The Vaccines on overcoming loss and learning to appreciate the ride
The Vaccines have experienced great change since releasing their platinum-selling debut album in 2011. Most recently, they dealt with the exit of founding member Freddie Cowan, who walked away to focus on his family life. However, their future never came into question, and singer Justin Young’s hunger remains unbreakable.
On their sixth album, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, The Vaccines have returned to their roots, making a full-blooded rock ‘n’ roll record that is a tonic to the dreaded January blues. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Andrew Wells, whose credits include work with pop stars such as Ellie Goulding and Halsey, the euphoric LP finds Young bouncing back from heartbreak.
Unlike other records in their arsenal, The Vaccines had no major label backing for Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations and paid for the recording out of their own pocket. Considering the significant investment on the line, The Vaccines couldn’t afford for the experience to fail, and thankfully, they produced the goods.
While Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations is arriving on January 12th, 2024, Young tells me over Zoom from his home in London how the process for the record began precisely two years to the day before our December conversation when he wrote ‘Love To Walk Away’ in 2021.
Reflecting on his headspace during that time, Young revealed: “I’d had these sort of phrases and these lyrics and these titles I knew in terms of thematically where I thought we should go, but I wasn’t convinced sonically. I didn’t really have any strong ideas.”
However, upon his first session with Wells, everything clicked into place and ‘Love To Walk Away’ was born, establishing a blueprint for the record. “It just happened, and I’m glad it did because, particularly given it’s a new line-up, and everybody is so great at what they do. I think having people’s personality, humanity, and creativity at the forefront makes it more human than the last record.”
While the departure of Cowan and drummer Pete Robertson in 2017 may make people believe The Vaccines is now essentially a solo project from Young, that’s far from the truth. Fellow founding member Árni Árnason is still a vital part of the group, with Timothy Lanham, who has played live with The Vaccines since 2017, stepping up to fill Cowan’s shoes. The line-up is completed on drums by Yoann Intonti, with all four members contributing to the democracy.
After writing ‘Love To Walk Away’, it became clear to The Vaccines they wanted to steer away from technology and create an imperfect record that captures what can only be made by four people in a room. “I found myself shifting in quite a big way over the last year or two and suddenly being very drawn to things that sounded messy, live, human and dirty. I guess that’s just what happens, isn’t it? Your taste is always kind of moving on. It’s never staying in one place,” Young explains.
While making the album, Young had a Spotify playlist on a constant rotation of artists from the analogue era, such as The Waterboys, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Flock of Seagulls, The Pretenders, R.E.M., Tom Petty, Kate Bush, and The Modern Lovers, who inadvertently helped shape Pick-Up Full Of Pick Carnations. “A lot of those artists successfully transitioned from a more youthful sound to a more mature sound without becoming less exciting, and I think that that was definitely something to consider,” he says of the set of musicians.
Another influence, albeit subconscious, was Los Angeles. Although they’d previously made the Melody Calling EP in California in 2013, this marked the first time The Vaccines had recorded an album in the musical mecca. Young describes LA as a “really fun, inspiring place to be”, adding, “There’s a reason people talk about artists having this West Coast sound.”
Despite the picturesque surroundings, Young was initially nervous about how they’d cope without Cowan, but thankfully, his fears were quickly quashed. “The first day was nerve-wracking, but it’s amazing how loss inevitably always leads to coping, growth and discovery. I guess that’s the same with Freddie; we were a bit nervous going in, but it was amazing how quickly it felt normal,” he recalled.
Cowan informed his bandmates of his decision to walk away from The Vaccines in the summer of 2022, which didn’t surprise Young. “Like any relationship, it doesn’t end overnight. We knew for the last couple of years because it was clear that he wasn’t happy. We’d all come to terms with the fact that, at some point, that conversation was going to happen, so it was almost a relief when it did,” he admitted.
Being in a band is a heavy commitment, which is at odds with a normal life. For Young, he considers it to be “the best job in the world” and says he’s become “more grateful” for calling it his career. However, he’s also aware that it comes with sacrifice, namely personal relationships. “It’s not always easy, and people don’t always find it easy. And I think you have to really know for certain that it’s what you want to do,” he earnestly adds.
He continues: “I definitely have been institutionalised by being lucky enough to spend my adult life touring. But then, but then wider than that, I’ve always been having a bit of an existential crisis. I often wonder if I’m running from things or to things. I think living in the moment and finding inner peace is a very hard thing for a lot of us to do.”
Fortunately, Young has songwriting to use to deal with the notions that swarm his head, which he believes is a crucial ingredient to the charm of The Vaccines, stating, “I think the more personal you are, the more people relate to it because it’s that shared experience.”
In 2024, The Vaccines have a massive tour of the UK and Europe on the horizon, which includes two dates at The Troxy in London. Following the conclusion of the first leg, they will head to America for a set of shows with The Kooks, but despite their international fanbase, Young is content with their position out of the mainstream.
When they first established themselves, they were nominated for a Brit Award and talked about as future headliners of Reading and Leeds by organiser Melvin Benn in 2012. Whether people liked them or not, every alternative music fan had an opinion of The Vaccines, which Young says was a “scary place” to be. “I feel a lot more comfortable now existing in a world where the only people that really care about The Vaccines releasing records are people that like The Vaccines. That feels like a much healthier place to be,” he sincerely states.
Young is now filled with a sense of contentment, which he lacked as a 23-year-old full of “anger and resentment” when The Vaccines began their journey. At the time, the singer didn’t have the maturity to appreciate his surroundings, but now, he only wants to devote his time to making more records with The Vaccines and playing live. The adversity of Cowan’s exit has also proved to be a blessing in disguise, with the whole band now pulling in the same direction, fuelled by the sole intention of enjoying the ride wherever it takes them.
Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations is out on January 12th through Thirty Tigers.
