VILIFY

Answered by Amy McIntosh

Q1. Could you please give our readers a little backstory on the band in case they’re not familiar with you, such as when you formed, where you’re from, your sound, etc.?

Vilify formed in 2020 ish during the Covid period. We are from Newcastle Australia and all met through our previous bands and projects. The classic.

We try not to pigeon hole ourselves in terms of sound but we try to write heavy but fun Metalcore that we ourselves would love to listen to.

Q2. What made you want to start a band and pursue making music? I am always fascinated by what drives people.

I have always loved music. My grandmother got me into the school band at around 7 years old.

As for this sort of music and band. I sort of just progressed into it. I originally just played guitar at home and didn’t think much of it. I started going to shows, I then ever for a while was booking shows. I filled in for a few bands and one fill in turned into me joining on guitar.

As for what made us want to start Vilify specifically. It was more about expression. Our drummer Kieran and I were in a band together before it and it just wasn’t serving us anymore. We wanted a fresh start but knew we wanted it to be together. We grabbed our friend Deni and away we went! These days it's still about expression but there is a very large focus on putting on a KILLER live show.

Q3. What are some of the primary influences of Vilify?

The influences for Vilify I feel are ever changing. From the first EP and foundations it would have to be the likes of Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, that sort of thing. These days we are all massive Spiritbox, Sleep Token, Alpha Wolf sweaters just like everyone else haha.

Q4. The single “Dread Addict” was released in October. Can you talk to us about its sound and lyrical content, and also how they are reflected in the music video?

Dread addict sticks with the big riffs, strong beats and electronic elements vibe we have been going with but turns all elements to 11. It’s the most sonically exciting song for us so far as it has so much going on!

Lyrically the song is about feeling overwhelming dread for no reason. So you manifest reasons to feel that way. You feel dread and sadness so you start to act in ways that manifest dread and sadness. It becomes a cycle of feeling bad, so you do bad to justify feeling bad. The video ties in as the dread is that balloon. The actor can’t escape it. It’s always there. Not always at the front of your mind, but always there. The idea is that it's super normal to feel that way. Almost everyone does at some point. It’s just about how you handle it and ridding yourself of that negativity in healthy ways.

Q5. You released two other singles earlier this year. Tell us about them.

We also released “Take the Pill” and “From the Inside”.

“Take the Pill” follows a pretty common theme of mental health and adversity that we explore a lot in Vilify and flips it on its head. It’s about feeling better. It’s not about sadness, it's about the process of recovery. One of my personal favorites purely because every time we play it I get a reminder of where I have been and where I am not and it makes me super happy.

“From the Inside” is a bit different compared to our normal subject matter. Being very direct it's about homophobia. It’s about people you think you know and how internalized homophobia might still haunt them.

All tracks from 2023 have a similar vibe and feel about them. The elements used tie in super nicely. In retrospect we should have made them an EP haha.

Q6. You mentioned recovery; one of the central themes of this site is that of recovery and self-empowerment and -improvement, of making the courageous and difficult choice to face our "monsters" in spite of fear or doubt. Can you go into a little more detail about what that process was like for you and how you were able to get to a better place in life?

Seeking help is always the hardest part but in my experience it helps almost the most.

Eating well, moving more, not being afraid of medication.

The basics do wonders.

I still find myself biting off more than I can chew and stressing myself half to death about things I can't control. But for me, now, if I know I've had a good sleep, a good meal and have done something physical in the day, everything else will work out.

I needed to learn: I may not always feel great and things may not ever turn out how I was expecting but if I have done everything to be the best me that day. I will be sweet.

It wasn't always that simple. I've had my share of time with Drs and in hospitals. At those super low periods in my life the idea of eating well and sleeping was the last thing on my mind. That's when asking for help and building a support network around me was the most important.

I don't think anyone fully has it worked out but I know I am in a better place now than I have been, even if it's not perfect but I am proud of my journey and proud of my willingness to keep trying. 🙂

Q7. If you had to highlight one song as “quintessential Vilify,” what would it be and why?

I know it's lame but I think the Quintessential Vilify song would have to be “Dread Addict” our most recent single. It’s the perfect mix of the big riffs we love but with all the experimentation we are becoming very familiar with. It has some groove and some fun parts just how we like it but then as many break your neck riffs that will fit into 3 and a half minutes.

Q8. How has your sound evolved from the beginning of the band to now? Are there any directions you foresee yourselves exploring or think you might want to explore as you move forward?

Like I said I think our earlier sound was rawer similar to that ETID influence we were listening to. More guitar heavy dominant and a bit dirtier. We wanted it to sound organic as that’s how it felt. The last few tracks have been more polished with more electronic elements. We just liked the idea of exploring and developing and that’s what came out. However, the music we are writing tracking now steps back a little from the electronic elements and focus on super heavy, strong riffing and banger tone. We are very excited to show you all.

Q9. What are Vilify’s plans for the near future?

So much writing it makes my brain hurt and so much performing it makes my body hurt.

We just want to write more, perform more until we fall apart. It’s what we love.