A Vulture Wake is a supergroup founded in 2017. Several lineup changes have resulted in Chad Price (ALL, Drag The River) as the sole remaining founding member following the recent departure of Brandon Landelius (ex-Authority Zero). They’ve got a new album out this Friday, and agreed to sit down for a round of Roll of the Dice. We rolled a SIX.
1) You’ve got Kingdom coming out in a few days, congratulations! What should people expect from the new album in comparison to Fall Prey and An Appropriate Level of Outrage?
Chad Price (vocals/guitar): I feel the songwriting on the new record is much more focused and on point. More collaboration between the 4 of us led to a very tight and concise vision.
John Hernandez (drums): They can expect to be taken for a fucking ride!
Dave Klein (bass): Thanks, Jeff! Those first couple releases really flew, but now the band has settled in and is feasting on a carcass of groove and power.
2) It’s quite a few years in between those albums. How much of that time was due to the pandemic, and how much is just the song-writing process?
Chad: I think in hindsight the pandemic worked in our favor. This record could’ve come out a year ago, but it wouldn’t necessarily have been as fleshed out as all the dead time allowed it to be.
Dave: Yeah. We got our first couple demos from Chad right before the ‘vid hit the fan (editor- that’s my new favorite COVID line). So, we took advantage of the time off to really hash out how to present the songs in a way that highlighted our distinct & varied voices as musicians. And while we had known each other for decades, this was our first collaboration. I’m glad we had the time and technology available to bounce demos back-and-forth and let the songs… become.
3) Brandon recently left the band, and you announced that none other than 88 Fingers Louie’s Dan “Mr. Precision” Wleklinski will be filling in for you upcoming tour. How goes the search for a permanent replacement?
Dave: Nothing is permanent. But I am looking forward to sharing the stage with Dan.
Chad: Dan is a killer dude and a killer player. It’s been great getting to know and play with him. After this first trip we’ll re-examine the situation. We just want to be absolutely sure we have the right person. Touring in a van can be a real drag if you’re not all friends and on the same page.
4) OK, the cover for Kingdom is very weird, and a bit ambiguous as to exactly who, or what, is standing there on the cover. Can you share any thoughts on whether or not the cover plays into the album’s themes in ways we don’t know yet (because few have heard it in whole)?
Chad: After all society collapses who knows what or who will be left. Everything (artwork, lyrics, etc.) is intrinsically tied.
Dave: I’ve never seen ‘cool’ spelled w-e-i-r-d. But, yes, the cover of Kingdom evolves into the cover of our next EP and further into the full-length.
5) Could you name off a few bands that you think TGEFM readers should be checking out?
Dave: Trial By Noise, Chilton, Moody Blues
Chad: Intronaut, Katatonia, Jethro Tull
John: Cave In, Voivod, Shiner
Dave: Oh, and A Vulture Wake!
6) Aside from Kingdom and the upcoming tour, what’s next in line for A Vulture Wake?
Dave: Our second EP, Animal, will come out next. The two EPs will become sides A&B of our Vinyl release, also on Thousand Islands Records. And we’ll be out playing shows in support of those releases.
Kingdom is out 10 Jun 2022 via Thousand Islands Records. You can preorder a copy of the album here.
The band will also be on tour to support the release of the new EP. You can check out the dates and info for that tour via the poster below.
Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He’s lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.
