Spotlight: VC Pines
Story & Photos By: Henry Ager
A NEW SOUND FILLED WITH CREATIVE FREEDOM - VC Pines has found his flow. Jack Mercer, the artist behind VC Pines, started working with producer Hound in 2017 on that new sound that emerged as VC Pines. The new sound brought in unique elements, allowing the listener to instantly recognize every VC Pines song.
Layered vocals serve as a core element of the VC Pines sound, though his creativity fuels a unique and varying sound across his music. He likes his songs and his photos to be created “in the moment”, whilst they still retain the identifiable characteristics of VC Pines. When writing, Mercer also likes working with a range of different creatives, each being able to bring their own ideas which also keeps things different but within the same realm.
The live element of his work remains an extremely important aspect for Mercer, as he develops his songwriting around the live experience. ‘Vixen’ and ‘Bones’ both served as turning points for him in terms of nailing the live show. The artist finds value in recreating the depth and complexity live without having to use backing tracks. Furthermore, he feels following a recorded track limits his creativity, as he is unable to change elements of the song in the moment.
Drawing inspiration from a slew of creative fields, Mercer’s musical identity began at a young age. Raised on Soul and Motown records by artists such as Marvin Gaye and Bobby Womack, this stage helped develop the old school soul smoothness in his writing. The music Mercer writes also has a hint of punk sliminess that is inspired by musicians such as Ian Dury and the Stranglers. Hip-Hop grooves have also been woven into the recent songs he has written thanks to the influence of SelasiHD, who has worked with him on songs including ‘Bluebirds’, ‘Nervous’ and ‘Kinbaku’.
Lyrical inspiration has come from poets such as John Cooper Clarke, Charles Bukowski and Jack Kerouac, in particular Kerouac, who helped him focus on artistry. The theme of displaying the best versions of yourself and burying worries and imperfections deep down are developed in VC Pines’ forthcoming EP. Delving deeper into feelings of loneliness, self-belief, and romance involved in all of it, the EP explores a range of these emotions. Despite central themes, VC Pines’ music gives the listener independence to interpret them in their own way, inspiring them to take on their own meanings and messages from his lyrics.
In addition, Japan and the Japanese culture serve as a big inspiration for Mercer. His interest in Japanese culture began at a young age due to his Karate practice. Eventually visiting Tokyo, Mercer remains in awe of the Japanese’s ability to be at peace with oneself and to have old and new cultures living seamlessly alongside one another. Another aspect of Japanese culture that greatly inspires Mercer and develops his songwriting and production is ‘Wabi Sabi’, which is the acceptance of imperfection. First takes are often used in his recordings, which contain a real element allowing him to connect to the listeners and show he is real.
VC Pines’ latest single ‘Bluebirds’, inspired by the poem ‘Bluebird’ by Charles Bukowski, touches on authenticity in an age of social media. In his poem, Bukowski explores themes of protecting your inner self from the outside world while VC Pines’ track centers around not showing the world who you really are. Mercer feels the ability to hide is easier to do than ever thanks to modern social media. Mercer wrote ‘Bluebirds’ with SelasiHD and produced it with Hound, describing is as having grown into a song that develops within itself, culminating in a change of chord sequence under the chorus at the end, giving an uplifting sense of a realization of self that people need.
Ready to release his new EP, Mercer takes pride in these new songs and how they reflect his growth as an artist. He feels more connected with the EP than before as he’s focused heavily on translating the music into the live experience. Moving forward Mercer plans to continue to have an ever changing sound, always giving his listener something fresh.
TOUR DATES
1 April | The Prince Albert, Brighton
2 April | Omeara, London
4 April | Crofters Rights, Bristol
2 May | Live At Leeds, Leeds
2 May | Sound City, Liverpool
