THE VASCO ERA
BIO

It took a quarter-life crisis, a Far North Queensland retreat, and a near-band break up, but in October 2011 The Vasco Era released their third studio album – and self-titled The Vasco Era captures them in their prime.

Melbourne rock band The Vasco Era features vocalist and guitarist Sid O’Neil, his brother and bassist Ted O’Neill, and drummer Michael Fitzgerald. Highlight performances including support slots for The Black Keys, The Hold Steady and The Violent Femmes.

Their debut studio album Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside was released in 2007, paving the way to write and record their critically acclaimed second album, Lucille. Released through Universal, Lucille came to life after 18 months of writing when the band teamed up with producer Scott Horscroft (Silverchair, The Temper Trap, The Presets and Little Red). Lucille showcased the raw talent of The Vasco Era as songwriters and musicians. “We hoped it would be an album that people would listen to the whole way through rather than just pluck songs from it,” Ted says. “The whole album is a story.” Lucille’s rich atmosphere and heavy heart earned reviews such as “Utter Brilliance, they are, in one word, perfection” (Beat Magazine).

In 2010, frontman Sid O’Neil found himself facing a quarter-life crisis. He threw in the towel – but took his guitar – and holed up in Far North Queensland to work out his shit. With new priorities, he made his way back home to start a degree in social welfare. It was soon apparent that there was in fact a new album inside Sid’s head: a rich album, distorted, warped and woolly. It turned out he’d spent his Queensland sabbatical “writing songs the whole time.” The Vasco Era reunited to record The Vasco Era.

“We realised that music is fun,” says Sid. “We’d been taking it too seriously.” You can hear this realisation in The Vasco Era, too – its loose mid-tempo sounds recall the woozy charms of ‘90s grunge a la one of Sid’s true loves, Pavement. It’s fun, both for them to play and for audiences to hear. “We’re not worried about making a record other people would like,” Ted says. “This is more about what we’re into.”

The Vasco Era has been released entirely independently on the band’s own Inprint, Era Records, through Inertia.

Buy The Vasco Era here