In the vibrant and ever-evolving landscape of modern music, Glasgow's VLURE are a beacon of raw, unbridled talent and innovation. Check out the latest cover story for our New Music Friday playlist edit, The Cut.
Words: Sam Taylor.
In the vibrant and ever-evolving landscape of modern music, Glasgow's VLURE are a beacon of raw, unbridled talent and innovation. Today, they unveil their electrifying new single, 'Heaven Sent', a track that not only resonates with the band's signature vigour but also embodies the essence of youthful love and freedom. On the cusp of their biggest headline shows to date in Glasgow at SWG3 Warehouse and in London at The 100 Club, VLURE are more than just a band; they are a movement, a statement, a force to be reckoned with.
Melding euphoric trance elements with the ferocity of pounding beats, 'Heaven Sent' stands as a testament to their unique ability to juxtapose contrasting sounds into a harmonious, yet exhilarating whole. Hamish Hutcheson (vocals) and brothers Niall (bass) and Conor Goldie (programming and guitar) tell us more, and hint at exciting plans for next year ("Definitely big ones").
Hi, you lot. Tell us about your new single 'Heaven Sent' - what's it about, where did it come from?
Conor: The instrumental to 'Heaven Sent' was one of those tracks that came to life at what was probably an unacceptable hour to still be sitting up producing in my studio room. The whole thing flowed quite naturally and organically; it was mostly fully structured from the initial logic demo. The vocal sample that leads the intro and carries the verses was the thing that sparked the idea. I had been listening to a lot of Future Garage and maybe more IDM-influenced dance records like Dan Avery and Floating Points. Naturally, as is VLURE, we decided to counterpoint that with a heavy club kick, distorted hyper-compressed bass guitar and drums, some heavy guitars and a big trance hook. Some dunt, really.
Hamish: The lyrics were added, and 'Heaven Sent' became a love song told through the lens of hedonistic adolescence.
Conor: The instrumental to 'Heaven Sent' was one of those tracks that came to life at what was probably an unacceptable hour to still be sitting up producing in my studio room. The whole thing flowed quite naturally and organically; it was mostly fully structured from the initial logic demo. The vocal sample that leads the intro and carries the verses was the thing that sparked the idea. I had been listening to a lot of Future Garage and maybe more IDM-influenced dance records like Dan Avery and Floating Points. Naturally, as is VLURE, we decided to counterpoint that with a heavy club kick, distorted hyper-compressed bass guitar and drums, some heavy guitars and a big trance hook. Some dunt, really.
Hamish: The lyrics were added, and 'Heaven Sent' became a love song told through the lens of hedonistic adolescence.
What was the song's development like, was it an easy birth?
Conor: Once I took the demo to the band, instrumentally, it was immediately locked in. As soon as we played that first drop in the live room and Carlo put his fingerprint on it with those live drums, we started bouncing off each other, turning it into a whole different thing entirely. That's the buzz of VLURE for me, we almost un-remix our own tracks - they start as dance tracks on Ableton or Logic, and we take them into the live arena, and our years of playing in chaotic guitar bands start to pierce the fabric. We're big believers in never fully judging a song until it's played in a sweaty room full of folk who're there for it. Hamish has this amazing way of almost over the course of months rewriting the vocal parts against rooms of people, bouncing off them and taking their energy and queues on board.
Conor: Once I took the demo to the band, instrumentally, it was immediately locked in. As soon as we played that first drop in the live room and Carlo put his fingerprint on it with those live drums, we started bouncing off each other, turning it into a whole different thing entirely. That's the buzz of VLURE for me, we almost un-remix our own tracks - they start as dance tracks on Ableton or Logic, and we take them into the live arena, and our years of playing in chaotic guitar bands start to pierce the fabric. We're big believers in never fully judging a song until it's played in a sweaty room full of folk who're there for it. Hamish has this amazing way of almost over the course of months rewriting the vocal parts against rooms of people, bouncing off them and taking their energy and queues on board.
"We try not to think of creating as carving out of a stone, but more following the buzz and seeing where it takes you"
— Conor Goldie
You've described the track as a love song. Is that a theme you're going to tease out more across your next releases, or are you moving on to something else?
Hamish: For the most part, the lyrical content in our songs are about personal experiences and finding inspiration from our own lives, whilst asking the bigger questions. There will undoubtedly be more love songs to come, but there will never be one specific subject that'll be written about more than another. It's all led by the music and the moment. It's all personal politics, a release of emotion from that moment in time.
Hamish: For the most part, the lyrical content in our songs are about personal experiences and finding inspiration from our own lives, whilst asking the bigger questions. There will undoubtedly be more love songs to come, but there will never be one specific subject that'll be written about more than another. It's all led by the music and the moment. It's all personal politics, a release of emotion from that moment in time.
How can you tell when you've hit upon a good VLURE song, is there something specific you get from it?
Conor: We retain focus on feeling when writing. It's how I approach my whole creative process, trusting immediate judgment and placing trust in that initial response. If something excites us all as a group, whether that's a flipped sample, a kick rhythm or a synth patch, an instrumental hook or a line of prose, then it gets our full attention. Sometimes, it can just be a sentence; VLURE is all about conviction. That immediacy is something that can find itself lost in an over-thought-out process. We try not to think of creating as carving out of a stone, but more following the buzz and seeing where it takes you. When you finally get where the excitement is trying to lead you, and when that drop or chorus finally hits, and you get a full physical body response - that's when you know!
Conor: We retain focus on feeling when writing. It's how I approach my whole creative process, trusting immediate judgment and placing trust in that initial response. If something excites us all as a group, whether that's a flipped sample, a kick rhythm or a synth patch, an instrumental hook or a line of prose, then it gets our full attention. Sometimes, it can just be a sentence; VLURE is all about conviction. That immediacy is something that can find itself lost in an over-thought-out process. We try not to think of creating as carving out of a stone, but more following the buzz and seeing where it takes you. When you finally get where the excitement is trying to lead you, and when that drop or chorus finally hits, and you get a full physical body response - that's when you know!
Will 'Heaven Sent' appear on a longer body of work at any point?
Hamish: Time will tell on this one… we can assure you, though, we are working hard, keep your ears to the ground.
Hamish: Time will tell on this one… we can assure you, though, we are working hard, keep your ears to the ground.
What else are you guys working on at the moment? You've got a show at 100 Club coming up, right?
Conor: We do! That's going to be an incredible night. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that's a venue that's always been in our sights. We're working harder than we've ever worked on a sea of new music. It's really exciting; it feels like we're reaching a flow of saying what we've always really wanted to say. We self-produce, so it's been an incredibly attentive journey; you'll hear it all very soon, don't sweat over it.
Conor: We do! That's going to be an incredible night. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that's a venue that's always been in our sights. We're working harder than we've ever worked on a sea of new music. It's really exciting; it feels like we're reaching a flow of saying what we've always really wanted to say. We self-produce, so it's been an incredibly attentive journey; you'll hear it all very soon, don't sweat over it.
Do you have big plans for next year, too?
Conor: We've always got plans, and we'll always have plans. Next year, it's definitely big ones.
Conor: We've always got plans, and we'll always have plans. Next year, it's definitely big ones.
What would you most like to have achieved during the next twelve months?
Hamish: When we started the band a few years ago, we set out three big dreams that we could all work towards as a unit. This past year, we secured one of them; playing at Glastonbury, and without giving too much away, the other two seem very much within reach and could well be achieved by the end of next year. We'll shout about them once we've got there.
Hamish: When we started the band a few years ago, we set out three big dreams that we could all work towards as a unit. This past year, we secured one of them; playing at Glastonbury, and without giving too much away, the other two seem very much within reach and could well be achieved by the end of next year. We'll shout about them once we've got there.
Is there anything else we should know?
Hamish: There's been lots happening in the world of VLURE, though something special did happen recently. At the start of November, I married my partner in Glasgow. You'll still find us both on a sweaty dance floor in the early hours of the morning, only now with some beautiful metal rings (made by Carlo's partner).
Hamish: There's been lots happening in the world of VLURE, though something special did happen recently. At the start of November, I married my partner in Glasgow. You'll still find us both on a sweaty dance floor in the early hours of the morning, only now with some beautiful metal rings (made by Carlo's partner).
What have been your albums of the year? Tell us why you like them.
Niall: There've been some great albums this year; for us, it feels like everything has really got going again in '23. Some we've had on repeat: 'Good Lies' from Overmono, 'False Lankum' from Lankum, 'Heavy Heavy' from Young Fathers and 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You' from Caroline Polachek. The production and composition on both the Overmono and Polachek records have inspired us in completely different ways, and Young Fathers always bring such passion for their art and musicality. It's impossible not to be endlessly inspired by them. Conor has had 'Ultrakunst' by Brutalismus 3000 on rotation whilst we've been on tour over summer.
Niall: There've been some great albums this year; for us, it feels like everything has really got going again in '23. Some we've had on repeat: 'Good Lies' from Overmono, 'False Lankum' from Lankum, 'Heavy Heavy' from Young Fathers and 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You' from Caroline Polachek. The production and composition on both the Overmono and Polachek records have inspired us in completely different ways, and Young Fathers always bring such passion for their art and musicality. It's impossible not to be endlessly inspired by them. Conor has had 'Ultrakunst' by Brutalismus 3000 on rotation whilst we've been on tour over summer.
What new bands should we be keeping an eye out for in 2024? Who has the VLURE seal of approval?
Niall: There's our mates, The Joy Hotel. They're releasing their debut LP soon, and honestly, we don't think you'll need to look out too hard for them. Massive VLURE seal of approval. Glasgow is alive in 2024; look out for The Era (your new favourite band) and Psweatpants, too. The former will be offering us support at our 100 Club show, and the latter bouncing on stage with us at SWG3 in Glasgow.
Conor: P is Scotland's next rapper to break; you heard it here first. On top of those unreal shouts, our mate Sin.Clair will be releasing soon, too; get on that as soon as it's out. ■
Niall: There's our mates, The Joy Hotel. They're releasing their debut LP soon, and honestly, we don't think you'll need to look out too hard for them. Massive VLURE seal of approval. Glasgow is alive in 2024; look out for The Era (your new favourite band) and Psweatpants, too. The former will be offering us support at our 100 Club show, and the latter bouncing on stage with us at SWG3 in Glasgow.
Conor: P is Scotland's next rapper to break; you heard it here first. On top of those unreal shouts, our mate Sin.Clair will be releasing soon, too; get on that as soon as it's out. ■
