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Sep 16, 2021 By Dom Gourlay

Lancaster-based synth-rock trio Vex Message released the second single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album last week. Entitled “No You Don’t”, it follows previous single “Data Regime” which came out earlier this year.

Continuing their wryly cynical take on the modern world, the latest single is a challenge to the rampant hyper-positivity of social media posts. “Those cringe-worthy motivational mantras you see some chumps regurgitating,” explains Derek Meins (lyricist/lead singer/button twiddler/strange dancer) formerly of Rough Trade signed, indie band Eastern Lane.

“‘It’s a beautiful day to go after your dreams?’ Fuck off. How about? ‘Aren’t you wanting to despair about your terrible hair and your coming demise?’ That’s more like it. The verses are structured in such a way as to emulate the trend for advertising slogans which as your questions, suggesting their product has the answer. In summary, it is a tongue-in-cheek proclamation that you don’t need all the shit they’re selling, it’s all a load of bollocks and you’ll just have to get on as best you can in this modern hell-hole.”

The recording sessions for Vex Message started as far back as 2019, the impending Covid-19 pandemic forcing them to record in various locations and remotely. Mixed by Jag Jago (The Maccabees, Jessie Ware and Florence and the Machine), like all the other tracks ‘No You Don’t’ is a result of the environment it was recorded in.

Meanwhile, Meins shares a story about the filming of the video for “No You Don’t”. “I was inspired by a piece of art I saw which quite bearishly cut and pasted three faces together to a very unsettling effect. So, we did the same with photos of the three of us and had them printed up as masks, “ he explains.

“We then spent the hottest day of the year running around the Lancashire countryside in boiler suits, balaclavas and masks. When devising the plan, I had neglected to consider putting eyeholes in the masks so it turned out we couldn’t see a thing when filming, hence the weirs running and lots of footage of us walking into things. During filming, we came across two young men, already wearing their own balaclavas (why? I don’t know) on electric bikes and got them to make a cameo appearance. We also encountered angry farmers who were annoyed with us for filming on the dirt track and a small girl in a graveyard who was upset upon seeing us and asked her mother, ‘What are they?’”.

“No You Don’t” comes with another new song “And The Land Stay Still” on the b-side.

Here’s the aforementioned video in all its glory.

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