VANT: It came from Planet Earth

VANT come from Planet Earth. It seems an obvious statement, but that mantra represents everything the band stands for. They believe in unity, that our similarities are vastly more powerful than our differences and that they speak for the majority of us. “I’m glad we stuck with that philosophy,” admits Mattie. “It’s something we believe in, and it’s a very simple way of provoking the idea of unification in a global species.” As expected, standing up has come with its share of raised eyebrows, criticism and doubts. “The first radio play we ever had was with Zane Lowe. As much as he loved the track [‘Parasite’] and played it three times in one show, he started reading our bio ‘this band is from Planet Earth’ and you could tell his tone was initially sceptical. ‘Oh, one of those pretentious, bullshit bands’ - but I feel like it’s become a thing now. People can relate to it wherever we go in the world, this representation that we are all fundamentally the same. Just ‘cause we were born somewhere by chance doesn’t mean we should be tied to the ideals and practices of that country.” As the Doug Stanhope saying goes, “Nationalism does nothing but teach you to hate people you never met, and to take pride in accomplishments you had no part in.” “You are only going to exist for a very short period, so why not embrace the world and the beauty of it and look to make a positive impact on it, rather than a negative one?” he offers. He’s not just paying lip-service either; it’s a determined feeling that endures throughout VANT’s debut album ‘Dumb Blood’. Energetic, snotty and a whole lot of fun, the record is held together by numerous threads. Frayed at the edge, whichever one you choose to pull will lead you down a rabbit warren of conversation, discussion and challenge. It’s an important record if you want it to be. It’s entertaining, regardless. Formed in 2014 with Dalston’s Birthdays as a backdrop, VANT quickly worked out what they wanted to be. A debut album was written, recorded and then put on the back-burner as major labels came calling. ‘Dumb Blood’ is what they’ve been working towards as a band. “We thought it would be a lot sooner, but it’s how things go. [The record has] a lot of importance and relevance to the current climate of Earth.” Not all the original songs have survived the past two years, but across both the standard album and the “directors cut” twenty-two track record, their vision has remained pure, honest and uncompromising. “I don’t come from a theatrical place; I come from a place of playing what sounds good. Keeping that naivety of what we’re creating makes it way more honest and real. When you start overcomplicating things, it becomes too formulaic, and that’s something I never want to be.” Presenting challenges on record, the band have also pushed themselves out of their comfort zone with touring. Supporting everyone from Royal Blood, Biffy Clyro and You Me At Six to Blossoms, Hinds and FIDLAR, the band haven’t gone near a pigeonhole. “It doesn’t matter who you support; it’s just going out and playing to people because you can’t take people for granted and assume they’re not going to like you because of the band you’re supporting. Now you’ll have the same kids going to a Wolf Alice show as a Skepta show. It’s just getting out and playing to new audiences and challenging yourself. We want to be like Biffy Clyro where there’s no one who sounds like them; they always had difficulty being part of a scene when they were younger. They just carved their way and did whatever they wanted, and that’s what we are doing. You’ve just got to concentrate on the people that believe in what you do.”