Paid Vacation’s New Single “Black Cat” will be a Bad Habit you won’t want to Break!
Enter “Paid Vacation”, an Indie Rock Band based out of Nashville, Tennessee that has a lot of exciting things on the horizon. They will be releasing another new single in September, as well as touring through Texas and Montana in October. The band’s name is representative of the idea that when you listen to their music, you are reflecting on it, similar to watching the sunset after a long day at the beach. The sound is a combination of “Sister Hazel”, “Train”, and “Matchbox Twenty”, but don’t let that cloud your judgment. They are their own entity altogether, with a groovy sound that will keep you coming back for another taste.
I was able to sit down with the Lead Singer, Eddie Island and the Drummer, Bailey Sample and chat with them on their new single “Black Cat”. Eddie had a humble demeanor right off the bat but a wave of confidence and passion about his music that was inspiring. He also was wearing the coolest shades I’ve ever laid eyes on (This is important people).
Eddie and Bailey opened up to me about how the band transformed from being “Eddie Island” into “Paid Vacation”. “I felt very closed off like an Island,” Eddie said. It was clear that Eddie had been striving to grow musically and kick it into high gear. Enter “Paid Vacation”, the beautiful aftermath of Eddie’s growth as an artist and as a performer. The band is extremely symbolic for his healing process and opening up. Eddie said he wanted to bring people on the “Island” with him. This is when the birth of “Paid Vacation” took place, and it’s glorious. The band’s influences include “The Killers”, “Cage the Elephant”, and local Nashville bands including “Coin”.
On “Black Cat”: Bad Luck & Bad Habits:
“Paid Vacation” set out to create a song that was highly relatable to their audience. The end result was “Black Cat”, a blend of many different genres, with the dance ability of a “Passion Pit” song. They wanted to create a song that people can dance to, with good lyrics. It’s that simple folks. And let me tell you, it will turn that frown upside down. They wrote the first line of the song and planted the seed that grew into a great song. “The song is about all the things you love that hurt you, like queso and donuts”, Eddie quirkily remarked. For me, it’s an ex-lover that treated you terribly, but you keep going back for more. It’s about healing and learning that you don’t need the bad habits anymore. “Paid Vacation” accomplished their mission to create a song with meaningful, accessible lyrics. The song cleverly compares a person to “a single cigarette, I shouldn’t but I should”. Being that I’ve mastered the art in being a frequent “single cigarette bum”, I was immediately turned on to the lyrics. “Black Cat” is a bad habit that I will never give up. It’s catchy, it’s light, and it’s truth all in a single song. “Paid Vacation” will be featured on NOISETRADE on August 7th.
On New Music Video for “Black Cat”: A Town Effort:
The band’s new music video for the single was shot in Franklin, and it was an event that the whole town supported. It was 18-hour video shoot done by Natalie Simmons with actors and town members who willingly came together and volunteered. If that doesn't make you want to watch their music video, then I don’t know what will. The video starts off with a couple having a heated argument in the car. From there, it follows the couple after they split up and shows how easy it is to miss someone that you really don’t need in your life. You can’t seem to get a grip on why the feelings still exist for someone who brought negativity into your life (like I said, highly relatable). So stop scrolling and start watching!