Matt Fisher-Vocals/Electrified Guitar/Stories of Old, Eric the Red-Bass, Priceless Toot Sweets-Shuffle Beats/Sex Appeal, Jesse Aycock-Pedal Steel/Lap Steel/Sliding Electricity/Swagger.
Influences
A Look Further Into the Entire Vandevander Concept: Keep checking for details on parts 2 and 3 of the EP trilogy ("The Great State of Denial" and "The Great State of Redemption") as well as EP 4 and even a feature movie, "The Great State of Vandevander", a modern day fantasy of a 'perfect', self-sufficient, thriving community based on trust and freedom where money has no influence or exsistance and destiny and giftings remain sacred and without manipulation, where liberty and a celebratory lifestyle are motivation enough for sacrifice, and talent and status are perfectly executed into inspiration and support for all. A millenial Garden of Eden yet to face corruption all to be viewed with live accompanied narration from the Vandevander line up.
Sounds Like
"...it's hard to not connect with what may be the most heart-wrenching disc I've heard all year." -Gary Hizer, Urban Tulsa Weekly
Top 6 Albums of the Year:
Vandevander, The Great State of Emotion-- Matt Fisher steps out from the shadow of the Tulsa juggernaut Hero Factor and proves he's not just a guitar player. Recording under the moniker Vandevander, this disc is just what the title implies-pure emotion.
Raw and ragged, The Great State of Emotion is art in music. It rips your heart out and shows it to you, still beating. Perhaps a tad to abstract for some and too intense for others, if you get it, it will tear you apart. If you don't, it will pass you by--and you need to chase after it. G.K. Hizer- Urban Tulsa Weekly
The initial Vandevander release, The Great State of Emotion, is the first of a trilogy of EPs that will tie together to relate the cycle of emotional upheaval, inner turmoil and redemption. According to Fisher, what was supposed to be a down period and time of rest from The Hero Factor has unexpectedly become one of his busiest and most productive seasons.
"I've been doing a lot of writing these days and gotten really into storytelling," Fisher told me recently, while explaining how he came up with the concept of writing and releasing three inter-related EPs over a year and a half.
The series opens with The Great State of Emotion, which is loosely based on a real situation and tells the tale of "me vs. someone else, relationally," as Fisher explained it. Work on the sequel, The Great State of Denial, is already underway and relates Fisher's battle with self, revealing his inner conflict and how he changes as a result of the initial conflict. Although not yet completed, Fisher stated that the second disc is "feeling terribly dark" and will likely include another five songs.
In the final installation of the trilogy, The Great State of Redemption, Fisher addresses acceptance, redemption, putting the past into perspective, learning from it and moving on. While the lyrics are deeply personal, Fisher manages to not only tell his own story, but also express the cycle of the human condition and psyche.
When discussing the trilogy and how it was conceived and writing, Fisher admitted that this is a far cry from how he has written previously.
"In the past, the last thing I'd think of is a title. I'd have to go back and find a theme that ties it all together," he said.
"This," said Fisher, "gives me and outline to write with, a story to tell. And there are no outside influences; I know what I'm going for."
Raw Emotion.
While Fisher did admit that, when writing about situations, he allows himself to embellish for the sake of storytelling, the songs on The Great State of Emotion still bear a realistic feel that makes the record both inspiring and unsettling. "The Getback" opens the tale with an intro of dissonant chords and the haunting lines "It's gonna be hard to talk about/hard to figure out/hard to live without. "Wildcat" moves with the bluesy swagger of a lover on the prowl after the suspicion and deception set in with "1000."
Ultimately, the relationship has been heading downhill, even as the star-crossed couple try to work things out in "The Curse" while Fishers scowls "We're headed on down to redemption town with disaster in the passenger seat" and howls the refrain "Will we get there?"
It's a downward spiral as "The Birth of Death" leads into the hardest hitting song of the set.
The power of the song comes not only from the desperate, angry and yearning tones of the music, but the lyrics as well, as both come together to express the confusion, bitterness, hurt and betrayal of a broken relationship.
"I used to think you were my hero/I thought you had it all together" sings Fisher, before continuing, "but I was there when you lost it/Now I'm just waiting to hear you say/say it's over..."
For anyone who has experienced heartbreak, betrayal or a painful breakup, the effect is similar to ripping your heart out and showing it to you, like the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Even though the songs tell a compelling tale, don't expect the soundtrack to wallow in the story's tears. While the despair and heartache are soundly represented, so are pain, anger and all the other feelings that come with a stormy relationship. With Vandevander, Fisher musically pulls out a firestorm of emotions, creating a sound that not only channels a bit of White Stripes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but also reaches back and takes inspiration from T Rex, Golden Earring, Mott the Hoople, and Led Zeppelin. Perhaps that's Fisher's greatest gift: even when he's turning a corner musically, he is always able to bring a classic tone to his modern sensibilities.
Vandevander's live line-up includes Eric Arndt on bass, Nathan Price on drums, and Jesse Aycock on guitar.
Although Fisher told me he knows many people "just won't get this record," I think he's wrong. Although a few people my not identify with it, it's hard to not connect with what may be the most heart-wrenching disc I've heard all year.
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well mr. mr., fyi, it wasn't a mass comment...it was a special comment just for you...if you notice i didn't ask anyone else if i was going to see them....so get over it...and realize how speashell you are...because if it was a "mass" comment that would be lame.....and that, i am not!!! idiot!
I wrote a short little review y'all on my blog. I would love to hear what you think about it. If you think it sucks let me know and I will work on it. There is also a review of Doug Burr and The Frontier Brothers.
My friend and I are looking forward to hearing you fellas play live at Tiny Lounge this Saturday night. Thank you for booking a show. It will top off our weekend of live music on our mini vacation weekend from Dallas.
we should hang out sometime this week and write all over the walls with a sharpie. just a thought. for some reason the number 23 just keeps hounding me...
