Not long ago Vander And The People released Victorious, a high-energy ode to anyone who’s ever clambered out of a dark moment in life. It’s the solo project of William Vandermade aka Vander, a Sydney-based solo artist calling back to raw, ’80s power pop glory.
A little before the single dropped, we spoke to Vander about Victorious, what it meant to him, and the ever-looming live show.
Get your ears around Victorious, the gloriously uplifting new single from Sydney solo act Vander And The People.
HAPPY: Hey, how are things? What are you up to at the moment?
VANDER: It’s been an exhilarating time! I’ve spent the last few months working up to the release of my next single Victorious, and now for the next few months, I’ll be preparing my solo live show!
HAPPY: For those who aren’t across Vander And The People, what’s the elevator pitch?
VANDER: Vander And The People is a project that reinvigorates ’80s Nu-Wave by merging retro synths with modern alternative elements. Imagine if Depeche Mode had a baby boy with Bastille and Simple Minds had a baby girl with Imagine Dragons, and then those babies grew up and had a baby together. That baby would be Vander And The People…except perhaps cuter.
HAPPY: You’re about to release Victorious. Can you tell us a bit about what this song is about? Was there a goal or event you had in mind when writing the song?
VANDER: Victorious came out of a recent dark moment in my life, while I was in Los Angeles. I think everyone goes through a time when no matter how much they try to make things happen for them or push forward towards a dream, they feel like they are going nowhere; that nothing is happening for them. During this time, I had to remember to push through it. I wrote this song as a memento that success seems to always come after the moment you’re ready to give up, and I hope this song becomes a similar memento to anyone who needs it.
HAPPY: How do you compare Victorious to your previous single Inflict Me?
VANDER: I always write a song with the meaning first. What do I want to say to someone? What’s the story? The goal with Inflict Me was to write something that was really intimate and confronting because I hadn’t ever written a song like that before. It was a great opportunity as writer to push the boundaries on my own comfort zone, as well as (hopefully) the listener’s.
Victorious came from a personal experience that I needed to write about, so it came from a different place; a different mindset. I knew too that it would mean something different to my fans too, because I wasn’t ever going to be the only person that would need a lift off the ground when they are down.
HAPPY: Your videos are pretty awesome. Will you be producing another for the new single?
VANDER: I just released a music video for Inflict Me, which you can watch on my Facebook or YouTube pages, and a video for Victorious is already in the works! We’re currently in the pre-production stage, finalising the script and story. We’ll be aiming to have the video completed at the end of the month!
HAPPY: Are these two recent singles the sign of a bigger release to come?
VANDER: For the time being, I’m only focusing on single releases. I find it more exciting because I can constantly release new music, and fans don’t have to wait months for new music and content. That’s the thing about music in this day and age… artists can really go anywhere with their releases. It used to be that you’d release the first single, then line up the album with the release of the second single, and if there’s still heat, release a third single, but it’s really dealer’s choice now.
HAPPY: Any live shows planned?
VANDER: I am working hard in putting together my new live solo show before hitting the Sydney scene later this year! Stay tuned for dates! There will be hair colour, keytars, lights, drama, excitement and hopefully good music!
HAPPY: Thanks for the chat!
Victorious is out now.
