New Vision Announce 'Can’t Leave With Less' Album, New Single “SPICE” and Behind The Track:"I Am a Muse" – Interview
Photo: New Vision
Your favourite four-piece from Hudson Valley, New Vision, has announced their new record, Can’t Leave With Less.
The record hits your speakers on December 4th, along with a new single, “SPICE,” that just dropped. The band is giving listeners a look at what happens when you trust the process and dive into what makes you, you.
The new track "SPICE" has been a real treat to our ears; sitting at only 1:16, the track feels complete while also leaving you wondering what comes next. Let us tell you, the single is in your face, explosive, and it showcases a sense of power and urgency throughout the entire track. Parts of “SPICE” remind us of bands like Turnstile with its big vocals that will make you go ‘hell yeah’. Plus, we give it 8 stars for the mesmerizing riffs and mayhem all in one.
If you’re new to Hudson Valley, one thing they self-describe as is “true”. Lead guitarist Ryan Skinner shares, “All of our lyrics are true to our experiences, we have always done things the way we want to do them, we always hold each other accountable & we’re true friends at the end of the day. I think all of that shows when people hear or see ‘New Vision’.”
New Vision recently signed to Papercut Recordings, an independent, artist-first label founded by Michael Leo Valeri from Brand of Sacrifice and Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary of Fit for a King. For them, this signing is a major milestone, which shows that hard work can pay off and open new doors.
“Honestly, it feels pretty surreal still. You know we’ve put so much time, energy, money, etc into this band and after a while you want some recognition for that. Having something like this happen is so sick, and we’re super grateful for the opportunity. The 4 of us love making music and getting to take things to the next level with a label like this feels great,” shares frontman Nico Caro.
For New Vision, building a sound of their own doesn't mean shutting out the bands that came before them. Instead, it's about taking the things they love and turning them into something that feels like it’s theirs. Drug Church is one of those influences. Ryan previously shared how the band's sound came to mind while working on the lead guitar part for “I Am A Muse,” while Nico points to their tones, grit, and live-show energy as major draws.
“They influenced a lot by their tones and the grit with their music. You just put on a song, and you think, this is badass, which I love. Besides their music being awesome, I feel that we gravitate towards their whole attitude and grind. The shows they play have this energy, and the crowds give it right back, it's just insane in the best way. I feel that when we play, that same thing happens where we always give the best we can and keep the energy at 100, and the audience definitely give it right back.”
Also amongst their influences? Angel Du$t and Fiddlehead. “I feel that New Vision and any band really always take influence from someone else, whether it's consciously or not. The important thing to remember is to use that and create your own path, not just cookie-cutter it. We always wanted to throw our spin on our music where you know it's us when you hear it. I think we have that with this record, we have a lot of changes in our songs in a short amount of time, and we tried to make this vibe about us and the music this time around.”
That approach gives Can’t Leave With Less a clear purpose beyond being the band's next release: it's another step toward defining what New Vision sounds like on their own terms.
The same sense of identity we’ve been talking about runs through their previous drop “I Am A Muse,” which was the band's first single under Papercut Recordings. The track explores self-worth and learning not to let other people determine your value, with its music video bringing those ideas to life through imagery of burning the past and letting go.
A line in the song says: “I am a muse, I am of use.” For Ryan, the song's message comes from a personal place. He explained how repeating those words became a way of reminding himself of his own worth. “They mean a lot to me. I have trouble with knowing my worth or seeing the best in myself so the repetition of those words in the song were sort of a mantra that I was trying to tell myself. I am worthy, useful, valuable, etc. I matter.” Ryan describes the lyrics as being centred around self-love and appreciation, despite the fact that it was hard in the past. “It’s hard to do those things when you’re in an environment or have relationships with people that don’t nourish those self affirmations.” This ties into the music video, and its imagery. “The images of burning things & whatnot are referring to that, burning those bridges, which was difficult to think about while writing the lyrics but was also very freeing.”
It's an honest look at the gap between knowing you deserve better and actually being able to believe it. Ryan also spoke about how difficult it can be to build that self-appreciation when the people or environments around you don't support it.
Letting go of the past isn't easy, especially when your past shaped you, but looking forward is important. The visuals and imagery of the video give the entire message of the track a brand new layer.
While “I Am A Muse” offers a glimpse into that process, New Vision's upcoming record gives listeners another opportunity to hear how the band's experiences continue to shape its music. For all the excitement surrounding the new record and label partnership, New Vision knows that getting to where they are took time. When asked what they would tell themselves at the beginning of the journey, Nico's answer came back to patience, commitment, and making every experience count. “I think one major thing I'd say is to trust the process and not get taken back by how long this can take. Doing something real and staying true to yourself and the band takes time. Make every show, every song, every experience, etc mean something. Know that in the end, all helps you grow. Looking back, all the hard work and ups and downs have been so, so, so worth it, and we’re excited for what’s ahead!”
It's advice that feels especially relevant as the band enters this next chapter. Signing to Papercut Recordings gives New Vision a new level of support, but the goal remains the same: keep making music they believe in and bring it to as many people as possible.
When we asked the band what one thing people wouldn’t expect from them would be, Ryan shared that they’re foodies. “We like trying new restaurants & food spots wherever we’re playing at that day,” and more shows are a goal for the band. Nico hopes they can spend more time on the road in the coming year, with festivals, new cities, and new connections among the possibilities. “We'd love to get out on the road A LOT more this coming year. Not that it wasn't a possibility before, but now it feels better being backed, and it's in our horizon now. Maybe get on some festivals or something, meet some cool people. Bring our music to places we’ve never been before. Just wanna keep making music our way and share it with everybody who will listen.”
Keep an eye out for New Vision in these cities:
November 6 – Meridan, CT – Grace’s Place
November 7 – Boston, MA – Cantab Lounge
November 13 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sandbar
December 4 – Poughkeepsie, NY – Reason & Ruckus
December 5 – Troy, NY – El Dorado
December 18 – Butler, NJ – The Sanctuary
December 19 – Philadelphia, PA - Milkboy
With Can’t Leave With Less on the way and “SPICE” out now, New Vision has another opportunity to introduce its sound to new listeners while continuing to build on everything that's brought the band this far.
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