Interview with The Vics

The Vics are a group of energetic and ambitious musicians native to the Pittsburgh area. Having seen them in the past, I can say that their sound is infectious; a foundation of rock and roll style mixed with the sleaze of a noir jazz club. Songs like “Leona Lovegrove” and “Surfing with Abbey” show this off perfectly. The sound is undeniably catchy and cool. I was lucky enough to speak to Bobby Dugan, the group’s lead singer, about how the band’s been lately.

Tell everyone about The Vics as a band!

I say that we fit closest into the category of indie/garage/alternative rock. Individually we all have similar music tastes and influences. We are huge fans of 60s and 70s rock and roll, but we draw inspiration from blues, jazz, modern pop, and everything in between! What we write tends to be more guitar based, but we are always looking at new ways to keep pushing the envelope and adding different elements to our music as our knowledge of composition and arranging expands!

What is your creative process like? How have your favorite songs come together?

Our creative process differs a bit from song to song. Typically, one of us will come up with a chord progression and lyrics. We run it by the others to get opinions and then either work out the rest of the song, if needed, or begin putting together a demo. From there, we collaborate with ideas on where the song should go musically and what further should be added to get there.

How are you all handling the quarantine? Has the time at home been a blessing, a curse, or both?

It has been a bit of both! Before the quarantine was in effect, we started minimizing the amount of shows we take on in order to focus our efforts on writing. We feel we haven’t missed out on too much. Now though, we are at the stage where in-person collaboration would be more beneficial for us to finalize a lot of what we have been working on.

Are there any bands in the area that you’d like to share a gig with first after the quarantine lifts?

There are a ton of great groups in the area and we enjoy playing with everyone. We are always looking to make some friends!

You can check out the band on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify. Make sure to stay up to date on when the band’s upcoming shows will be!