Leeds-based Vessels are a rock band going places, and quickly. After a relatively “quiet” spell at the turn of the year, they return to gigging action on their current tour to promote their new album, Helioscope, with a gig on Wednesday at new Dundee venue Beat Generator.
The five-piece outfit have visited Scotland before and are looking forward to playing at the venue after they play Aberdeen the night before. And all of this while still holding down full-time jobs in their home town!
“We’re definitely looking forward to going out on tour — it seems like ages since we were supporting Oceansize towards the end of the year and then we did a couple of gigs on our own,” singer and guitarist Peter Wright told Rocktalk.
“This is a bog-standard two-week tour — it’s about as long as we can fit in without it being to the detriment of our health and our jobs. One of us works in the department of health, there are two guitar teachers, one is in publishing and one is a sound engineer as well.”
The band recorded their last single Meatman, with a special guest on lead vocals, which has landed them with something of a problem when live.
“We had my old friend Stuart Warwick (formerly Jacob’s Stories) come in and do it. I’ve wanted to collaborate with him for years because he’s such a wonderful singer and he did an amazing job on Meatman, so much so that we won’t do it without him,” Peter insists.
“It took ages to work out when he was available and able to fit in with us, so if he plays in Dundee he’ll be supporting us and then getting up to sing Meatman. I would get there early because it might be the only chance they’ll get to see him and then hear us perform it live.”
The band release their second album, Helioscope, recorded at the height of the summer in Dallas, Texas, with producer John Congleton. Dirty job, but somebody had to do it, as Peter recalls.