“Half Past Rad” is the first thing Vienna dropped since “Street Fighter II” earlier this year, and it doesn’t sound like a band killing time between releases. It’s quick, jagged, and wired with that mix of Midwest emo tangle and pop-punk snap they’ve been leaning into on stage over the past few months.
“It’s no secret that we’ve been in the studio recently,” they say. “If you’ve been to one of our shows, you’ll have heard a lot of new material. We feel ‘Half Past Rad’ gives the best impression of what our sound has evolved into. It’s a step forward — but it still feels like us.” That “step forward” came with Jonny Price — the same guy who mixed “Somewhere Between Here and Gone”. “While we still wanted to keep that DIY feel to it, we worked with Jonny… getting to go into the studio with him and work on the tracks, being able to get his feedback and ideas in the room really helped make the songs feel that next step up.”
The opener comes with an unexpected bit of childhood nostalgia — a lifted clip from VGHS, a YouTube show Ben and guitarist Will used to binge as kids. “It’s the clip that features at the start and I think it really sets the tone for the track,” Ben says. That tone is carried by a burst of influence from both sides of the fence — pop-punk staples like The Story So Far and emo fixtures like Hot Mulligan, Saturdays at your place, and Charmer. “The main thing we wanted to get right with this song was the energy… with a breakneck pace that makes the track stand out among some of the other stuff we’ve been working on this year.”
The words didn’t come easy. “We basically locked ourselves into the studio at the start of the year ‘til we had this and a couple other tracks ready, and then we finally let ourselves out,” Ben says. “I was really stuck with the lyrics… I’m super inspired by bands like Arms Length for how honest they are in their lyrics and storytelling and I wanted to be brave enough to have that same honesty.” The end result is less about big statements and more about quiet avoidance — “I felt at the time like I was separating myself from people and opportunities because I felt like it was better for those people… sort of that feeling of isolating yourself because you’re scared of being connected but still wanting that connection.”
Vienna aren’t stopping with this one. “We’ve got a track coming out closer to the end of the year that we’re all super excited to share. Alongside that we’ve got a whole bunch of shows planned… we’re playing with loads of emo talent, so if people wanna hear about them they should check us out on Instagram @thebandvienna where all our updates go first.”
If “Half Past Rad” is the temperature check, the rest of the year’s shaping up like they’ve still got plenty of heat to burn.
