Vaults

Hailing from Hertfordshire and London, U.K., Vaults are a mysterious, downbeat, self-described "introspective electronica" trio, combining ethereal strings with pulsating trip-hop-esque beats and illustrative lyrics. Made up of vocalist and lyricist Blythe, producer Ben, and instrumentalist Barney, Vaults' gradual yet surefire rise to prominence began after they uploaded their track "Cry No More" to SoundCloud; it received 100,000 plays in just one week. Having been hailed by some publications as "the viral act that you know nothing about," Vaults have only revealed some background details, opting for the mystery and intrigue angle in terms of their identity, letting their music speak for itself and represent them as a whole. Born out of the remnants of former projects started by Ben and Barney, Vaults were conceived after the pair met Blythe through a mutual friend and asked her to lay down some vocals for the track "Vultures," which in turn inspired the trio to spend the subsequent year collaborating on more music together. After the success of "Cry No More," the trio's rise continued with the release of the tracks "Premonitions," "Lifespan," and "Vultures," the title track from the band's debut EP released in 2014. Thereafter, Vaults landed a spot on the official soundtrack for the 2015 movie Fifty Shades of Grey and live support slots for Paolo Nutini and fellow powerhouse electropop trio London Grammar, to whom the trio has been compared stylistically. Vaults have been critically acclaimed and praised for their cathartic, intense lyrics and Blythe's powerful, captivating vocals, as well as their stellar, sleek production techniques, eerie yet warm synthesized bass, and organic, entrancing strings. They have also been noted for their unique visual aesthetic and magnetic, mystical live performances. In 2016, Vaults guested on Gorgon City's single "All Four Walls" and worked on their debut album, previewed by the single "Midnight River." ~ Rob Wacey