Image by GJS Photography //

The first taste of Vanilla Gorilla’s third album Home is anything but vanilla…

Things have been pretty quiet on the release front from Bungwahl seven-piece Vanilla Gorilla for the past three years. While the streams ticked over on Spotify, the group, who’ve landed support slots with pretty much all of your favourite psych bands over the years, took time off from touring while they waited for the creative juices to start bubbling again. And boy, have they been bubbling.

Today, they hit us with a triple whammy of news: firstly, they’ll be hitting the road for a run of shows over March and April; secondly, they’ve got a new album incoming; and thirdly, they’re baaaaaack with a brand-new single and video, which you’re about to lay your eyes on for the very first time.

‘Exhale’ is a reggae-flavoured groover set to the perfect tempo for a sweaty summer dance floor. From the moment the drums join the party, the track never loses momentum, with a half-time breakdown that takes you to space before a wah-soaked guitar solo drops you off at shredsville. It feels like an amalgamation of everything that people have come to love about this band, and with over 150K monthly Spotify listeners, there’s no doubt that there are plenty of frothers out there.

“I guess the message of this song is about believing there is something bigger at work in your life. We are all part of nature and we tap into that in different ways,” vocalist Jack Stanley says. “A reminder for the times when you get too inside your head and as a means to letting go of the mind states and patterns that are uncomfortable. I was always taught growing up that when things get overwhelming or too much, to slow down and take some deep breaths. I live my life by that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhQOTi-uu20

The clip, which was shot by Alex Brunton and Wylie Wilson, captures the band in their native environment, making the most of the sunshine before taking to the stage at the Bungwahl community hall. “We had a lot of fun filming the video clip for ‘Exhale’. The idea behind it was to have it in keeping with the theme of our upcoming album Home,” says bassist Isaac Topsoil.

“It’s mostly just a montage of some of the shenanigans we’ve been getting up to while in the process of recording the upcoming album. The live footage from the video clip was filmed at our local community hall. An open mic night/50th birthday party turned into a local pre-release album debut, with the band playing the new album for friends and family.”

The tour kicks off with a hometown show at Bungwahl Hall on March 1st before hitting Newcastle Hotel (March 7th), Solbar (March 14th), and The Brightside (March 15th). Later stops include The Underground (UTS) in Sydney (March 29th) and Brunswick Ballroom in Melbourne (April 4th), before wrapping up at The Gumball Festival in Belford (April 25th–27th). TICKETS HERE and stay tuned for Home which is dropping Feb 27th!