Following on from the success of their debut single earlier this year, Berlin-based trio Varley are back with their new release Lonely Were The Days, out now via Seahorse Music.
Photo Credit: Daniel Eisenlohr
To celebrate the release, we caught up with the group to find out a little bit more about their inspirations, challenges they've faced and more.
For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?
Varley play atmospheric indie, weaving fragile yet poised melodies and melancholic lyrics within a dense soundscape. With mesmerising vocals, warm acoustic guitars, mellow synths and earthy drums they create captivating moments to get lost in.
What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far?
It can be hard, especially in today's social media driven world, being pushed to be more extroverted when in reality you are more of an introvert. Sometimes people in the music industry have very strong opinions of how things should be done and can overpower your thoughts and ideas. Our main goal is to stay true to ourselves and do things the Varley way.
How difficult would you say this career path is in terms of making a name for yourself?
It's definitely not easy. There are so many amazing musicians and songwriters out there making music which many people will never hear. This thought can be a bit overwhelming sometimes but we make music for ourselves first and for an audience second.
How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?
The most important thing for us, is that everyone involved in the creative process has the same vision. If that's the case, then it feels natural and good to let people take control of some aspects of the work. Up until now we have produced everthing entirely on our own, but that doesn‘t necessarily have to stay that way.
Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?
From a lyrical standpoint today‘s society has definitely had a big influence on what we do: The steady need to portray yourself to the outside world as interesting, exciting, special or beautiful. The fear of not being so special at all. And the pressure that all of that puts on you. Musically we found a way of putting our individual influences together in a way none of us would do it, would they just work on their own. Varying tastes in music always play a role and keep the process fresh, while the core of what we do stays the same.
If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
It could be really cool to work together with RY X. The combination of vocals could be really nice, and the vibe would definitely fit.
Do you have definitive aims or goals for your career?
Our biggest goal is to stay true to ourselves. To keep creating music that we believe in and stand behind. To enjoy the journey our music takes us on. And to keep meeting other amazing and talented musicians along the way.
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
Hopefully we will have a record released, or at least lots of new music.
What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?
We are really looking forward to the shows we will play in London in November and December. Some moving picture is also in the making. And we are writing a lot of songs at the moment...
Live Dates:
- 7th November 2018 - The Victoria, London (supporting Bryde)
- 1st December 2018 - Notting Hill Arts Club, London (for Get In Her Ears)