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Vehicle – “Escalators”
Leeds quartet Vehicle have released a new single, “Escalators”, a fuzzy garage-rock track drawing on 1960s acts such as ? and the Mysterians and the 13th Floor Elevators. The release further develops the band’s retro-minded sound and arrives ahead of a Manchester support slot for fellow nostalgia-pop group Sharp Pins next month.
Frontman and guitarist Michael Cable described the song as a stream-of-consciousness piece about burnout, unreality and delirium, with music and lyrics converging in the image of “outstretched escalators”. Its surreal lyrics reference the Shangri-Las, fictional death and “hold music with stolen guitars”, giving the track a dreamy, psychedelic atmosphere.
In short
- Vehicle release fuzzy garage-rock single “Escalators”.
- The track draws strongly on 1960s psychedelic rock.
- Vehicle will support Sharp Pins in Manchester next month.
Explained simply
Vehicle are a four-piece band from Leeds who make guitar-led rock influenced by older music. Garage rock is a rough-edged style that took shape in the 1960s, and psychedelic rock often uses unusual sounds and dreamlike imagery.
The band’s frontman, Michael Cable, writes and sings about burnout and feelings of unreality in this song. Its references to groups such as the Shangri-Las place it among music that looks back to earlier pop and rock, while giving listeners a way into its surreal themes.