Following the release of their latest EP ‘Torch Songs’, Notts based Noir-Pop outfit Victory Lap grace our stage on the 7th December.
Hey Victory Lap, we’re really looking forward to your show here at our place! How are you feeling ahead of your hometown show?
We’re really excited, especially since this will be our biggest headline show in Nottingham to date. Of course, there are some nerves. This year has been about expanding our audience outside of Nottingham, but coming back for a hometown show always feels special. There’s a warmth and familiarity to it, plus it’s a great opportunity to show our friends and family what we’ve been working so hard on.
The Nottingham music scene is a real hub of emerging talent at the moment, have you found that your experience in past bands around the local scene has helped to shape the sound you’ve created?
Undoubtedly, the social and creative aspects of our lives that we enjoy so much now would have not been possible if it were not for the connections made through the Nottingham music scene. So, in that regard, I think we owe a lot to our formative years in bands around Nottingham.
Visually the aesthetic of Victory Lap is really impressive, where are you finding all of these immaculate locations to shoot videos and photos?
Thank you! We put a lot of effort into finding the right locations. It’s important to us that the visuals align with the aesthetic world we’re trying to create, so we spend a lot of time scouting and reaching out to different places once we find something that fits our vision. It takes a lot of emails and phone calls, but it’s worth it to maintain that consistency.
The way in which you guys built up your live reputation before releasing any material was a great way to build a solid fanbase, how important do you feel it is to perfect your live sound before releasing anything?
To be honest, it wasn’t really by design. We started playing live shows because we had friends in other bands who were kind enough to let us support them, and that kind of snowballed. Each show helped us learn and improve our sound, so by the time we were ready to release music, we felt confident in our performance. It turned out to be a great way to build an audience early on, especially since releasing music to just a handful of followers wouldn’t have had the same impact.
Can we expect to hear any new material in the set?
The current set is comprised of our first release, “Torch Songs” and our second EP which is hopefully going to be released early next year. In addition to this, we are consistently trying to work new songs into the set. So, in short – Yes.
What goes into prepping for a string of dates like this? Plenty of time in the practice room or making sure to enjoy the comfort of home before hopping in the van?
This is our first run of headline shows, so we’re really focused on making sure they fully represent what we want to convey live. That means bringing in additional elements like string players, and projected visuals, and creating a more theatrical experience. Right now, we’re in the thick of trying to pull all of that together. It’s a lot of work, but we’re excited to see it all come together.
Lastly, if there was one piece of gear you could never get rid of from your live set up what would it be?
Normally, I’d say our Roland SPD (sample pad) because it holds all our string arrangements, which are such a big part of our live sound. But, since it constantly gives us trouble and we’re hoping to bring in live string players soon, I’d be more than happy to lose the SPD in the future!
Victory Lap headline The Bodega on the 7th December, tickets on sale now.
