The woozy guitar indie-pop band from Newcastle, Australia, Vacations, played a show at the Paper Tiger on April 7, 2022. KRTU Student Intern, Anna Shockley, met up with the band’s vocalist/guitarist, Campbell Burns, for a pre-show interview. Here’s what he had to say:
Anna: How is your tour going so far? Is there anything different about this one than the ones in the past?
Campbell: Yeah pre-pandemic, the tour has been wonderful. It has been amazing! It has been fantastic! Every positive word I can think of off the top of my head. In comparison to past tours, this is the first headline tour we have done in years and the first tour we have done in the U.S, and to such large audiences, which is kind of overwhelming after not playing for so long. For instance we did a show in Pomona, California and that was to 800 people. We have never done anything like that. So that was pretty wild to see. And for instance when we played a song like Telephones, there was a really beautiful moment when everyone got their phones out and put their flashlights on and it was just very beautiful. We have had really wonderful moments like that. We have a really lovely and dedicated fan base here, so it is nice to finally see them. Because for so long, it's just been like numbers on Spotify or Instagram or Tik Tok.
Anna: How would you describe to a stranger, your newest album but also your music in general in terms of tone, lyrics and mood?
Campbell: I don’t know. It's really what you make of it. I don't really know. That’s always such a tricky question to answer because my interpretation is always so different from everyone else's interpretation. I guess that’s a whole artist thing. It's always really funny to hear how other people interpret your music when you hear it. But it's jangly, it's poppy. The last album, Forever in Bloom, which came out two years ago now, is more synths driven, more stadium-esk.
Anna: Who are some artists at the moment, any medium, who are inspiring you today? Who are some who have inspired you in the past?
Campbell: In the past, King Kruel for sure, because that sort of Jazz sound really influenced my guitar playing. Then of course Mac Demarco because of his home recording, DIY ethic which really stood out to me because it made it more realistic to be able to do things at home. You didn’t have to go to a recording studio so much. More recent artists....I really like Nick Ward. He’s a small up and coming Australian artist back home. He is just fantastic! His recent two albums are just kinda eclectic sounds and wonderful very lush production. Dijon, who is a musician from I think California. Really wonderful as well, as just music that surprises me. I'm kinda getting over the whole jazzy chord sort of sound. Trying to explore more interesting textures and pallets for the next couple of releases.
Anna: Do you have any advice for musicians right now that are trying to hit the road. Do you have any advice anyone has given to you in the past that has really stuck with you?
Campbell: People have given me good advice, I can’t remember it, but I swear it's good advice. For other people, just making sure you're doing it for yourself is probably one of the most important things. I feel like in the past, I listened too much to other people's critiques. Maybe what the record label wanted or what people around me wanted, and it wasn’t so much for me. I think that's like paramount, because if you aren’t doing it for you then what’s the point....its a bit sad at that point. That’s the whole thing of navigating your artistry and trying to figure yourself out and what you actually like and what you stand for, what your values and ethics are, what you want to achieve. So consider what you actually want to be doing, because for a long time I was just doing things because I felt like I had to do it. Make sure you're having fun.
Anna: Do you have any songs that you’ve made that really resonate with you?
Campbell: From doing this tour the songs On Your Own, and Actors. They are dancy and upbeat and it's been really fun seeing the crowd get into it a bit more, like dancing and jumping around and just having fun. I know everyone wants to hear songs like Young and Telephones, but they are a bit more downbeat. They create their own magical moments in a way, but it’s fun to just see people moving around. There is a certain energy to it that I quite enjoy.
Anna: When you’re on stage, how do you feel?
Campbell: Awe…I feel great! I feel happy. It’s really wonderful, especially when you've got so many people there who want to see you play. Our music means a lot to them and vice versa. The fans mean a lot to us because they are supporting us and what we do. Which is crazy to even think about. It’s fantastic. I will say it does get a little hard throughout the tour when you play so many shows back to back. We have stayed at a lot of really awful hotels, have had some terrible food, and we are cramped inside a van for hours at a time. My back is cooked at the moment. I am getting really over American coffee as well. Still, you do it for the shows and you do it for the fans and that’s what makes it special.
Anna: Is there anything in particular you want your listeners to walk away with whenever they hear you live?
Campbell: Have a good time. Have a fun time. Have a safe time. I don’t know but I hope they enjoy it.
Check out the full interview + more here: Vacations @ Paper Tiger
Campbell Burns with the band Vacations and Anna Shockley