Forming only last June, the four-piece from London were just like any other band – granted, though, they were a band with no MySpace, no Last.FM, nothing on Hype Machine and no real internet presence to speak of. That The Vaccines would have an album out through Columbia just over six months later, then, strikes one as alarming. Guitarist Freddie Cowan is able to reflect with diplomacy upon the matter, however. “We’ve all been doing this for a very long time,” he explains. “I felt, not like a veteran, but pretty experienced before we even started. Me and Justin (Justin Young, vocals) were kind of ready to go,” he reflects.
“It definitely didn’t feel like I was embarking on anything new, it just felt like I was embarking on something that was really right for me. Being in a band wasn’t anything new, but I was finally doing it right.”
Concerning the secret to their success thus far, Cowan keeps things simple. “I just think we have something that’s good and a few other people knew it and that’s pretty much it,” he muses. “People sometimes say that it’s easy to be a successful band. I think a lot of it is to do with the internet swamping the music industry.
“Every single band anywhere in the world can have a MySpace or Facebook and that sort of stuff. I just think if you’re good, it’s a level playing field and people will find your music. I don’t think there’s a particular secret… you can pretty much do anything if you’ve got good songs. People respond to that.”
If you’re still in the indie-band mindset, try to imagine strutting your stuff on the live circuit. What expectations might you have from those initial few shows? The Vaccines’ first London appearance, at The Flowerpot, breached a kind of ridiculousness. The likes of Alex Kapranos, Marcus Mumford, as well as members of The Maccabees and White Lies were seen among the audience. Meanwhile, so overwhelming was the support for the band that the venue were forced to turn away roughly 200 amorous members of the general public.
“It was just an incredible night,” Cowan reflects fondly. “We were sitting above this pub and all these people started walking down the street – seas of people. Our friends found a way in, people were breaking in, people climbing… it was pretty funny. A great night, but a night like that – so much adrenaline – you don’t really remember much. Everything’s kind of rushing through your head. I don’t remember a thing!” he laughs.
The culmination of a big signing and an enduring whirlwind of hype enabled The Vaccines to embark on the debut album. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? hit store shelves in March through Columbia, earning critical acclaim and a formidable top-five entry into the UK charts.
According to Cowan, the recording process was a cherished experience. “It was brilliant. We had been working on material throughout 2009, me and Justin. We had it arranged, we had the songs ready. I really felt like we were walking a tightrope for a while, with all these things around us. I thought, ‘You know what? Once the record’s finished, then I can relax!'” he grins.
“I just remember it being a really cathartic experience,” Cowan admits. “I really got something off my chest. It wasn’t a struggle, it was really enjoyable. In the studio, I like the patient aspect of it and the way you can sit down and really get stuck into things and get quite particular about stuff.”
Meanwhile, the title of the record is as striking as any release this year. Cowan was only too happy to divulge its origins. “The idea came from the song Post Break-Up Sex and we really like records with subtitles… so we thought we’d put a modern twist on it,” he explains.
“It’s kind of loaded, but that’s the idea. It’s supposed to be multi-faceted so you can put your own thing on it. For us, we were kind sick of all the attention we were getting, the expectation. We’re just a band that want to make a record – what else do you want from us!?” he ponders with a smile. “It got to the point in the UK where people just wanted something from us that was way beyond the port of call of any band… [especially] any band that hadn’t been together a year!”
Regardless, the widespread appreciation for the band has ensured the emergence of many opportunities too good to turn down. To that end, The Vaccines were recently featured on this years South By Southwest bill. “It was incredible, like nothing else I’ve ever seen in my life,” Cowan declares. “I thought it was going to be like The Great Escape festival in Brighton, where every venue within about a mile radius is converted to into a music venue… but it was just so much better, so much bigger. You see Radiohead, Jay-Z was playing… Beach Fossils, Smith Westerns… it was just incredible, really amazing and I thought the shows we did were incredible. I really loved them.”
Meanwhile, Australia will receive its first taste of the band’s indie-rock when they touch down for this year’s Splendour In The Grass. It’s another continent and another feather in The Vaccines’ cap. Success has come thick and fast and it seems Cowan couldn’t be happier. “We’ve all been playing in bands for many years. I think as the four of us, yeah, it’s been pretty quick. For me, it’s still just right.”
