VACATIONS
step up with
‘Panache’

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“On Unearthed, triple j staff and users alike were falling in love with the jangly, irresistible, feel-good blend of indie rock, jazz and shoegaze that VACATIONS were serving up on the regular.” – triple j Unearthed

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With news that their long-awaited second album, Forever In Bloom will be out this September, Newcastle quartet Vacations have readied their next single ‘Panache’ which is due for release on July 10th, 2020.

While their previous single ‘Lavender’ was an affirmation of self-belief, ‘Panache’ manifests as the line in the sand where the band’s artistic endeavour takes its next bold step. Hooky from the get go, ‘Panache’ – with production once again care of Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson – hitches itself to the mast of a strutting bass groove that sets sail toward Vacations’ most radio friendly chorus yet.

Doubling down on Campbell Burns’ plangent delivery, Sarah Sykes from Sydney band Sunscreen brings an ethereal air to the proceedings with a sweet vocal collab delivering ‘Panache’ to what is the highest watermark of their creative tide thus far.

Musing on the creation and capture of the track Burns shares, “Panache was a wild card for the album, and it almost never happened. That song originally existed as one of the first demos, but it was a more up-tempo, guitar-focused track that was similar to ‘On Your Own’. I enjoyed some parts of it, but I left it to the side as we made stronger progress with writing and pre-production for the rest of the album. Jake saw potential in it though would bring it up now and then, he wanted it to make the cut somehow so I figured I’d at least revisit it.”

This idea of revision saw Burn’s rewrite ‘Panache’ just in time to take it into the final sessions for the album. “I sat down with it again one afternoon and re-wrote it entirely in one sitting, only a few weeks before we were about to go into the studio! It was such a rush writing it, it completely threw me off guard. I knew I wanted to have guest features for the track too as it was coming together, a first for us, which only added to the risqué nature of something we’d never played as a group before, and that came together at the last minute. But it felt good! It was fun and different, so why not.”

Contemplating how the track came together in the studio Burns shares, “There was so much energy and excitement around the track once we were in the studio, so many ideas were bouncing back and forth. I’m grateful for everyone being so on board for such a wild ride and having so much fun doing it too. It was an extremely collaborative team effort. I don’t think anyone is expecting a track like this from us.”

Panache also features fellow Novocastrians Craterface and teddie along with the aforementioned Sykes. Burns adding that he always envisioned inviting collaboration on the track. “I had Sarah Sykes and Craterface in mind for this track and as soon as they came into the studio, the entire song started to come together. Having Oscar on production duty really helped solidify that initial groove too while adding new elements. There’s saxophone from Teleah (teddie) throughout which I adore as well.”

Forever In Bloom, the band’s second full-length record is slated for release on the 18th of September this year and is the culmination 12 months hard work, defining and refining the band’s guitar pop blueprint. For Vacations the process has been both illuminating and edifying, lighting the way forward and making good on the promise made to each other that Vacations was indeed a project worth fighting for.

Vacations now find themselves poised, ready to reap the positive momentum both the new single “Panache” and the album Forever In Bloom will have on the band’s steadily growing local fan base and huge contingent of international followers.

Vacations ‘Panache’ is out July 10th through Believe

Pre-order Vacations Forever In Bloom here

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AMNPLIFY – DB