Whilst for some it may be your first time wrapping your ears around this band, Void Of Vision are certainly no strangers to the game. With a career spanning almost a decade, the Melbourne collective have made their mark on a global scene through a committed touring regime, three full length albums and four huge EP’s that were nowhere near long enough. With their latest record ‘CHRONICLES II: HEAVEN‘ entering the release chart last week via UFND, the band are currently gearing up for an explosive run for the Into The Dark tour with support from UK high flyers Holding Absence & Aus up & comers Bloom – a lineup so stacked it’s enough to make any live music connoisseur green with envy.
Taking a step in a different to its predecessor ‘HEAVEN’ still packs a savage punch, but incorporates a huge sense of dynamic melody. The 2021 release ‘CHRONICLES I: LUST’ marks a story of pure aggression – however here in ‘HEAVEN’ vocalist Jack Bergin takes a lyrical swerve with the narrative pushing a sense of hope onto its audience, and with it the bands own perspective on finding heaven on earth. Fear not, the bands signature introspective study and melancholy tones remain thoroughly intact – and this record is concrete proof of their growth as both artists and performers.
Related: Void Of Vision – Chronicles II: Heaven | EP Review
We caught up with Jack following release day to hear all about the records creative process, working alongside Architects drummer Dan Searle & taking their tracks from the studio to the road.
“"I want Void Of Vision to be a shared experience for all"”
For anyone who might be checking out Void Of Vision for the first time – can you tell us a bit about your origin story as a collective?
“Our origin really stems from our collective love for our local music scene – we all met via our old bands/musical endeavours and I think we’ve always been super appreciative of where we came from and how far it has taken us to where we are today. After having the privilege of our friends’ support growing up we strongly believe in paying it forward, like nurturing talent at a local level to help bring it into the spotlight – love is where it all begins and where it should always remain within the industry.”
What would you say sets Chronicles II… apart from the rest of your material? Was Chronicles I: LUST always intended to have a follow up?
“The thing that sets Chronicles II apart from its predecessor is the major sonic shift from pure aggression to the incorporation of more dynamic sensibility and a new found way to express our emotions. The writing process for HEAVEN was so different to anything we had ever done before so I think the final product was always bound to end up completely different to LUST – we wanted these songs to be the be the most grandiose we have ever released and to put every inch of our soul at the time into the songs, something I hope everyone can experience through the recordings.”
Is there a specific message you’re looking to convey within the EP’s narrative as a whole?
“I don’t think there’s a particular message to be honest, the whole narrative, if you will, is a journey of discovering one’s identity, being at one with yourself and how you present that to the world.”
What made you decide to revert to EP’s for this release cycle, rather than a follow on full length after your last album?
“Times were just so uncertain when this writing process began during the pandemic, we never wanted to put out a whole piece of work in one and never get the opportunity to tour it in full so the idea of a stretched out collective of work always seemed more appealing. The best part of choosing the EP route was the idea to create a different realm within each one and write it all on the fly – almost showcasing everything this band could ever be and giving people an insight into how diverse our influences really are. Leaving the future open to uncertainty of where we could take this band next was a big goal we set at the conception of this idea.”
When looking at your catalog across the board, have you always found writing cathartic? Or have there been times where you’ve found your subject matter really difficult to get down?
“I think as soon as we entered new territory on the Disturbia EP I began writing lyrics from a completely different point of view which really changed the pace for the future. Sometimes it’s hard to represent your thoughts in a way that others can understand and relate to and I think that’s where I’ve truly become a stronger lyricist. Especially on this new EP, really attempting to evoke feeling in others rather than completely focusing on my own feelings has been a super important realisation that I’m glad I came to. I want Void Of Vision to be a shared experience for all.”
Is there a specific lyric that stands out for you across this release?
“I think the entirety of ‘INTO THE DARK’ is the most sentimental for myself, “could you watch an angel bleed?” is one of my personal favourites, has been in my head for a very long time so finally putting it in a song was truly like getting something massive off my chest.”
Have you always stuck to co-writing since the release of 2017’s Disturbia?
“Not in particular! I think there were maybe 3 song co-writes on Hyperdaze and didn’t find ourselves back in that zone until working with Dan on this EP. With that being said, we do strongly believe the new set of ears and input can become so valuable when you gel super well with another writer. Everyone we’ve worked with has always had our overwhelming respect and genuine appreciation of their songwriting abilities – I think it’s made for some super special moments in our discography when we were looking to tap into new sources of inspiration.”
“The last hometown show we played was to a room that wasn’t allowed to dance or move due to Covid restrictions - I never realised how much of a tease that could be before”
What made you decide to start incorporating clean vocals into your delivery? How have you found going from screams dominating your performance into layering some calmer vocals in the studio?
“To be honest I don’t think I would’ve stepped as far into it if it weren’t for Dan Searle giving me that push in the ‘INTO THE DARK’ writing session. I’ve discovered a new found confidence adding another dynamic into my arsenal that has just opened so much opportunity in our songwriting realm. It’s something I’ve always wanted to give a proper crack so I’m very appreciative of the guys for encouraging me to jump in the deep end so far into our career like this.”
How did you come about working with Dan Searle on your latest single? Architects are all lovely guys for sure – but did you find it slightly intimidating at any point to be working with such a revered composer in a studio capacity?
“We were introduced by our friend/A&R at UNFD Leander Gloversmith – of course it was all over zoom/calls and sending stuff back and forth but getting even the slightest glimpse at how Dan’s brain works was so inspiring. Definitely didn’t find it intimidating (maybe it was because it was through a computer screen ), we were more so extremely grateful to be honest. We’ve looked up to Dan and Architects for a long time so reaching this stage was a proper full circle moment for us that we just wanted to absolutely cherish every moment of. We have a lot of respect and appreciation for Dan and every second of his time he spared for us during such a busy stage of his life.”
The visual accompaniments to the singles seem to have really stepped up for this cycle – which video was your favourite to create?
‘Dominatrix’ for sure, that nightclub we shot the video in was all our local hot spot growing up and had a very dingy/dirty reputation. To enter those walls again and see it all these years later along with friends new and old performing in the clip was such a nostalgia rush. The whole day was full of adrenaline now I think about it – I was in hospital the day before shooting so rocking up was always a bit of a gamble for myself but we got there and it turned out literally just as I was picturing it.
Your live calendar for the year is already looking stacked: is there a specific show out of the bunch that you’re really looking forward to?
“Our hometown headline show is looking the most promising currently outside all the debut US dates! The last hometown show we played was to a room that wasn’t allowed to dance or move due to Covid restrictions – I never realised how much of a tease that could be before we did it, crowd energy is a massive part of our show so to see that back in full swing will be mental.”
Up & comers Bloom are making a serious amount of noise following the release of their sophomore record – are you guys stoked to be sharing the road for the ‘Into the Dark’ tour next month?
“They really have been, we’ve had our eyes on that band for quite some time and are very stoked to be taking them out on the road. They’ll be whipping those rooms into an absolute frenzy to help tee the night off.”
We’ve heard you’re heading over to the states this summer – Any plans that might bring you onto the live circuit in the UK this year?
“Absolutely we are! Everything has been locked in for quite some time now, will be announcing that one very soon – super stoked on the lineup, will truly be a special return to the UK for us.