Tune-In Tuesdays #44: VISTA On Rising From “The Ruins”

By: burgundy bug

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Hope Vista and Greg Almeida pose near bright, blue pipes

Source: VISTA

VISTA, the sound-shattering alt-rock duo with contagious, electric energy, struck their audience like a bolt of lightning with the release of “The Ruins,” the first installment of their upcoming EP trilogy.

Prior to “The Ruins” release, we reached out to lead vocalist Hope Vista and guitarist Greg Almeida to learn more about “The Ruins,” the EP trilogy, and their YouTube documentary.

“The Ruins” is your first record since 2017 and the first in a trilogy of EPs, according to the press release. Were you in the studio since 2017 or did you take a break during that time?

Hope: We tried to record a new record two or three times, but the timing just wasn’t right. A lot of things were going on – which will be discussed more in-depth in our upcoming YouTube documentary – that prohibited us from being able to get on the same page.

“We’ve released four singles since our last record was released, but that was never the original plan.”

Hope Vista

The two singles we released this year were kind of just placeholders until we could get our shit together, honestly. We’d planned on dropping another record last year, but there were things we had to work on first, both individually and together in VISTA.

This record was written and recorded a few months ago over 8 days. I was quite uncomfortable at first, because I was scared. My wall still isn’t completely down again, but it’s getting there.

Greg: It was all just timing, really.

“Sometimes we went into the studio with the intention of only writing singles, sometimes we wrote just to write.”

Greg Almeida

I guess looking back on it, everything went how it was supposed to go. I think more shifts in the industry took place, too. We weren’t sure if we should do another record right away, because more and more singles vs full EP’s or LP’s are being put out nowadays. People are spreading their releases further apart, and I think this rise of streaming has a lot to do with this.

So, in combination with our own issues as a band, it just made a lot more sense to do singles.

“What was your vision for “The Ruins” and the trilogy? What inspired you to release a three-part EP?”

“To tell a full story, from the lowest life can go to resurrection.”

Hope Vista

Hope: It only made sense to do that in three parts, so we could cover each stage: hitting rock bottom, working to repair it, and ultimately reviving from it. Covering all of that ground just simply wouldn’t have worked on one full-length album, so we chose to divide it up. That allows us the space to clearly tell each part of this story.

Greg: Also, I feel like it would have gotten muddied up in the context of a full album. Three shorter parts that are the length of a full album made much more sense, especially separated.

I could imagine the point being missed if it was all on and album and had three movements. I don’t know if everyone would have gotten the full effect if we weren’t as transparent and deliberate and clear as possible with this era. It’s kind of a relief

What does “The Ruins” mean to you as the artists behind it?

Hope: It means picking everything up and trying to put those pieces back together. It means swallowing your pride and putting the effort into the things that matter most to you. Most importantly, it means that we were successful in reigniting VISTA’s flame, and that’s a comforting thought knowing where we were just a few short months ago.

Greg: It’s a very honest reflection of things that honestly suck to think about, but I’m not sure if there’s any way to move on from it all besides being open and transparent about it.

It’s weird to think about. It’s weird to think about how openly people are going to see us. Maybe some people won’t care and they’ll be happy to just hear more music. Some people may not like it. Who knows! I can definitely listen to this as the artist behind it and pinpoint exactly where I was making all these songs though.

Which part of “The Ruins” are you most excited about? What are your favorite tracks from the trilogy?

Hope: Definitely release day! “The Ruins” is just the first EP; we still have two other EPs in the trilogy to write and record. We have no idea when those will be released yet, we’re just taking it one at a time. But, I’m very excited to get this first one out there and see what the response is. I love seeing the initial reactions because it gets me even more amped up.

My favorite on this EP is “After Death,” but it really depends on what kind of mood I’m in that day. “Novocaine” is an incredibly somber track, and sometimes that’s my mood. It all depends.

Greg: I’m mostly just excited people will have new music to hear, and I’m excited for the process, as weird as that sounds.

I don’t know what people will gravitate towards the most. I don’t know what will be the collective “favorite” song. I don’t know if any song will be that way. I am excited to show people that we’ve been trying new things, and to just be here.

I love all the tracks for different reasons but “Sin City” is my favorite.

There’s also a YouTube exclusive documentary slated for release in early November. Could you give us a glimpse into what it was like behind the scenes to make the documentary?

“VISTA: In Ruins” documentary, released on Nov. 12, 2019

Source: VISTA: In Ruins (YouTube documentary) | VISTA

Hope: The conversation to create a documentary was one of the first we had when planning out this record cycle. It was important to fill in certain gaps, but also explain why we haven’t released a record in over two years. I wanted an open platform to discuss those things in a comfortable setting.

It was initially quite uncomfortable to talk about some of the things we touched upon; most of it had been kept just between ourselves for the past year. I also think once we got every topic off of our chests, it was easier for us to breathe and re-find our footing.

Were there any musicians or movies that influenced the imagery and vibe of “The Ruins” documentary?

Hope: Not on my end! I’ve always been inspired by events, situations, experiences; I hear music and see visuals in them. Those experiences are what shaped what I’ve contributed to the record and the trilogy so far. 

Greg: Honestly, some TV shows have inspired it on my end – like just how honest and uncomfortable some reality TV can be. I know some of it’s manufactured, but there are certain shows and interviews that are real and just lay everything out on the table.

How do you hope to impact your audience through “The Ruins” trilogy and documentary?

” I hope our listeners connect with our ruins.”

Hope Vista

Hope: Whenever I’ve found a connection to artists that I listen to, I feel this sense of comfort, safety, and understanding. My biggest hope is that we can have a similar effect on the people who listen to our music and watch the documentary.

” I just want them to see us for exactly how we are.”

Greg Almeida

Greg: Two people, two humans who work very hard and make mistakes, but altogether just want to pursue this dream to the fullest extent it can be pursued.

I hope they stick with us to the end to see this story through.

Can you see yourselves releasing another EP trilogy or making a documentary for any future EPs/Albums?

Hope: Right now, we’re just focusing on this trilogy first. We don’t have any other documentary ideas planned; I think it just fit with the branding of “The Ruins” and helped fill in a lot of gaps that we just couldn’t do musically.

I’m not opposed to making another documentary in the future, but I definitely only see the EP trilogy idea fitting here.

“The Trilogy era allows us to tell an entire story.”

Hope Vista

Greg: Yeah. It’s super hard to say anything is or isn’t off the table for the future, but I like the idea of telling stories in parts or concept albums. I like when it’s more than just music. I’ll leave it at that.

What’s next for VISTA? What do you have planned for 2020?

Hope: We have two more EPs in the trilogy to complete!

After we promote “The Ruins” for a bit, we’re going to jump back into the studio before the year ends to write and record “The Repair,” and then we do have some touring ideas we’re working on for the first quarter of 2020.

The Trilogy era will be filled with a ton of new content – so we’ll be consistently working on music and taking it where we can.

Greg: We definitely will be taking a more content-heavy approach in the foreseeable future. We still plan to tour, but we have two more EP’s to do, which requires intense work for everyone.

That’s about all I can say right now. The future never pans out exactly as you plan, so I welcome the little bits of chaos that will come with figuring it all out.

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“The Ruins” by VISTA cover

Source: The Ruins | VISTA

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Give “The Ruins” a listen on Spotify and Apple Music now!
Be sure to follow VISTA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to keep up with the latest information about The Trilogy era and upcoming shows.

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