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Vagabond Flag is somewhat of an enigma. His focus is on the music pure and simple; he made the decision to produce an album of quality music, which he was absolutely proud of, before releasing anything publicly. Quite a refreshing approach.
Vagabond Flag’s background is steeped in emotional conflict and tension. He was, like most of us, affected by the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. He started to notice previously thinly masked social divides and became aware that culturally and racially the West was far more paranoid and far less secure than it had previously considered itself. He also saw that the way countries like the US and the UK responded sought only to compound the effects of terror by clamping down on liberty, rather than working against it. These thoughts, which were inescapable at the time, fuelled the fire for Vagabond Flag and encouraged him to return to his love of music. He always knew he had songs and stories in him – it was just a matter of amassing the courage to take some time out from his day job and get writing and recording.
Vagabond Flag’s debut release, ‘Not Afraid’, incorporates these ideas and puts them into words which resonate politically today. He sings: “You think I’ll turn and hide because you think in this world the strong survive You think you own this world…
So you can try to get me to run
But I’m not afraid of you
No I’m not afraid of you”
These are undoubtedly words which protesters from Kiev to Cairo might find poignant today. Musically, ‘Not Afraid’ draws on a Lo-fi indie inspired sound reminiscent of 90s garage rock. Clearly Vagabond Flag draws musical influence from the likes of early Oasis or Pixies, and lyrically from thoughtful and quality acts such as Eels or Radiohead. On top of this Vagabond Flag himself claims that his musical inspirations range from house / DnB artists like Photek to modern R&B legends like Erykah Badu. Despite, Vagabond Flag’s clear ideological drive to write and the influence of his background, his main inspirations come from the world of music. He is an artist and ultimately just wants to put into words and notes what is happening in his head – an admirable objective in itself.
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