Fresh from the release of his brand-new single In The Dark Times VANT announces his return to touring including a date at Manchester's Deaf Institute on 26 June 2021.It feels so good to be sharing live music with you without any of that socially distanced fuss. Don't miss out on tickets for one of the first live shows on the hallowed Deaf Institute stage
Tickets on sale 10am Wednesday 26th May
? https://bit.ly/3oM83Sb
Sunderland-born Mattie Vant has already had his fair share of highs and lows. After tentatively starting his solo career in Brighton, he moved to London and wrote his first record ‘DUMB BLOOD’ in response to contemporary British rock music’s lack of political engagement. As VANT began to take shape, Mattie worked at the notorious Dalston music venue, “Birthdays”, serving such clientele as Harry Styles, Frank Ocean, Neneh Cherry and Michael Stipe. It was in the basement of this nightclub that VANT’s foundations were built, rehearsing there with bandmates recruited from a mixture of staff and punters. The grassroots artist soon built momentum and after only a handful of gigs attracted the cheque books of every major label executive in the country. Parlophone, who started the frenzy, eventually landed Mattie’s signature and kick-started a whirlwind two year journey from five consecutive “BBC R1 Hottest Record(s) In The World” to main stage festival appearances at Fuji Rock, Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds, Best Kept Secret, Øya and Pukklepop.
After parting ways with the record label, sustaining VANT in its current incarnation became financially impossible and Mattie was forced to reconsider his options. The music industry along with the political landscape had drastically shifted in this short period, and Mattie became increasingly disenfranchised, his characteristic optimism tested by the double blow of Brexit and Trump. Mattie began exploring new ways of creating music, spending the following summer in LA gathering material for what would become his polarising, second record “Conceived In The Sky”. Like the climate, Mattie’s sound had been radicalised. Reinstating himself as the DIY solo artist he once was, the hip-hop inspired, sample infused sophomore effort confused and delighted his fanbase in equal amounts. 25 million streams and two sold-out tours later the world was put on hold as Covid 19 struck. With the resulting international restrictions and festival cancellations, the pandemic left Mattie like many other artists, in a precarious position.
Mattie took refuge in his studio, The Lightly Padded Cell, that he had built the year before in a run down local warehouse, finally realising an idea he had only flirted with in the past; writing, performing and producing an album entirely on his own. The result is “Extinction Ballads”, a lo-fi classic and his most personal record to date. Inspired by Renaissance news reporting, 16th Century Italian Theatre and the work of Mark Linkous, the album is a voyeuristic browse through a philosophy undergrad’s part-auto-biographical, existentially-dread tinged search history. But that's not to say it isn’t a fun record, Mattie’s witty lyrical form and tongue in cheek sensibilities permeate the doom scrolling. While stylistically the music continues to transform, the subject matter remains as a poignant commentary on world matters.
Ahead of the release of lead single “In The Dark Times”, Mattie has started a weekly radio show called “DUMB NARRATOR” which sees him play a selection of his favourite songs and interview guests such as Blood Red Shoes, EXUM, The Pale White, Devon & Nancy. He also interacts with fans through an Instagram live show called “Let The People Talk” which gives people a platform to discuss important issues and offers an informal support system for people struggling with the current state of affairs. A world tour is in the pipeline and with new found confidence, creative independence and a general “fuck it” mentality, VANT 3.0 looks set to finally take Mattie to the heights he’s been shooting for since his acclaimed debut.
Event Venue
The Deaf Institute, 135 Grosvenor Street, Manchester, United Kingdom
Tickets