Exposed Vocals Interviews Vacant Party
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Vacant Party: Well, I’m from Dublin in Ireland. I suppose ever since I was a small kid music has been ever present all the way up to now. I think majority of people who know me would say I’m music mad and I feel I am a creative person, so think it was inevitable that at some point I would pick up an instrument some point in life. In my teenage years (26 now!) I was involved in a few bands with close friends, and all were primarily your typical rock band. Although those are very fond memories of mine, I found the idea of being in a band (especially being in a band which such diverse tastes) a tad stressful and there were always some roadblocks as to why they did not continue. For about 5 to 6 years I did not touch an instrument of any kind, until 2013 when I decided to take music up again mainly as a hobby, and to start making music in a genre that was not the most familiar to me (Electronic music). I have to say I absolutely love Electronic music now and was one of the greatest decisions of my life to start making music again and in this style. Furthermore, the fact that I’m only relying on myself to get songs made/produced I feel there is a lot less pressure, which is great, and I get to enjoy it more!
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Vacant Party: Hmmm… Well I mean I could have easily just decided to release music just using my own name, however as I said before I feel I am a creative person so I decided to try be creative and think of two random words that may fit together. That’s where ‘Vacant Party’ came from.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Vacant Party: Well for someone like me who isn’t a big time name as a Depeche Mode, any exposure to my music is a huge positive for me. I have used various online streaming platforms that people can check out for free but at the same time it is always nice to maybe have the chance to make a little money out of all the hard work I have put into this venture, but if you look at the prices I sell Albums and EPs for; it is obvious that money is not the main goal for me. The main goal is to have people enjoy what I make and nothing else.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Vacant Party: Well, in relation to giving tips to other artists about looking to get gigs, I am certainly not your guy! I have played live with bands in the past, but I don’t play live with the music I make now simply because it is my choice not to; as this project is primarily a hobby of mine for now, but never say never, I may change my mind next week if the right offer came along! In terms of airplay, just keep emailing different radio stations, getting your name known by people in radio and I found for myself anyways that worked and this year especially has been great for airplay. Getting chosen as the biggest Irish tune of the week for my song ‘Emerald’ on one of Ireland’s most popular radio stations is probably the biggest success in terms of airplay I have had so far, but I am very grateful for each radio stations support.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Vacant Party: Well once I plan to start making an album or making an EP I am absolutely obsessed on getting right into it and trying new things, and to make each one better than the last record. I usually just start with an idea in my head to try different styles, for example, I have just released two EPs and my thinking was to make the two different to one another (one has a more dubstep/electronica vibe while the other has a more retro video game if you will). It all really starts with just messing around with a few beats until I find something that sounds good to me and it all evolves from there.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Vacant Party: Yes, I primarily use Bandcamp to sell my music. But I also use Soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/shanemm2011-1) to showcase a few songs from over the years.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Vacant Party: I guess the obvious answer for me is to travel. I love going to new places, especially cities. Over the last few years I have gotten to see some of the best cities Europe has to offer such as Vienna and Berlin among others. But last year I may have reached the pinnacle of cities with Tokyo last year. I have also been to America numerous times, but I have a list of places I would still love to see, so yeah travel would be an absolute definite.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Vacant Party: I suppose for me it has so far just about knowing the right people to give my music some exposure. Radio stations have been very supportive of late, and as always some close friends and family have been very supportive and helped spread the word. But social media of course is the easiest ways these days to try and develop some sort of a buzz about yourself and I have not done too bad doing things that way.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Vacant Party: Eh, well as I said before I have just released two brand new EPs last week and so far the response has been very positive. I always just released my third album back In January and again the feedback was overwhelming for that album. In terms of upcoming projects, I think the plan is to take a little time from it (although I change my mind constantly on these things). I had an idea to maybe do a compilation album as I have over 50 songs at this stage, but that is not concrete at this point. I hope to get more radio airplay over the next few months, gain more exposure and more fans and see where it takes me!
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Vacant Party: Well music is probably my biggest interest in life, I feel it is never going to be my main profession and that was never the plan. I love my technology and interested in the way people use technology. I have worked numerous projects for big clients as a User Experience Designer, and I hope to continue down that route. But at the same time if I was offered a multi-million Euro contract to make music tomorrow, I would probably take it.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Vacant Party: That is not an issue for me. I cater to my main responsibilities on a daily basis with no struggle. I find I make music best during the hours of the night. I am not much of a sleeper.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Vacant Party: New music, and different styles of music. Maybe I will start to delve into the merchandise world and have people wear different items of clothing with my name on them. But more importantly, new music is what people should look out for!