Vacant Shores On the Making Of “Wasted Breath”
What inspired you to write the lyrics/ music for “Wasted Breath?”
Suzy, our singer's motivation stemmed from her own growing frustration at feeling unheard. As a society, there is increasing research into the effects of social media on our attention spans and ability to focus. Writing the song allowed her to express her personal experience; feeling as though her words are often lost amid the constant distractions that pull people’s attention away. The ‘spreading disease’ mentioned in the lyrics refers to social media addiction and its impact on our ability to connect and communicate meaningfully with one another.
Can you talk about the production process for this song?
Musically, the track is influenced by the alt-pop / southern hip hop thing that started to appear in the late 2010s. Jon originally wrote the music with a goal to make a melodic and interesting track drawing from these influences and to take those influences further, creating a futuristic but accessible track. It was mostly written on vintage hardware but using modern digital production techniques in Jon’s studio, just outside Bristol. The track was initially meant as a collab with fellow Bristol artist J*M*A who came up with some of the initial lyrical melodies. However, it was decided that it would become a Vacant Shores track when Suzy took it on and now sings the lead vocal.
What impact do you hope “Wasted Breath” will have on your audience?
I hope our audience connects with the message and can relate to the emotion behind the song. We'd love for it to encourage conversations around social media addiction and our increasing difficulty in staying focused and present with others. But above all, I hope they enjoy the old-skool feel to the song and catchy chorus!
Tell me about Vacant Shores. How Did you form?
Vacant Shores was formed back when Sid responded to an advert that Jon had posted in search of a singer. Jon, already established with electronica project ‘Polestar’, wanted to change things up, by incorporating vocals into his music and taking a more song-based approach. as a duo, they released their debut EP Summer Ghost in to critical acclaim. After a great run of gigs and festivals the band took a hiatus, only to reform again in 2024 with new additional members, vocalist Suzy Alderton and guitarist/ electronic drums Riley Fitzgerald.
