ONE OF the exciting things about Reading Festival is sheer range of musicians at the festival occupying varying points on a spectrum of stages in their trajectories.
While world-dominating acts such as The Killers, Billie Eilish, and Loyle Carner grace the main stages, just as many performers are playing their first ever festival slots over on BBC Introducing.
One of the returning bands for this year’s festival is Vistas, who stand out simply because of how fast they’re working their way up the bill.
It doesn’t take long to see, however, why the indie rock outfit has risen through the ranks quite so quickly.
Vistas released their debut single in 2018, following up with their first EP just a year later, and are now gearing up for their third full album, Is This All We Are?, due in September.
Ahead of the release of the album in September, Vistas are set to play the Festival Republic stage on Sunday, August 24– something lead vocalist Prentice Robertson says is “perfect for us.
“We really love playing festivals, and weirdly the bigger it is the less nervous we often are.
“When there’s sea of faces out in front of you, it’s almost a little more detached, which can help.”
It’s not for the first time, either: Vistas opened the Festival Republic stage back in 2019, eighteen months after the release of their first single.
“We were just at the end of recording our first album, and it was such a great way to finish it, as we were the first act on for the whole weekend over at Leeds.
“But even then the tent was completely rammed, which we were so grateful to be able to look back on.”
They returned in 2021, and are now set to join the likes of rising star Mae Stephens as some of the highlights of the weekend’s Festival Republic offerings for 2023.
“It’s absolutely class to be back, and it’s such a good festival: we’re really looking forward to playing a long set, mixing up the oldies as well as some of the new stuff too.”
Fan favourites such as Retrospect and Tigerblood are notable for acidic, driving guitars and fast-paced rhythm which is difficult not to get swept along with.
While they have maintained complex, almost math-rock sensibilities which have become their calling card, Is This All We Are has shifted the focus, bringing melancholic tones to their typically sunny disposition.
Prentice explains that the change in tone is a reflection of how events in his own life have come to influence his songwriting.
“This new album definitely comes from a less optimistic perspective, and deals with more personal and challenging topics.”
After a family member fell ill last year, he said: “It was kind of all I could think about; we’ve always been one of those bands where we try to consistently have something new to show people.
“So there was a lot darker topics covered: death, the legacy that a person leaves behind– those really influenced the album.
“But there are points of light and optimism.”
Despite this, the album doesn’t dispense with the band’s tendency for hooky melodies and infectious gang vocals, but does have a tangibly different sound to previous outings.
“We wanted to try things we hadn’t before: slower tempos, or shifting up the drum beats, and even switching up tuning.
“It might not seem noticeable, but it helps you fall into different habits, and it’s a case of helping to see what’s necessary, which led to a kind of ‘less is more’ approach.
“And some of the songs sound bigger and more anthemic than they have before, and that’s something you learn from doing a few albums and spending that time in the studio.”
Prentice explains that the band’s approach is often guided by intuition: “We often write a song with just an acoustic guitar before we open up the computer.
“We work a lot on instinct, so if we get excited by something, we really go with it.
“Loads of the really cool moments on the album were things we just got excited about when demoing, so they’re considered, but when you hit on moments like that, it’s such a good feeling.”
This is true even for selecting which songs make the cut: “Sometimes you just pluck it out of the air.
“We actually find that often the songs that need a bit of polishing, a little push and pull or finesse, they often don’t end up getting to the album.”
While the band has continued to grow in experience and in their following, it doesn’t hasn’t changed their practical, considered approach to their craft.
“I always find it interesting to talk to people about the writing process– for me it was one of the most interesting parts about the new album.
“Even things like the artwork, because 90% of the time there’s a reason behind an image or artwork, or a feature of a music video.
“As a fan, that’s what I want to hear about from an artist.”
Vistas are performing on Reading Festival’s Festival Republic stage at 8:50pm on Sunday, ahead of the release of their third album, Is This All We Are?, due on Friday, September 29.
They’re also performing across the UK and Europe in their headline tour, which begins in November.
Full details and tickets are available via: vistasmusic.com
