Brave Vultures consist of singer/guitarist Dom Littler, bassist Harry Stokeley, guitarist Jack Hudson and drummer Richard Aries. The band name is derived from the infamous and somewhat controversial photo by Kevin Carter entitled ‘Struggling Girl’, which depicts a vulture sizing up a starving young girl in Sudan.
Littler explains: “The photo really hit me hard. The Vulture in the image didn’t have a clue, it was simply hunting its prey, being arguably braver than the other predators. The story continues that the photographer chased it away and the starving Sudan girl survived, but Carter just couldn’t cope with the haunting tragedy of what he had seen over the years. An award winning photo combined with a tragic ending.
Well, that’s pretty moving stuff.
The band’s style is to write in a realistic and uncliched style with lyrics about anxiety, love and relationships. “Being in our mid-twenties, we are all being pressured into getting real jobs and growing up”, Littler explains; “Brave Vultures is our escape from the world, and we won’t be hanging up our gigging hats for some wanker in an office any time soon. It takes a lot of bravery to laugh off financial security and join a band. You have to be brave if you want to follow your dreams.
Of first single, With Me, Dom says, “It began as an acoustic song in my room about a year ago.‘With Me’ is basically about an average day in the life of me and my girlfriend. I take her to work, we always do a silly smile at each other before she has to leave, she comes home, we have some dinner, listen to some music etc. The chorus is about my everyday insecurities – I never really finish anything I start and I always feel like I could be bettering myself as a person.” Continuing with a heavy dose of normality, the band reveal the video was shot at guitarist Jack Hudson’s Dad’s lock up “because it looked very dusty and overgrown.” No frills, no fuss.
The EP kicks off with the instruction to “Turn it on and rip the knob off!” An invitation to throw your petty niggles to one side and indulge in a bit of post punk escapism. Full of energy, it’s a bouncing and melodic opener sure to get a singalong when played live. Safe Ground and If You Run are more serious and reflective about relationships issues, tender, yet the powerful guitars are never far away. “Some things don’t come back around,” sounds like it’s a “one chance and you’re out” statement on the EP closer, Don’t Let Me Down. You’re left with the feeling that you’ve experienced emo rock without being depressed and ground down by it – uplifting and thoughtful is a winning combination which could lead to a rosy future for the vultures. Pick the bones out of that.
music waffle. 