Hailing from Wolverhampton, the rising indie rapper VANES unveils his sparkling new single “i lost my mind”. Released ahead of the artist’s debut EP pixie dust, which is still to come, a guitar-heavy, hip-hop vibe lays the foundation for themes of toxic love and codependency to be sonically explored.
The young artist’s upbringing had a monumental influence on his artistry. Raised by a family of working-class, Caribbean creatives – his young mind was exposed to a broad range of artists – spanning anywhere from Avril Lavigne to Finley Quaye. Describing his current sound as “somewhere between alternative hip-hop and indie”, VANES oscillates between influences like Mac Miller, NERD, and Blondie.
VANES loves hard. That said, the desire to dish out this love so freely doesn’t necessarily stem from a positive place. Unresolved and unacknowledged past hurts bubble under the surface of VANE’s emotional landscape, and his new release is an attempt to work through this. Embodying the so-called ‘needy guy’ stereotype, VANES unfurls the intoxicating toxicity that had a chokehold on his mind. Serving as an important reminder to never stop doing the self-work, VANES synthesises this heavy-hitting subject matter with a shimmering sonic landscape. Crescendoing and building, guitars dance while synths arpeggiate – which are all held together by a groovy baseline.
VANES reflects on how “i lost my mind” came to be, saying it “was a heat-of-the-moment thing at the studio; I was quite stoned, likely suppressing the anxiety I felt about leaving to go and meet someone who’d been driving me emotionally nuts. My producer started programming some drums, and the lyrics “I lost my mind inside a place I cannot find” pretty much fell out of my mouth. Later that night, I returned to the studio and finished the demo. We laid the guitar down a few weeks later and re-recorded, capturing the sensation I was having of being taken to ‘another planet by a girl who’s out of reach’…”
We can definitely relate to feeling helplessly spellbound by someone – even if they’re not good for us. Like the forbidden fruit, the pursuit of desire seems entirely more appealing than resisting temptation. Yet, somehow we always end up feeling worse off than before. Putting a name to such dizzying feelings, VANES’ emotional vulnerability is super refreshing to see. This is only the beginning for the young artist, and we can’t wait to see what he dreams up next.
To listen to VANES’ new single “i lost my mind”, head below…