Back with their brand new album ‘Is This All We Are’, Vistas have produced a mature, catchy record that delves deep into the real-life experiences of the band.

The three-piece from Edinburgh have nailed the ten tracks on this album. ‘A Hit Of Heaven’ touches on the edge of a club record, whereas ‘Nowadays’ slows down the pace just enough to complement the other tracks on the album.

Lead song ‘Cruel Hearts’ lies in the middle of this and is a catchy opener. ‘Dopamine’ is one of my favourite tracks on the album. It’s an upbeat track with a riff that will leave you humming it an hour later.

I caught up with the trio Prentice Robertson, Dylan Rush, and Jamie Law to talk about the record, touring, and making music in 2023.

How does the new single differ from the records you’ve released before?

I think ‘Is This All We Are’ is our most mature-sounding record so far, dealing with darker subject matters in the songs and just having our best performances yet on the tracks

Do you have a favourite track on the album?

My favourite track at the moment (changes all the time) is the opener ‘Cruel Hearts’. I’m really pleased with my vocals on this one and I think it builds in such a satisfying way. I also really love the guitar loop that goes throughout the song too

How do you go about starting a track?

Usually, the song starts from some initial idea, like a chord sequence or riff. Then, once I’m happy that I have something that sounds good, I start to consider what I’d like to write about, and the song develops from there

What’s it like making music in the industry at the moment?

The industry is really tough at the moment for all artists. There have recently been a wave of bands having to call it a day, which is really gutting to see. We are very grateful that we can continue to do this and so appreciate people’s support

What can music fans do to help artists like yourself?

We’ve been very lucky to have such supportive fans. It allows us to continue doing what we love – we’re forever thankful for them

Where do you get your inspiration from to write the tracks?

In the early days, I would sometimes write songs without a clear idea of what they were about. But as I’ve developed as a songwriter, I’ve found that drawing from real experiences is usually where the best songs lie

How long did the record take to make?

It was written in various blocks throughout 2022, but to record it only took about 3 and a half weeks. Everything just seemed to work this time around; we had no worries about time or pressure, and I think that’s why it was so fun to record

“The industry is really tough at the moment for all artists. There’s recently been a wave of bands having to call it a day which is really gutting to see”

If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be?

Not really sure who specifically, but it would be great to hear a remix of a Vistas tune, something really clubby

If you were just starting up right now, do you think your sound would be the same?

It’s tricky to say really. I think with each release we’ve put out, the sound of the album reflects who we were at the time. So, if we were to meet now and start a band, I imagine our sound wouldn’t be a million miles off the new album

What’s your favourite part of touring?

The shows themselves. I know that sounds obvious, but they’re probably the most rewarding thing about being in a band: playing a show and seeing people connect with the tunes

We all also really enjoy the rhythm you get into on tour of traveling to a city, kicking about in that city for a bit, sound-checking, playing the show, then heading off and repeating the next day

Going into 2024 what do you hope it looks like?

Always say this, but hopefully just more gigs and more music! I think that’s what we do best!

Vistas UK wide tour starts on 7th November in Glasgow