Crave is proud to premiere the new Vandella EP Strange Calls, an indie-rocking heart-folk cut of Americana that finds a sunshine brightness of spirit between the male + female duo of vocalist Tracey Holland and guitarist Chris Tye.
Holland and Tye began their journey as songwriting partners nearly a decade ago, eventually planting roots in San Francisco in 2009 to form Vandella. Since then, they’ve cultivated an earnest 70s-era sound that shines through Strange Calls, perfect for the majestic drive through Big Sur on the ocean-hugging cliffs of the Pacific Coast Highway on a clear Summer day. A little bit Neko Case, a dash of Jenny Lewis and a whole lotta alt-country flirtation make for great-mood music, more necessary than ever in the wild chaos of the world today.
“Strange Calls is, in broad strokes, about friendship,” the duo tell Crave of the energy behind Strange Calls, out April 29. “When you dig a little more into it, though, it’s really about the exploration of the very nuanced world of longterm friendship: grey-area friendships that don’t fit into a perfect category or box, friendship in the midst of pursuing each person’s very real and raw dreams together, and all the high highs and low lows of hitching your wagon to another person’s.”
They continue: “I guess that can be found in any relationship, whether platonic, romantic, familial, what have you. There’s a lot of strength that comes with being in a band and chugging at it together for a while, but it also comes with vulnerability, sacrifices, personal dramas and questioning. I think the beautiful thing about artists and commitment to one another as collaborators, is the act of questioning and then re-committing, over and over and over again. Continuing to show up and show yourself, even if one of you had a meltdown the night before or one feels like they’re pulling all the weight, and saying, ‘Okay, let’s tether back up to each other again,’ is kind of scary but also really special. These songs are largely about that journey you take together, which ain’t always pretty or idyllic, but it is potent and specific and that’s worth a lot. “
Listen to Strange Calls below, exclusively on Crave:
Order Strange Calls on Bandcamp. The band will celebrate the release of Strange Calls on Thursday, April 28th at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco with Lower Brite and We Arsons. Details and more show info:
- April 28th // San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
- July 21st // Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
- September 15th // San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Keep up with Vandella at the following Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
