Vicky von Vicky suffer an identity crisis in their new single and video Not The Man — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Built around an earworm chorus, a sugar-crunch guitar jangle, a dusty vocal line and a bittersweet melody, the Toronto quartet’s latest track “is about a relationship, which may or may not be one-sided in the narrator’s mind,” says singer-guitarist Michael Wynn. “It touches on the roller coaster ride of not knowing how another person feels, etc. especially at the beginning of some sort of connection. And not being able to think about anything else but that person.”
A fan of lyrical quirkiness, Wynn says he’s “always been attracted to the Springsteen-style of songwriting, where you develop characters and a story, largely fictional, that is drawn from personal experiences. I usually like to put some sort of twist on it, too, like the Pixies would. And for myself, somewhat ironically, when it comes to writing happy pop songs I tend to go the breakup-song route.”
The result is Not The Man, an upbeat, indie anthem Wynn forged in September of 2022. “I knew the chorus would be hard to forget once you had heard it a few times, as I myself was not able to get it out of my head,” he recalls. “I immediately knew this was something I wanted to put out and record.”
Along with Wynn on guitar and vocals, Vicky von Vicky also includes Paul Pasanen on drums, Rolston Miller on bass and Tom Nesbitt on guitar. The band first formed in the late ’90s, featuring former members of Kingston’s Trains of Winter. They recorded and released two albums — their eponymous debut in 1998, followed by Farmers & Artists in 2001. After a lengthy hiatus, they reunited in 2019 and are eager to unveil fresh music and forge new connections.
Working with producer Nixon Boyd of Hollerado, Wynn recorded his newly minted tracks between Boyd’s Orillia studio Simcoe Mechanical and Banquet Sound in Toronto. After completing the tracks earlier this year, Vicky von Vicky collectively decided to release the music as a reunited group.
“Being someone who has played in various bands for the last few decades, I was asking myself, ‘Why am I still creating music?’ ” reflects Wynn. “However, I soon realized it’s something I need to do, it’s in my DNA, the process is just something that is therapeutic and that satisfies my soul and makes me happy.”
Watch the video for Not The Man above, check out more from Vicky von Vicky below, and meet them again for the first time on their website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
