Upsetting the Balance: On Saving Vice's "So Safe" (Acoustic) and Doing Music Their Way
When you look at metalcore in its most heartfelt and candid of expressions, there is no right or wrong way to do it, you just do it. This approach could not be more true for Vermont natives Saving Vice. Since they first appeared on the scene back in 2018, their sense of individualism, throwback instrumentalism, dark forthright lyricism, with modern metalcore flavors caught the attention of many in the scene. While the genre has a fair share of creative bands wanting to stand out like the visionaries they aim to aspire to be, there are some that step off the beaten path, making you want to continue to listen to this genre. Saving Vice confidently fits that description. The band has consistently done things their way and has never looked back.
Their independent release, Hello There, was not only a testament to Saving Vice's character to create a somberly intricate and rhythmically complex record that hits heavy on an instrumental note but also proves to be transformative after your first listen. Saving Vice has developed a knack for commanding the room when it comes to their musical presence, and they are doing so yet again with their latest acoustic release, "So Safe."
Saving Vice “So Safe” (Acoustic) Single Art
An acoustic rendition of the original track, "So Safe," from their latest full release, Hello There, this denuded take on the original song is warmly ornamented and heightened by the acoustic melodies and varied exceptional vocal talents of Tyler Small. Saving Vice is once again showing their intrinsic, natural-sounding side, showing that they are capable of more than just producing heavy records. Saving Vice is one of metalcore's biggest stars of the future, and if Hello There and this latest acoustic release has anything to show for it, this band has quite the future in store for next year. I got to talk to these metalcore luminaries about their latest release and about writing music their way.
What made you go back to "So Safe" to rework this as an acoustic track? What made this feel like this was the right decision?
Robbie: I think the surprising success of our acoustic version of “Black Ice” is what led us to want to do more stripped-down versions of other songs. It really showcases we can do a lot more as a band than just heavy breakdowns and blast beats. So we always knew we wanted to do an acoustic version for at least one of the songs on Hello There and “So Safe” was just a no-brainer candidate.
It’s already a soft, romantic song filled with a lot of melodies and progressions that I knew would translate beautifully over to acoustic. This song is also about being away from loved ones, so releasing this right before Christmas during a pandemic we thought would really hit home with a lot of people in particular.
As an artist, how do you guys connect with this track on an emotional level when you're playing "So Safe" originally versus when it's played acoustically? From what I understand instrumentally, there is a different type of energy for each track.
Robbie: Well, unfortunately, we’re unable to answer this because we’ve never played either version live. We only played one show in 2020 (right before the COVID shutdowns), which was our sold-out album release headliner at Higher Ground back in March, “So Safe” was not on the setlist for that show. Being that “So Safe (Acoustic)” was not released yet, we’ve obviously never performed that one yet either. However, out of pure speculation, “So Safe (Acoustic)” probably wouldn’t be a song we would ever play live just because of how long and slow it is. It’s a great lullaby interpretation of the original that I think it would be best left for streaming or maybe even VIP meet-and-greet acoustic set type scenarios.
What do you want people to take away from this version of this release?
Tyler: I think stylistically, this version is more of a romantic lullaby. I feel like sometimes, the energy of a song can change how the lyrics impact you. I’m hoping that people really FEEL the song and the lyrics after hearing this more intimate version. I want to really have people who relate to the song feeling like it was written for them.
Stepping away from "So Safe" for a bit, your sound is both refreshing yet nostalgic in a way that I would say takes us back to the early 2000's metalcore. How do you manage to stay progressive while still using these key metalcore within your music?
Robbie: Personally, I never try to write the same song on a given release. I always thought it was boring hearing an album where there are one or two good songs, and the rest just felt like filler tracks that didn’t really serve a purpose. That’s why I write our music in a variety of keys and guitar tunings to help break up that monotony in our sound. At the end of the day, I trust the nuances in my writing style and Tyler and Chases’s unique vocal tones are what’s going to glue our music together to sound like Saving Vice, that’s all that matters.
As far as staying progressive, that’s just a matter of combining the music we love to write with what’s currently trending in the mainstream music scene. That way we preserve the passion of our songwriting while staying relevant and modern. I think fans will really see that more clearly with the new material we plan on putting out in 2021.
What have been your influences in creating your music? How did the local scene also affect that?
Tyler: It’s pretty hard to narrow that down whilst also speaking for the band, but honestly, everything and anything influences us. If something makes me really angry, or really sad in my life I write about it. If a movie or story has an emotional impact on me I write about it. “Endgame” “The Spire” and “Hollow Bastion” were inspired by works of fiction that made me feel. Music is an outlet for what builds up in my mind and body.
As far as “the local scene” goes, we had to make our name in other neighboring states starting out because our scene was really disappearing especially with a lot of venues closed down and fewer local bands. What was left of it wanted little to do with a band like ours as we didn‘t really fit in. There are definitely elements of that negative energy on “Hello There” like “Before I Go” and “Echoes From the Gutter”.
We had to travel out of our local scene to really get a chance and in some ways, New England is our scene, but when we finally decided to have our release headliner in Vermont, we were overwhelmed by how amazing it was and it really made us feel like we were accepted in our hometown and that the scene was coming back until the pandemic stepped in.
A lot of your songs are heavy and dark lyrically, is that fair to comment? What is the recording process like when tackling such themes then writing instrumentally around them?
Robbie: Our writing process is actually the opposite of that. I will write the track instrumentally first and foremost, then Tyler and Chase will either write lyrics to that track from scratch or pull from their own personal vaults of lyrics to find preexisting material that already flows with the vibe of that song. I’m not sure we’ve ever written instrumentals after a lyrical idea in the history of the band, but it’s not something we’re necessarily opposed to trying out someday.
I see a lot of heavier bands taking their tracks and reworking or reimagining them from their original counterparts, as you guys have done, I love that bands are doing this now to show off a more prismatic side to their sound. Do you feel this is a great way to experiment with different musical territories while at the same time showing another side of yourself to your fans? Some will debate that is just another way for artists to release something that is already out. What is your opinion on this?
Tyler: It’s hard to not appear bias when it’s something we’ve done so many times, but I think it’s a great thing, but as a business, it totally is a chance to easily re-release content. It’s less expensive, it gets you more streams and fans from different genres and pockets of the scene, and it is a chance to push music you already have out to people who have still yet to hear it. You can always tell which way a song leans in balance-wise by how poorly it’s done though.
Some are artistic reimaginations and some are just lazy, but that’s really a subjective opinion in the end. For me personally, it’s a way to take a different approach to a song, in some ways I prefer “So Safe” acoustically to the original and vice versa, there’s no rule that says you can’t do both. Some artists release the same song three times with different guest features. Whatever works, it’s your art, you can do whatever you want.
Listen to Saving Vice’s “So Safe” (Acoustic) down below!