Vega Rally - Back At It Again

West Yorkshire-born songwriter, guitarist, and producer extraordinaire Vega Rally is back with a new EP his new EP, ‘This Moment’ at midnight. We have heard the track ‘Back At It Again’ courtesy of This Feeling. Banner image courtesy of Debbie Ellis Photography.

Rally’s guitars root themselves in the baggy mod beauty of The Charlatans’ ‘Some Friendly’ and ‘Between 10th & 11th’. The guitar lines are so pure your soul will cleanse itself by the midpoint. Accompanying the crisp, meandering guitar lines is a career-best vocal. Effortlessly gliding from the softer early Burgess cuteness to the smoky drag of Ian Brown’s debut ‘Unfinished Monkey Business’.

Everything culminates with a piano loop to soundtrack any life worth living. Rally taps into what set hearts racing back in ‘88 and redefines what they can be. His slower groove allows something more eloquent to emerge, conjuring images of young souls innocently entering a world they grew up with. His playing pushes on, allowing said characters to crystalise their dreams.

Rally’s grooves have been eye-catching to date. They’ve gone to a place that no one can deny now. Emotively brilliant! ‘Back At It Again’ is out at midnight, check back tomorrow to listen.

Vega Rally: This Feeling Stage, Truck Festival

Singer, songwriter, producer, one man band extraordinaire Vega Rally played This Feeling’s stage at Truck Festival last Thursday and we were there to check him out. Images courtesy of Alan Wells.

The sight of one man, a laptop, and a green-striped Adidas guitar seemed to perplex a few initially but, once the booming beats and ‘Waterfall-esque’ guitars of ‘Infinity 93’ chime, his charm and self-belief infect the room. ‘This Moment’ took it to yet another level. The heartfelt melody began to soar across the Oxfordshire skies as Rally really began to cut loose.

To date, part of Rally’s appeal has been his remixes. Pastel’s ‘Deeper Than Holy’ and Marseille’s ‘Jungle’ have added extra dimensions to two of the UK’s hottest prospects. On set closer ‘Feel Alive’, the dynamism and swagger he’s shared with his peers come together for himself via the heart of Wilkinson and subtle nods to the early 90s rave scene.

Click the image below to see Vega Rally headline for this year's Humber Street Sesh:

Afflecks Palace: Islington Assembly Hall

 Afflecks Palace, although headlining, were dealt a tough hand by label mates Pastel. So stark was Pastels’ performance, Afflecks had to work overtime to whip the crowd back up. Hard work is what Afflecks Palace lives for though. Running the label Spirit of Spike Island, producing records, writing records, artwork, and designing merch. They must be the hardest-working band in the UK!

Images courtesy of the Adrian Lee.

What might have taken some bands half a set to recover, they did by track three ‘Spinner’. The paisley guitars were drenched in floral glory. As sweat and booze fell to the floor, souls were released into a kaleidoscope of bliss.  

‘We Can Be The Avalanche’ went up a notch from the album. Pete Darling’s basslines darker and broodier alongside Pete Redshaw’s devastatingly destructive drumming took their clarion call to dizzying new heights!

In James Fender, the band has the humble icon the UK scene has sorely missed for some time. Fender looks like us, dances like us, and he is here to save us all! Proving to the world men in bucket hats are full of love and not to be avoided, he danced like it was 1988 apace with his ethereal baggy vocals. Watching him effortlessly groove across the stage to the sun-drenched ‘Pink Skies’ or explode into life on ‘Calling All Cars’ was nothing short of poetic.

With new songs ‘I’m So Glad You’re On Ecstasy’ and ‘Big Fish Small Pond’ sounding equally as dynamic, the future looks incredibly bright.