Vægtløs hails from across the Atlantic in Denmark! After playing their first show in June 2022 the band started to take off. Less than 30 days after their first show, they were asked to play support for shoegaze legends Nothing, and word about the band started to creep out. It resulted in a few interviews and features from different magazines around the world, and when their first single dropped, it got more than 2000 streams in one month on YouTube. This band’s unique sound has them with a fan pool who would also like Lightbearer, Pianos Become the Teeth, Oathbreaker, Deafhaven and Lack. They’ve taken the world by storm and will have 46 record labels around the world simultaneously drop their album on Feb 2nd this year. This album has such a huge and deep impact for the band members and I can only hope the lyrics hit for some of you as they did for me. The world needs more music such as this to be able to relate and trudge through our dark times and be reminded that there is still light.
What do you do when one of your best friends gets diagnosed with cancer? How do you handle losing someone close to you? Vægtløs are trying to wade into questions like these on their upcoming album, which solely includes songs about people close to the band who died or suffered deadly diseases.
They focus on a vulnerability and openness that are lacking in the music scene, but also in society as a whole. Life is fleeting and fragile, and they’re taking it upon themselves to act as a bridge to close the gap between the monumental emotional dread underlying the fact that all beauty will eventually die, and the cathartic strength found in music.
Jumping into this record, it really doesn’t have too many songs; four of them to be exact, but don’t let that fool you. The lyrics and the heaviness of their stories more than make up for the unusual number of tracks. Not to mention each track is between 9-10 minutes long. The music very much reminds me of a chaotic and stressful environment with someone screaming to their unknown entity, “Why things have happened the way they have”, mixed with “I’m not letting this take me out, no matter how bad this hurts”. Each song was paired with a small explanation of the tracks and their stories. Knowing these little tidbits of information may even bring the song to life in a way we haven’t experienced before. Many artists tend to leave songs open to interpretation, and I love that these guys have shared their tragic and deep stories behind these tracks.
“Ingenting kan forhindre, at små struber skælver en forårsnat” (“Nothing Can Prevent the Small Throats from Shaking on a Night of Spring” in English) is the first track on Aftryk. Coming in at about 10 minutes long, its story is the one that touches my heart the most, having myself lost family members to cancer. This track was originally written to be a fight song for the vocalist Troels’ sister-in-law who had been diagnosed with cancer for a second time. When she ended up succumbing to the disease before the release, it took on a new meaning. They’ve written this song for her daughter, to explain that life is beautiful, even if it hurts sometimes. They make sure to stress the importance of letting the memories of our loved ones remain in our hearts forever, which I couldn’t agree with more.
“Først da vi bar din kiste gik det op for mig, hvor meget tungt du skulle igennem, før du blev så let” (“Only When We Carried Your Coffin Did It Dawn On Me How Much Heavy You Had To Go Through Before You Became So Light” in English) is the second song on this album and runs for 9 minutes. This track is a letter to Troels’ father, taken too soon with fond memories left in his wake. The final lyrics are a beautiful homage to his father as he sings a direct translation of Bob Dylan’s “If You See Her, Say Hello” as it was his favorite song and what was played as his coffin was carried from his home. The beauty behind this track’s lyrics had my empathetic side struggling to get through it, yet I couldn’t stop listening.
“Her i vores hjerter bærer vi en ny verden” (“We Carry a New World Here in Our Hearts” in English) comes up as the third track on Aftryk and this encompasses the struggle with addiction, specifically alcoholism, although I feel it can be translated to any vice. It talks of the struggle to reject the vice and understand the struggle of the alcoholic and the young child that doesn’t understand it. The turmoil it can cause and the way humans need to be compassionate to those whose stories we don’t walk. Showing compassion and understanding to those that you may not even understand, and just being kind. Perfect representation of “you have no idea what someone else is going through or carrying around with them, so just be kind.”
“Tag dit knuste hjerte og lav det til kunst” (“Take Your Broken Heart and Make It Into Art” in English) brings up the end of the album in such a beautiful way. This 9-minute track gives us an intro that is calm and serene for about 4 minutes before it picks up into their usual chaotic instrumentals, and the lyrics just tie it together beautifully. This track tells the story of Troels’ good friend who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, yet is still alive and kicking the godforsaken disease in its face to this day. It’s a song of unconditional love to help show life is too short. So, my advice to you is to take this song, hell, take this whole ALBUM, and blast it as a tribute to life and enjoy every minute we’re given on this hunk of rock we all happen to cohabitate on. Life’s too short to be angry, sad, disappointed, jealous, and any other bad emotion you can think of. Appreciate the day and appreciate each other and those you love most.
This record was written and recorded in their own studio, and mixed and mastered by producer Jacob Bredahl, who understood the direction the band wanted to go.
Aftryk will be released and available on all music streaming platforms on February 2nd, 2024!!