The Victor Pope Band have officially dropped off their stacked compilation album "The Theory of Being Nice (First Sequence)"

Steven Vickers’ aka Victor Pope creative waters first broke at 13 when he penned his first notable song Dreams of Helsinki. A rousing Hitchcockesque love song to a city he had only ever visited in dreams. He continued to hone his skills throughout his school and college years in various bands including The Careful Movers and Vatican City Dub. His staple style was a kind of new wave sound akin to Jonathan Richman or Wreckless Eric. The catacombs of his creative musings are now spread over 36 solo albums which chronicle the ups and downs of his life and act as a kind of punk rock diary. The choice cuts of which form the bulk of The Victor Pope Band cannon.

Since moving to Edinburgh he has finally settled on a band line up that matches his vision. Multi-instrumentalist Roy Jackson is his wing man with his unique flaming mandolin routine and flangolin which is a phased out head trip that always runs the battery dry. Jess Aslan is a doctor of music and recently worked in Tony Visconti’s studio learning direct from the master. Graeme Mackay is a Bob Ross inspired artist but also a magician on the bass. Jon Harley is a bus driver by day and a gentle giant whose drum style confounds even the most seasoned pros by night. Together they form the Victor Pope band - one of the most hotly tipped acts to rise from the wind blasted streets of Leith.

The eternally joyful spring of their current release – The Theory of Being Nice (first sequence) - opens quietly then builds with the jubilant A Little Bit which encourages the listener to embrace the new and get with the band. The lilting Dolly Partonesque God is a Very Busy Man keeps the toes tapping with its playful country pangs. Not Like Me is a genuinely moving song about navigating the failings of the human condition and always leaving space for forgiveness. No Place Like Home has a cutting bass line which echoes Joy Division in all their pomp. It’s side two’s Smoke and Mirrors that’s maybe the stand out of the whole collection with it’s almost careless brilliance. It’s a perfectly put together party piece that seems to say it all but say nothing much at the same time with Lou Reed similarities. It‘s a modern paradox that mirrors Adam Curtis’s Oh Dearism. The album signs off with Earthling which urges you to pull yourself together and, despite all the confusion, just get on with it with an open, playful heart.....a theory of being nice indeed it is.

If you wish to explore the Victor Pope world further The Victor Pope Band have 4 previous albums available at The Victor Pope Band and their last album This is Going to Hurt is also available on Spotify, iTunes and all major (and some minor) digital formats.  A number of Victor Popes’ solo albums are also available at Victor Pope, then there is also Mid Life Krysis, his hip hop side project, 3 albums of which are available at Mid Life Krysis and an album of collaborations with an assortment of local Edinburgh artists called The Leith Project available at The Leith Project. 

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Check out the latest project from The Victor Pope Band below and sound off in the comments with your favorite track.