INTRODUCING: VMBRA
Manchester is renowned around the world for having a distinctly rich musical history. OASIS, THE STONE ROSES, THE SMITHS, the list goes on. Rumbling away in the underground since 2022, multi-talented genre-splicers VMBRA have been studiously building their profile.
With founding members Jack Hogg (vocals/guitars) and Ai Sanchez (vocals/keyboards) having known each other since their university days, they already had a solid foundation to build from. “We were in an alt-rock project back then which went on for a few years,” explains Jack. “My heart has always been in prog and prog metal so whilst I was happy in that band it was never going to be my forever band or the band that I wanted to put 100% of my efforts into. During lockdown we both decided we wanted to move onto something heavier, a bit weirder so we decided to move on from that band and start up what we now know to be VMBRA. I met Pete (bass) whilst doing a musical. We got chatting about music and we both kind of said to each other if we were to start a prog band then to get in touch. I sent him some demos, some of which were like seven minutes long. I think it took him about three minutes to reply saying he was in!”
“After about a year of searching we found Kieran (vocals/drums) and I’m glad we didn’t settle earlier. We were really keen to get out there and get gigging but Ai persisted that we hold out for the right person. We then found out he could sing/scream/growl as well and he just rounded out everything that we needed. Having a third vocalist in the band allowed us to form our signature sound and add different dimensions with harmonies.”
“I found these guys on BandMix of all places,” adds Kieran. “I looked at the music influences and it was basically just my Spotify playlist. THE DEAR HUNTER, KARNIVOOL, LEPROUS. I knew I’d found my people. They sent me three demo’s and asked me to learn any one of those three. I turned up and played all three!”
Umbra, Latin for shadow, is defined as the innermost and darkest part of a shadow. A term which Jack felt particularly appropriate to represent their sound. “Our music has a constant theme of light, shade and big, dynamic ranges. We really resonated with that concept as we have a broad range of influences. We’re all going through a bit of a pop, electronic kind of phase at the moment, being able to bring all these different ideas to the table allows for our sound to be more experimental and expansive.”
“I’ve always been into bands that jump between genres,” admits Kieran. “I remember hearing TWELVE FOOT NINJA for the first time and thinking ‘what the fuck is this?! This is amazing’. They really opened my eyes to the realms of possibility. There is so much joy on Jack‘s face when he finds weird music and he can’t wait to show the rest of the band. I remember when he encouraged me to listen to more of SYSTEM OF A DOWN‘s catalogue rather than just the surface level songs like Chop Suey and they blew my mind. They were a big inspiration on having multiple vocalists.”
As they progress deeper into their creative process, VMBRA are developing a fearless approach to song writing which allows each member to express their unique abilities. “The initial songs were either myself or a combination of me and Ai where she would bring some melodies or lyrics and we’d collaborate on them, now we’ve evolved into more of a unit as a band we all like to get involved,” discusses Jack. “We’re actually working on a new album and some songs have been written by Kieran, some by Pete and then others from myself and Ai. I’m usually just lounging around at home with a guitar and inspiration will strike. There has been times when I’ve started digging back through my recordings and I have no recollection of writing it. It feels like I’m taking credit for someone else’s work! We hope to give people something to listen to that they haven’t heard a thousand times before. There is a lot of music out there and some can sound very similar. We take a lot of pride in trying to be weird and a bit different.”
VMBRA are experiencing a particularly purple patch at this stage in their career, having just recently performed on the main stage of RADAR Festival. An opportunity that they won’t soon forget. “We essentially weren’t prepared to play a stage that big as we were initially planned in to play on the second stage but we went out there, did our best and everyone was really positive about it,” states Jack. “I was super happy with the way we played. It was weird having so much room on the stage. I think it’s the first time Kieran ever had a drum riser!”
“Funny story, I was setting up my kit backstage and I’m sat on the riser, which has wheels on it and the stage team came out and told me they needed to get the kit out on stage,” adds Kieran. “I was about to hop off and get out of their way. Instead, they just wheeled me out, really slowly onto this massive stage so I got my grand entrance, it was great!”
In addition, the quartet are also bound for Bloodstock Festival. An achievement which they all deem to be a highlight of their time as a band to date. “A couple of years back we entered Metal 2 The Masses and we lost so it felt quite deflating putting six months of work in for no reward” confesses Kieran. “We took a year out and returned this year, worked our way through all the heats and managed to make the final and earn a slot at Bloodstock! Manchester is an unbelievably competitive area with so much quality. It’s definitely one of our defining moments as a band.”
“Performing in, and winning Metal 2 The Masses has helped a massive amount in terms of our public perception,” adds Jack. “This is turning out to be our busiest summer by far. We had some gigs planned but more and more opportunities keep presenting themselves and it’s very exciting for more and more people to hear our music.”
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