Vicky von Vicky flip the script on a romantic rift in their new single and video Goodbye My Love — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Toronto indie-rockers’ third release of 2023 walks a line between nostalgia and novelty, with serrated classic-rock chords and an upbeat 6/8 waltz groove underpinning tender-but-tough lyrics that serve as a sharp sendoff to a lover already on their way out the door.
First formed from the ashes of Kingston group Trains Of Winter in the late 1990s, the four-piece released two albums before going on hiatus in 2001. Nearly two decades later, in 2019, Vicky von Vicky made their return to the Toronto music scene, carving out their own niche with a distinct style that draws inspiration from a variety of genres, including punk, grunge, soul, and hip-hop. It’s an approach that works and is largely tied together by the strong storytelling characteristic of their whip-smart lyricism.
“Back in May of 2020, I lost my full-time job to cuts that were COVID-related,” singer-guitarist Michael Wynn explains. “Shortly over the next couple of days I wrote four or so songs. Goodbye My Love was one of them. I go back to the Springsteen style of songwriting here, where you develop characters and a story, largely fictional, that is partially 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.”
Wynn knew Goodbye My Love was special, so he presented it, along with the other songs he’d penned, to the rest of the band. The group was blown away and set out to record it, enlisting Nixon Boyd of Hollerado fame to produce the tracks. They soon laid down most of the recordings, working primarily at Nixon’s new Simcoe Mechanical studio in Orillia, before putting finishing touches on vocals and guitars at Nixon’s Banquet Sound in Toronto.
The finished song is Vicky von Vicky to the core — the track is catchy, intimate, and addictive, ultimately driven home by rich vocals and a hook that will get stuck in your head.
Watch the video for Goodbye My Love 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.
