People On Vacation

Dallas-based ‘super-duo’ People On Vacation was formed by accident when Jaret Reddick (lead singer from Bowling For Soup) and Ryan Hamilton (singer from Smile Smile) joined together with nothing but a drum machine, a keyboard and a few guitars.

The band are set to headline their first ever UK show at London’s Borderline on March 25th and we caught up with Ryan to find out more about the band and what fans can expect from their London show.

Who would you cite as your inspirations for the band?

This is an interesting question, because we come from completely different musical backgrounds. We can agree on some music, like The Beatles (of course), but for the most part our inspirations for the band are very different. I think that’s what makes this project really cool. Finding the middle ground between Jaret’s heavy metal roots and my singer-songwriter, indie ways.

What is your favourite track from your debut EP?

Well, my favorite song isn’t actually on the EP! My favourite song is a newer one called ‘Because Of The Sun’, but if you’re going to make me pick a favourite from the EP, it’d have to be ‘Where Do We Go’… or maybe ‘Alone With You’…damn it! I don’t know, let’s call it a tie between those 2 😉

How would you describe the EP for those who have yet to discover it?

I think the Bowling For Soup fans are going to be REALLY surprised. Jaret’s voice is unmistakable, but to be in a band like this and record songs like the ones on the EP – that’s going to surprise the BFS camp for sure. With this EP, we accidentally found a way to make the middle ground between Jaret and I’s very different musical worlds work. Take some of Jaret’s pop punk-ness, throw in a little indie rock, add a dash of acoustic-y folk influence (you can blame ME for that. haha)… and you get the POV sound. 

Who would you say your music best appeals to?

Another happy accident about POV is that there’s something for everyone. If you lean more toward the Pop/Rock BFS side of things, I think you’ll like our music. If you lean more towards the Acoustic/Indie Smile Smile side of things, I think you’ll like our music too. So, without sounding too much like an asshole, I think our music appeals to everyone. Well, everyone who doesn’t hate pop hooks and acoustic guitars haha!

What can we expect from your headline London date?

We are SO EXCITED about this show! This will be the only full band, “rock” show we’re playing. We have a good friend joining us to play cello. We’re playing brand new, unreleased songs. I don’t want to give too much away, but we’re going out of our way to MAKE SURE it’s a very special night for all who attend. The rest of the UK tour will be acoustic, which is awesome, but this show will be something very different. Seriously can’t wait!

Do you plan to headline your own UK tour in the future?

We do. The UK audience has really embraced this new project. I know the UK/Bowling For Soup love affair is a special one… but we feel extremely lucky for the UK audience to be so excited about People On Vacation. I mean, we’re still a brand new band!

You can find out more about People On Vacation via the Official Band Website.