that we start to form and collectively work on. Whether that’s a riff, progression, vocal melody or simply a story idea, we’ll build on to create our vision.
HAPPY: How does being from Perth influence your music and artistic perspective? Do you feel like your surroundings shape your sound?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: We definitely think our family and friends play a huge role in influencing our sound. The people we choose to surround ourselves with are often connected to indie music in some way.
Whether it is that they perform in the indie music scene or simply just enjoy listening to it, the people we love and care about the most support and encourage the sound we are exploring.
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HAPPY: How important is creative freedom to you as a band, and how do you maintain that freedom in your work?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Creative freedom often begins with an idea. Openness to new ideas can come from any of us.
Whether the initial idea feels right or wrong, we stick with it and build around to make it work. Our goal as a band is to create a space where both ideas and criticism can be expressed, helping encourage a free-flowing song writing experience.
HAPPY: You mentioned plans to release new music soon. Can you give us any hints about what’s next for Teenage Vertigo?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: If you have been to any of our shows, the next upcoming releases will certainly sound familiar.
As a sneaky little clue for those who may know, Teenage Vertigo’s first ever written song as a band is set to be one of our next releases.
Quickly creeping into 2025, expect to hear an overload of new music and some cheeky little surprise projects we have been hard at work to bring to you all!
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HAPPY: How do you think your music reflects your personal growth and experience as a band, and do you feel like your songs are a reflection of your true selves?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: As mentioned before, our sound along with our age has continued to mature and grow beyond what we ever expected we could create as a band.
With many stories and deeper meanings to tell the world, songs like Kasey were written to inspire, comfort and send out a message to all kinds of people.
Our music reflects life experiences that can be interpreted differently to all people. It is not always the lyrics that create a story behind a song, but simply the way it makes you feel listening to it, putting your own meaning behind the piece.
Whether you are at a show to have a good time, sing along or really truly appreciate the creation of art that is being produced in the Perth scene, we hope to interact and connect with our audience and loyal followers.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
TEENAGE VERTIGO: Spending time with the people we love and the enjoyment we feel seeing familiar faces in a crowd. The best part about being in the Perth music scene is the love, energy and excitement we feel from the crowd.
The joy it brings us to be on stage in front of a crowd who supports us, comes to our gigs, wearing our merch and singing the words to all our songs is truly indescribable.
Despite the current struggles in the Australian music industry, it truly shows you how much a small city like Perth can have so much love and appreciation for beauty that is art!
