vistakicks – Hypnotic Bolt

Originating from California, Vista Kicks surprised listeners when they released their third full length album, Chateau Mae Mae on April 10th.

Comprised of Derek Thomas (lead vocals), Sam Plecker (guitar), Trevor Sutton (bass), and Nolan Le Vine (drums), Vista Kicks had the opportunity to write alongside singer-songwriter Audra Mae.

Oklahoma native, Audra Mae has made a name for herself in the world of music. By collaborating with and writing songs beside various musicians, Mae is a very well respected artist.

Spending their summer months writing in Music City (Nashville, TN), the members of Vista Kicks and Mae collaborated to produce Chateau Mae Mae. Combining Mae’s soulful folk sound with Vista Kicks’ classic rock sound, this album caters to all music lovers.

We had the opportunity to ask the members of Vista Kicks and lead singer, Derek Thomas some of our most pressing questions about the release of Chateau Mae Mae.

Open up your windows, allow the sunlight in, close your eyes, and let Chateau Mae Mae transport you to a different time.

How is this album different from anything you have released?

VK: On all of our other releases, we’ve written as a unit- just the four of us. The main difference about Chateau Mae Mae is that we co-wrote every song on the record between ourselves, Audra Mae, and different Nashville writers Natalie Hemby, Madi Diaz, Kerr Harrison, Benjy Davis, and David Borne.

What were some of your main inspirations for this release?

VK: Really, the experience of being in Nashville. Audra flew us out, housed us, and invited people over to write songs breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two weeks straight!

I guess something about lowering our walls and allowing outside people into our headspace…that was the inspiration for this release. A group effort that is something way different and way more than the 4 of us (or 5, including Audra) could have created alone.

How did you meet Audra Mae and decide to collaborate with her?

Thomas: We knew Audra from Los Angeles. She lived nearby and we’d hung out with her multiple times before she moved to Nashville.

A few tours ago, we were passing through Nashville and she came to the show, we invited her to come sing with us because Sam had been sick and he couldn’t sing for a few days. She had to postpone her flight plans and instead of departing from Nashville, she agreed to come with us to Memphis and leave from there.

While listening to songs and talking about life, I suggested it would be cool to someday make a record together. We both agreed and thought the other wasn’t serious, so we let months go by before reaching out again.

In May, I called Audra and said, “Are we doing this thing or what?” She laughed and said, “Hell yes we are.” She took it from there. Sam and I hopped on a plane and stayed with her for two weeks. No plan, no songs written, no real idea of anything. “I guess we’ll see what happens.” I said to Sam on the plane.

What was the process of writing this album and working together with Audra Mae?

Thomas: Every day at Audra’s house was packed with writing songs, cooking food, going out to bars, staying up till the sun came up, and lots of laughter.

We took any and every opportunity to make a song out of this and that. It was an inspiring time. It felt like a magical two weeks. Like a dream come true, writing with Audra and all of her friends who are now also our friends, the experience was a gift.

We didn’t think we were making a record, I think in the beginning we thought it would just be fun to make a song or two. By the end of two weeks, we had written over twenty songs.

What was your experience like writing these songs in Nashville?

VK: It was intense! Writing on the level we did… I think over those two weeks in Nashville, we wrote 20-25+ songs. But like we said, we were writing about 3 a day, one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s how that city works though… they’re songwriting machines out there. In Vista Kicks, we consider ourselves songwriters over singers, musicians, whatever… so you could imagine how inspiring it was for us to be there.

Do you feel that your sound has changed in any way because of this collaboration?

VK: Totally. I really feel a sense of maturity and growth when I listen to Chateau Mae Mae. There’s more confidence in the vocals and everyone’s playing. I think writing an album with other people challenged us in new ways but it was also reassuring and exciting to be working with such great writers.

Since not a lot of listeners knew that you were releasing new music, what made you decide to keep it a secret until the release?

VK: There was a lot of question on how we were going to release the album. I’m not sure we kept it a very good secret because we played “While we still have the time” on tour the last year or so and had Audra open a show at The El Rey singing tunes from the record haha.. Ultimately, we decided it was such a special piece of music that it just deserved to be out and listened to. This year we signed on with some new publishing and wanted to release it with them and that just happened to fall during this whole covid-19 pandemic.

What do you want your listeners to know about this release and what it means to you?

VK: Take the record as you want: we think the record is great and we’re all proud of it! We think we’ve raised our own personal bar of songwriting, recording, production etc… We took a lot of side steps from our normal tendencies… but that’s what it’s all about! Change and growth. We started recording again this last February for the next VK album — It’s fun to see how the the Nashville record has clawed into us. We’ve definitely learned some new tricks that we’re going to take along the way…

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vista Kicks is one of the very first bands that we ever wrote about on this blog, so this album was a very special and long awaited one for us and for many dedicated VK fans. Chateau Mae Mae is different from previous albums that they have released, but is a work of art nonetheless.

This album offers a perfect blend of heartfelt ballads and textured sounds. It’s a softer album from the “Marceline” band, but the vocals from both Vista Kicks and Audra Mae are flawless and passionate. Audra Mae’s addition to the album is a game changer, and brings an effortless tone to the table.

You can stream Chateau Mae Mae on all music platforms. You can also follow Vista Kicks and Audra Mae on Instagram for updates and other content.

We hope you’re all healthy and safe. Don’t forget to wash your hands and support your local bands!

Rain or Shine

Saturday December, 8– We found ourselves contemplating a dangerous drive to Atlanta or staying at home in our cozy pajamas. Everyone told us that it wasn’t a good idea. We had been looking forward to this day for weeks, and we were determined to make the two hour drive to see Vista Kicks.
So, we packed in case of an emergency, and hit the road. We had our playlist of all their songs queued up and blasting. The rain was heavy, but bearable. Our drive was spent snacking, talking, singing, and laughing. We weren’t prepared for what was to come later on.

Receipt Set list

We arrived at the venue, 45 minutes before the doors opened. When they did, we went in and got our spot in the front. The show began at 9pm, and they had two talented openers; Everyday Dogs and Paul McDonald. They both played amazing sets, and made sure to interact with the big crowd.

Having a Good Time

Vista Kicks literally busted through the crowd (Sam, we forgive you) right at 10:45, and opened with Marceline. Not to go into a crazy amount of detail BUT, all we can say is that we made our presence very known at the show. We were booty shakin’ and singing like no one else, and created a strong connection with those groovy guys. Throughout the duration of the show, we made eye contact and sang to each other while hyping everyone else up. Their set was filled with head bangers, and they truly captivated the audience. Which is like nothing we had ever experienced at a show before.

Booty Shakin’… and Out of Breath

We were out of breath, smiling, and full of adrenaline when the show sadly came to an end. People began to crowd around to meet the band and take pictures with them. To ensure that we would get to talk to them, we headed over to their merch table and began a conversation with their talented friend Christine (@christinesolomonphotography). Walking over to where our coats had been placed before the show, we set our new shirts and vinyl down. Trevor (bassist), spotted us through the dispersing crowd and made his way over to us. He brought us into a hug and complimented us on our singing and dancing. Then Sam (guitarist/vocals), noticed us and talked us before taking a couple of pictures. They moved onto the last set of people waiting to get their pictures with them, when Derek (lead vocals/keys/guitar) came over to us.

“…Come to the Show”

Derek thanked us for performing for them, and gave us advice about getting home safely. He then kindly rounded up the rest of the members for some group pictures. Here are the results:

On social media, they had been asking for help with selling merch at some of their previous shows. So, we offered a helping hand at their next show in Raleigh, NC. They were eager about staying in touch with us to make it a reality. Before we left, Sam yelled out “See ya in Raleigh”, and we did just that.

On the Road Again

Monday December, 10– Keeping this secret between us, we packed our bags and made the four hour trip up to Raleigh. As we approached the venue, we messaged Sam to let him know we were 30 minutes away, and excited to help. We found a parking garage not too far away, and walked to the venue. Inside, they were setting up their set, and tuning their instruments. Sam greeted us with a hug, and thanked us for helping. He reintroduced us to Christine, and she gave us the run down of what the job would entail. The other members made their way down and chatted with us before the show and asked us what songs we wanted to hear.

Dancing on the Job

Vintage Pistol opened for them with a grungy set, and we tapped our feet along as we stood behind the merch table. The boys made their way onto the stage an hour later, and we couldn’t help but shake our asses and sing along from the back of the room. The rest of the crowd was in awe of us and in that moment we felt exhilarated. We made our way to the front for Marceline, Gotta Get Away, and Alice so that we could dance and sing with them. Again, we were booty shakin’ and singing with them and hyping the rest of the crowd up with their music. They really showed us the love during Alice, and we belted out the lyrics as they played.

Snowball Fights & Cookout

After the show, we ran back to the merch table and started preparing for the crowd. We got many compliments on our dancing and singing and how we made the show more enjoyable. We helped take money for shirts and vinyls alongside Christine. After the crowd had gone, we packed up their van, and hung out in the front with them. Hunger struck all of us, and we decided Cookout was our best bet at such a late hour.
They offered to give us a ride to our car in their van, but after taking a second look inside of it, Derek offered to walk us back to our car instead, because their van was a little messy. He made us feel safer as we walked back to our car and we will always be appreciative of that.
As we got to the parking lot, their van pulled up and they waited until we made it all the way back to our car before driving away. All of us made our way to Cookout, and unfortunately it was just a drive-thru. But the boys made the best out of the situation by having a snowball fight. We threw a couple ourselves, but our aims aren’t the best.

‘All Over Now’

After ordering our food, we stood around and waited with them. Chattering teeth and shivering bodies we laughed about our experiences from the night and discussed the difference between Cajun fries and regular fries.
We finally got our food and walked back over to where they had parked their van. Squeezing us into tight embraces, they thanked us for the millionth time that night. We replied, “No problem, anytime! We love you guys”. And we meant it.
This was one of the most memorable concerts that we have been to and the guys of Vista Kicks are such genuine and goofy guys. If any of you ever have the opportunity to see them, take that chance! They will make it worth your while!
Vista Kicks, thank you for this unforgettable experience. See ya soon!
“Come to the show, we’ll make you laugh, make you scream, make you get down on your knees and settle down”
Stay Groovy!

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New Album Release: Vista Kicks