Spotlight: Experimenting With Musical Boundaries, Vinyl Floor Releases ‘Funhouse Mirror’

 

☆ MEGHAN FLOOD ☆

 
 

A FUNHOUSE FILLED WITH MIRRORS — in their fifth album release, Vinyl Floor’s Funhouse Mirror explores the floating feeling in between isolation, rooted in fresh rock ’n’ roll. The band, made up of brothers Thomas Charlie and Daniel Pedersen, have put together an album that is sure to impress those looking for fresh and revived rock with a familiar touch. 

Starting to write in their teens, the group's love of music quickly emerged. Thomas clearly knew from a young age that he wanted to become a songwriter — starting with the guitar at 15, it wasn’t long before he set his sights on mastering the piano too. Any old music teacher is sure to tell you scales come first, but Thomas admitted he didn’t have the patience and immediately moved straight into writing his own songs. 

“That’s why I never really got past the basic chords and strumming,” he explained with a laugh.

Funhouse Mirror is filled with little musical easter eggs, hinting at the wide range of musical influences Vinyl Floor has taken onboard for the album. Elements of rock are clear throughout the album but are completely refreshed through the meshing of genre and playing with what we’ve come to expect from a rock album. You’re sure to immediately note the influence of The Beatles, as Vinyl Floor manages to take inspiration from the famed band’s unique sound while still providing the listener with a fresh take on what rock can be.

When asked how they’d describe their music, Vinyl Floor highlighted this same influence: “It’s a bit hard for me to pin down,” Thomas said. “We’re definitely rooted in rock, primarily bands from the ’70s. We have a soft spot for The Kinks and The Beatles — the way they incorporated elements of vaudeville, strings, and horns to their sound. We try to do the same. We also have some folk/singer-songwriter elements … [and] different elements from classical music and a tiny bit of jazz too.”

Vinyl Floor has a massive range of influences, ranging from Pearl Jam to Bob Dylan. They try to pull influences from them not just musically but also from their work ethics, citing them as a source of inspiration for how they manage to work in business. “We try to put all the musical ingredients in a melting pot and hopefully come out as Vinyl Floor.”

Their newest album, Funhouse Mirror, is a must-listen full of surprises and exciting musical experimentation.

“I don’t know if we had a certain plot or conceptual frame to work within to begin with,” Thomas described. “We always write and at some point we gather the songs and demos to see where they might take us. Most of the songs were written during lockdown so the entire process and some of the lyrics reflected that for sure, the sense of isolation. It was just a very strange time. But it made us focus even more intensely on the material, I believe. And we discovered early on that these songs needed bigger arrangements and that we had to get some additional musicians on board to help us fulfill our vision. That’s how we got Rob Stoner, Bebe Risenfors, and Christian Ellegaard to play on the record, adding some nice touches we couldn’t have done ourselves.”

In Funhouse Mirror, Vinyl Floor comes into their own, testing musical boundaries and exploring melody in a way they haven’t before. Highlights of their fresh experimental melodies are without a doubt “Dear Apollon” and “Stare, Scare.” Alongside these pieces, the duo is excited for people to get to listen to “Funhouse Mirror” and “Death of a Poet.”

“I’m proud of the entire record, but I think the title song ‘Funhouse Mirror’ is probably my finest hour as a songwriter,” Thomas said. “I’m just really happy about the way the lyrics and melody came together. I also like the recording. I’ve listened to the song a thousand times and I still think it’s perfect. That doesn’t happen a lot, I tell you! I also want to mention the song called ‘Death of a Poet,’ which I sincerely believe is my brother’s finest hour. It just really touches me. It’s nicely put together, consisting of three different parts, movements, if you like. It reminds me of ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ by The Beatles.”

Vinyl Floor’s Funhouse Mirror is a must-add to your fall playlist. It’s equally familiar and fresh, while not matching anything you’re currently listening to. It is without a doubt an addition to your playlist that you don’t want going anywhere anytime soon.

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