Exposed Vocals Interviews The Vapid Plaids

Miles –  I was born in California but was raised in Arizona. I remember when I was in junior high school, I found my Mom’s acoustic guitar collecting dust in the corner, so I picked it up and made this little riff and couldn’t put it down. I had played trombone before this but guitar seemed to suit me better.

Marisa – I’m born and raised in Southern California. As long as I can remember being alive, music as been apart of my life. My earliest memories entail driving around with my aunt in the car listening to all music from the 50s to the present. I was just always fascinated by it. Music has always been there, and it’s saved my life many times.

Miles: We had gone back and forth with random names for several weeks and then one day we were sitting waiting to play an Open Mic and we happened to be wearing plaid. Marisa came up with “vapid” because it was anything but what we were and it also rhymed. I think the inspiration came the sheer excitement of Marisa’s first performance at the Open Mic and also the energy and chemistry we had with each other.

Marisa: Definitely. The name really just came us to all of a sudden. Once we actually said “The Vapid Plaids” out loud, we both looked at each other like…that might be it. Once we performed that first Open Mic together, it was clear we had something special and fun.

Miles: I think online music sharing has given us an opportunity to at least put ourselves out there a bit. Tracks that we take time to record in the studio, we definitely put a price on because music is also a job and we work hard for these songs.

Marisa: Online music sharing has really been great in helping us network and put our music out there. We have a $5 EP on Bandcamp. But you can also listen to us for free on YouTube.

Miles:

The only advice I can give to other artists is to practice your songs and performance in your room until you are over confident in your set so when it comes time to perform, you can think less and have more fun with the crowd.

Marisa: Practice practice practice! Keep practicing until every about that song is familiar to you like the back of your hand. Also, don’t be afraid to try new, random things. Some of our best performances have come out of spontaneity and just going with what feels right. I have really bad anxiety, but when I’m onstage, all of it goes away. So, trying new things can sometimes be the greatest thing in the world, no matter how scared you may be.

Miles: I think most inspiration comes from relationships because we are constantly in some kind of relationship whether that be your family, friends, or significant other and The Vapid Plaids always seem to extract something from those situations. We usually start the song with several lines of lyrics, find a melody, then structure the song from there.


Marisa: Since Miles plays guitar and I don’t, that works in our favor. There’s been many times where he’ll have a melody he keeps playing because he likes the sound of it, and then we’ll come up with some lyrics to put on top of it. Or, I’ll have written some lyrics down and we’ll try and put them with music he came up with. We compliment each other well.

Miles: We do not have a personal website but we can reach everybody we need to through Facebook and Instagram.

Marisa: Just search The Vapid Plaids on any social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Soundcloud, Bandcamp) and we’ll pop up. Our unique name makes finding us easier!

Miles: With a million dollars, the VP’s would write a full album and tour for sure. I would give most of it to my parents for being so supportive of my life goals and musical aspirations. I would also buy a new Taylor acoustic and any other equipment that is necessary.

Marisa: Album and tour are a must. I would split most up amongst my family, and spread the wealth to my close friends as well. I’d also buy a car and new recording equipment.

Miles:

Aside from using Facebook and Instagram, I think playing lots of shows and talking with the audience is the best and most fulfilling way to promote our music. I’ve always been a fan of live performances and I think it’s important for the audience to feel the energy and chemistry we feel onstage. Its also rewarding to meet the people that support what you’re doing and word of mouth is a great promotional tool.

Marisa: Instagram and Facebook is important. But more specifically, hashtags can make or break a post too. People search for specific things all of the time, so if they just happen to find you in the process, that’s the best. Always being aware of any opportunities that may come your way is key as well.

Miles: As of right now we’re working on new songs and will continue to do shows as well as shape our sound because this project is still fairly new.

Marisa: It’s funny. If you look through our text messages, it’s all just song ideas. Either lyrics we wrote, music he wrote, or a song we listen to that one of us think would be fun to cover. So we’re always looking for new inspiration and new opportunities.

Miles: If i wasn’t making music, I would probably be a writer or engage in public speaking.

Marisa: I think I would try to be a writer. I hate the process of writing, but lyrics are usually shorter than, say, essays. So it brings the best of both worlds together for me.

Miles: Simple, I write out my goals, whether they be musical goals or life goals, on a white board and make sure I focus on those first before anything else.

Marisa: I keep track of everything in my head. But sometimes, I’ll get really overwhelmed with all ideas and things that need to get done. At that point, I’ll write everything down on my phone to keep track of. It’s good working with someone who you have a good friendship and chemistry with, because I know if I get an idea randomly, I can just send it to him so it gets out of my brain and it’ll make sense to him. So that helps.

Miles: Fans should look forward to several new song releases and hopefully a performance in their hometown soon!

Marisa: New songs, more shows, and many more new experiences to be made through the power of music!