VTMNK - Single Review: Red Wine
VTMNK ('Vitamin K') are a Dunedin duo, Latham Hunt on guitars and Veronika Bell (VK) on vocals.
The pair came together spontaneously at one of Dunedin’s many open mic nights and have been performing regularly in Dunedin with a foray to Christchurch earlier in 2018.
Red Wine is the pair’s third single and the song’s pop sensibilities are there right from the outset. VK’s voice begins the first verse 9 seconds in, no preamble, two bars of drums and straight into it. Her voice soars above Latham Hunt’s wonderfully syncopated guitar which is perfectly on the ‘and’ beat and the backing which sounds as if it could have been played live or programmed.
Lyrically the song has a feeling of escape through alcohol; you can hear the pain as Veronika sings: “so I pour myself a bigger glass of bitter sweet red wine,” even more so towards the end of the song with the traditional chorus repeat to the end, and she really lets her huge voice soar.
In the liner notes, VK writes: “Red Wine outlines a direct experience with sexual abuse in Dunedin nightclubs with the victim singing of hope aided with a glass of bittersweet red wine.”
It’s fairly evident she’s had a good deal of vocal training and coaching as her voice is a thing of beauty and a force to be reckoned with.
Latham Hunt is no slouch on guitar, happy to add chords and texture while VK is singing, but also has more chops than a butcher’s window when he plays lead in the middle 8.
Listening to the song on repeat isn’t getting tiring in the slightest, I’m hearing more and more layers, and I know it’ll be revolving around my head for days to come.
Hailing from a city full of great songwriters comes another great songwriting duo. Bring on the album.
The song is produced by Timothy Greenslade and Greenslade Music, for VTMNK.
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