Athens-based post-punk new wave outfit Vision Video have shared their debut single In My Side. The track is a shimmery pop track reminiscent of early Cure and it comes with an equally impressive b-side Inked In Red.
Vision Video is vocalist and guitarist Dusty Gannon, Emily Fredock on vocals and keys, drummer Jason Fusco (Shehehe), and bassist Dan Geller (I Am the World Trade Center, The Agenda).
“Lyrically, In My Side is about trying to find normalcy in relationships that are inherently toxic or detrimental. I think it’s easy to conceptually understand that someone isn’t right or healthy for you, but the reality is often so much more complicated because we don’t choose who we love. I likened this to being hunted down by a serial killer in the song. It’s also sort of my homage to 80’s horror and slasher flicks. The idea is that you can try all you might to get away from this person, but sometimes there’s no denying it, no running from those feelings, despite the red flags,” says Dusty Gannon.
Listen to In My Side via YouTube below.
These tracks were recorded and mixed by Tom Ashton (The March Violets, Clan of Xymox) at Sub Von Studios, and mastered by Joel Hatstat at High Jump Studio.
Not afraid of the dark, Video Vision pays homage to 1980s new wave and gothic-rock with heavy influence from 2000s emo and disco punk. They synthesize a masterful blend of gothic rock, shoegaze, pop and punk rock. With depth and originality, they aren’t afraid to write a hook, resulting in their own unique flavor of accessible and dancey goth-pop.
Having served in war-torn Afghanistan as an Army Infantry Officer, an experience that left an indelible mark on his psyche, Gannon returned home to serve on a new frontline as paramedic and firefighter. These experiences inform Vision Video’s songwriting, resulting in a serious look at the dark side of humanity processed through a retro-goth filter.
“B-side Inked in Red is a song I wrote about trying to find meaning in post-war life. I was trained to be a soldier, whose job it is to kill, for such a long time. Once that experience ended, I had a lot of difficulty seeing myself fitting into civil society. This is a song about feeling like you’re just in the wrong place and time, and that it’s just not ever going to change, even though you’re doing everything you can to find new meaning and contentment.”
Listen to Inked In Red via YouTube below.
Vision Video formed in March 2018, named for a now-defunct local video rental store out of nostalgia for a fave Friday night ritual of renting horror movies, thereby keeping a piece of Athens history alive through the band’s name. Their music is influenced by Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cure, The Smiths, Type O Negative, The Clash, Washed Out and New Order.
Dusty Gannon explains how things came together: “I worked with Jason at the Georgia Theatre bar and told him about some goth-rock and post punk songs I had been working on. He was quick to offer to play some drums. Eventually we had quickly written 3 or 4 songs very organically and effortlessly. Dan heard about us through mutual friends. He had sworn to never play in another band, but we brought him out of retirement, so to speak.”
Emily soon joined and everything came full circle. “I used to sneak into Go Bar to see Dan DJ parties and play with his synthpop band ‘I Am the World Trade Center’. I was fascinated by how well they got a crowd going. It had a huge impact on my desire to play music. Little did I know I’d be close friends and in a band with him 12 years later,” says Gannon.
“I met Tom Ashton at a Goth Night that I DJed a few years ago. I have been a big fan of The March Violets since I was a teenager. Pretty bad-ass to record with someone whom wrote music that helped shape your musical taste.”
In My Side / Inked In Red are out now across digital platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. Their debut album is expected later this year.
