Brooklyn Electro-Pop Musician VACANCES Discusses His Newest Music and More!

Brooklyn electro pop artist Vacances recently released his newest single “Cool” and also announced plans for additional upcoming singles, videos and regional touring.

A music video for the aforementioned track is planned for this month along with multiple regional live dates in support. The synth fueled, infectious track showcases songwriter and group vocalist Danny Lannon’s ability to craft nostalgic, new wave injected tracks paired with his distinct sound he has become notable for.

Formerly of the San Francisco group The Frail, Lannon and Vacances recently relocated to Brooklyn to develop new music and collaborate with producer Alex Fitts (The Kickdrums, MGK, 50 Cent) on an upcoming EP. “Cool” comes off the heels of their track “Human”, which paid tribute to a friend lost in the devastating Oakland Ghost Ship fire. The upbeat, feel good music of Vacances is made to get listeners dancing, and is always crafted with meaning and purpose.

Learn more about Vacances in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! What are some words you would use to describe 2016? What were some of the highlights for the band? What are you all most excited about for 2017?

I think 2016 was all about growing this project and defining the music. I’d use the words exploratory, discovery, and learning. Highlights we’re touring across the country, releasing new material, and recording tons of new music w/my friend Alex of The Kickdrums.  In 2017 I’ll be releasing about 10 tracks total and doing tons of touring. I’m really looking forward to hitting the road again.

How did Vacances first form? How did you come up with your band name? What other names were you considering? 

I was still in Oakland, CA when I came up with the project and band name. I’d been in another band called The Frail and had seen a fair amount of success but thought it was time to shift gears. I had been writing music that didn’t seem to fit the feel of that band so decided to try something new. I initially wanted to call the band Vacation but that was taken so I sought after the same name in new languages. Vacances seem to fit so I kept it. It was really between Vacation and Vacances, I didn’t take too much time thinking about any other names.

How do you think this band has been influenced by being from Brooklyn, NY? There seems to be a lot of culture and music in particular coming out of that area. Would you agree?

I’m always influenced by my surroundings so Brooklyn plays a huge role in that. I agree, I think there’s also a lot of other acts that are in the same vein as me Surf Rock Is Dead, Beach Fossils etc. I’m a big fan of supporting the local scenes and I can’t help but be influenced by watching people on the subway, the weather, and life experiences that I run into living in Bushwick which has a ton of culture form underground venues to secret shows.

Let’s talk about your newest single, “Cool.” What was the inspiration for it? How does it compare with other songs you plan on releasing this summer? 

Yeah, I mean cool came about thinking about dating and summer flings and that sort of thing everyone goes through as a single person in the summer. Writing the music mostly alone (Alex helps) puts me in a position where I should be a bit more creative. I’m not the best guitar player so I tend to use more synths when writing this way. So for me Cool really started with me discovering how to write a summer track w/o using guitar at first. It also leans a bit more pop and just really pushes the feeling of having a good time. I have a lot more tracks that I’ll be releasing that lean more towards being dark than the pop feel that Cool has. That being said, I do have a few more summer tracks coming this summer so stay tuned!

You have shared the stage with so many incredible artists so I’m curious what experience has really meant the most to you? What moment really stands out as the most memorable?

I’ve been lucky to have shared the stage w/ some of my favorite acts. I think my fave experiences have been when I’ve played w/ bands that are really interested in their support acts. I recently opened for Shiny Toy Guns (I’ve played w/ them before) and they are a group that really have that openness to them. We hung-out, got along around the music we’re both creating, and shared stories. I really value that face time with other bands weather it’s a larger act or just another local act like us.

Where will Vacances be playing at this summer? Where all are you excited to play at?

I’ll be playing a lot on the east coast! I plan to hit major cities Philly, Boston, Baltimore, DC, Toronto and then also do a west coast tour hitting Seattle, Portland, SF, Sac, LA, San Diego, & Vegas! It’s always fun to head back to CA to do shows but I’m really looking forward to playing places like Toronto & Boston.

Who are you all listening to these days? What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

I listen to artists like Muna, Day Wave, Caveman, M83, RAC, Drake (don’t tell my friends). I’d love to work w/ RAC or M83 one day. I feel like there could be something amazing to come out of that. But hey that’s reaching for the stars. I have been working w/ my friend Kylee from a Bay Area band called Loquat. You can hear her backing vocals on my two newest tracks Human & Cool.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? What do you hope is the message of your songs?

I think music should be subjective. I like when people can come up with their own ideas as to what a song is about. I think that’s what is so great about music is that it allows people to find their own ways of understanding things. So really, I leave it up to the listener. The songs always mean something specific to me but if someone drives their own meaning that holds a lot of value for me.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves and your music?

Be on the lookout for a lot of touring, lots of new music, videos and more. And really, I just hope people like it :).