Interview: Vinted Vineer Chat About Their New Album, ‘Tobi Yume’

Brisbane indie psych-pop outfit Vinted Vineer have made waves with the release of their mesmerising new album Tobi Yume. The 10-track offering features the standout single Man in Front of Me, showcasing the band’s signature blend of neo-psychedelia and modern shoegaze. In this interview, the band delves into the inspiration behind the album, their unique sound, and the creative process that brings their dreamlike sonic landscapes to life.

Congrats on the new album Tobi Yume, how does it feel to be out in the world?

Thanks! It feels like a weight lifted off our shoulders but as the lyric writer I couldn’t help but to have some apprehension about releasing this project as it houses my most vulnerable and personal lyrics yet. But all in we’ve enjoyed and appreciated the reception so far.

The album is packed with a lot of creative and unique sounds. What was the inspiration behind the concept of the album, and how does the feature single ‘Man in Front of Me’ tie into that vision?

The concept of the album is metamorphosis, amongst others, that run in conjunction to that theme. The album is all about ‘taking flight’ so to speak and coming into your final form as a matured bird or butterfly as it were. Man in front of me looks into some of the ethos that goes into that.

You’ve developed a dreamy, genre-defying sound that blends elements of neo-psychedelia and modern shoegaze. Can you talk us through how you arrived at this unique blend of styles? Were there any specific influences that shaped the sound of Tobi Yume?

Appreciate that analysis! I think I’d say you’ve hit the nail on the head with that comparison. We were always a psychedelic band it seems, but we only just recently started to get into the shoegaze side of things. I like the melodic slowcore stuff like Duster, Helvetia and Ovlov. I also really love Deftones and also my bloody valentine… not sure how much of that stuff you can hear on the record but listening to it definitely changed the way that I think about and approach songwriting; big epic seas of guitars during chorus etc.

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‘Man in Front of Me’ explores some deep introspective themes about resisting the inevitability of change. How did the writing and production process unfold for this track? Were there any challenges in balancing the song’s contemplative lyrics with its whimsical musical backdrop? 

I’ve always found it so corny when you hear a song with a sad intro and the first line you hear is some sad stuff. I think Ive always felt that way about songs subconsciously and therefore I try not to make any of my songs either too happy or too sad and if I feel it leaning closer to one of those moods then I find the only appropriate thing to sing about is the opposite mood as it creates this new unique feeling.

Your music has a very cinematic and immersive quality to it. Can you tell us a bit about your production techniques? How do you approach blending organic and digital elements to create the signature sound we hear on Tobi Yume?

The reason it has a nice hi fi lo fi blend is because we literally build these final mixes off of the skeleton tracks of our crappy original home demos, so the final version have these overprocessed crusty little sounds in them.

What’s next for Vinted Vineer? Should we expect any new releases or live performances following the release of Tobi Yume?

Heaps of gigs up next! We’ve already started writing and mood boarding a new project so hopefully we can start previewing some new songs at some upcoming live shows soon!

Vinted Vineer continue to push boundaries with Tobi Yume, offering listeners an immersive musical experience that defies genre conventions. It’s available now, everywhere.