Photo: Andy Harding
Once upon a time, in the land of Liverpool, there dwelled a band called The Vernons. The group toured the UK during the 80s, and released their LP Smithdown Road in 1990 via the Probe Plus label. Blending the alt-folk storytelling of XTC and Blur with the effervescence of Lightning Seeds and the lyrical prowess of The Teardrop Explodes, their impact was brief but insightful.
In 2015, the band reincarnated as Vernons Future, with original members Simon Burchill, Andy Harding, Jon Fiber, and Tom Le Bas, now joined by Simon’s school friend Simon ‘Hoops’ Hooper.
The term ‘aquaplaning’ means to slide uncontrollably on a wet surface. With this theme of unpredictability and danger in mind, Vernons Future conceived their second LP, Aquaplaning, as a plea to save the planet from a climate emergency. The album features the band’s singles from late 2019 onward, in addition to two new songs. With this noble effort, the band’s music puts a distinctive twist on the poppier end of the indie spectrum.
Aquaplaning examines the twists and turns of the human heart’s desires, through a collection of love songs delving into the darker side. They dive into unfulfilled desires and ambitions (Waiting at the Station), unrequited love and control (Honeysuckle Love), and explore fully unconditional love (Just Can’t Help Myself).
“It’s the examination of love, longing, and regret that gives the album its beating core,” says frontman Simon Burchill. “But you cannot live on love songs alone, right? Holy Joe ponders the beauty and magnificence of religious architecture, all the while remaining uneasy about the nature of religion itself. There’s also joy to be found in our love of cinema, and specifically, those classic old sci-fi movies from the 50’s that dealt with other big issues of the human condition (B Movie). We let our paranoia out of the box too on lockdown worrier Seek Shelter Now, which repurposes nuclear war fears for the pandemic age. And album closer “Disco Oasis” finds Vernons Future in a Madchester-era northern nightclub and loving it!”
Aquaplaning is available on CD and digitally via Apple Music and Spotify. Both formats can be ordered via Bandcamp. The band have a handful of concerts lined up, including an album release show in Camden (London) at Fiddler’s Elbow on October 22 and at Belfast’s Pavilion Bar on October 29.
Listen to the album on Spotify, or Bandcamp below:
Order the album here.
TRACKLIST:
1. Call To Arms
2. Just Can’t Help Myself
3. Holy Joe
4. Honeysuckle Love
5. Lights Have Changed
6. B Movie
7. Waiting At The Station
8. Seek Shelter Now
9. Just Can’t Help Myself (Lazarus Mix)
10. Disco Oasis (live in Leeds)
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