Red Vanilla are an upcoming alternative rock band from Dundee who have just released their second EP Where I Should Be, the follow-up to their 2024 debut Days of Grey. Their first EP saw them quickly gaining attention as a bold new Scottish band, landing support slots with Dea Matrona and even catching the attention of the management team behind Placebo, who have now taken them under their wing.
Where I Should Be is my initiation into the world of Red Vanilla, and it’s an EP full of dreamy, atmospheric, 90s-influenced alternative rock layered with dramatic guitar riffs, emotional vocals and a strong cinematic quality throughout.
Opening track ‘Electric Blue’ begins in a way that almost feels more fitting for a meditation CD than a rock EP, gently easing you in before transforming completely. Anna Forsyth’s vocals initially feel delicate and hypnotic, somewhere between spoken word and soft rap over sparse guitar strums, before the track slowly swells into something far bigger. Halfway through, huge guitar riffs crash in and what started as something calm and restrained becomes a full-blown atmospheric rock explosion. Anna’s vocals grow rougher and more intense as the song progresses, before the track settles back into stillness again.
Second track ‘Hazy’ arrives with far less patience, throwing the guitars straight at you from the start while still keeping that same sense of atmosphere and emotional weight. Meanwhile ‘Ask Her if She’s Happy’ channels strong 90s alternative rock energy, reminding me at points of a heavier Veruca Salt. Starting at more of a mid-tempo pace, it gradually builds into a far louder and more urgent finish.
‘Play Me Something New’ returns to the dreamier side of the EP. There’s something almost aquatic about it- listening to it genuinely made me feel like I was underwater, floating somewhere between calmness and melancholy. It’s beautiful and immersive.
The pace lifts again for the single ‘I Thought I Had It’ which is probably the most frantic track on the EP and my personal favourite. Inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, the influence is definitely audible in the driving riffs and relentless energy. It’s also the track that best showcases the musical abilities of the whole band, from the fast, chaotic guitars to the impressive range in Anna’s vocals.
‘Sunkissed Pools’ slows things down once more before closing track ‘Oh No I Got Older’ brings the bigger guitars back in to end the EP on a powerful note.
‘Where I Should Be’ is an EP for the senses, the kind of record that deserves to be listened to in a dark room with headphones on, fully immersed in its atmosphere. Red Vanilla balance softness and heaviness beautifully throughout, creating something that feels nostalgic while still sounding fresh and emotionally raw.
‘Where I Should Be’ is out now and you can get it here on vinyl
Red Vanilla Socials: Facebook/Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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