Bob Vylan are an English punk duo based in London who play a style merging elements of grime, punk rock and hip hop.
History
The band was formed in 2017 by singer/guitarist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan in Ipswich. Their first concert followed just two weeks later.
In the first year of the band's history, Bob Vylan released four singles and two EPs, Dread and Vylan, via the band's own label, Ghost Theatre. Following the DIY principle, the musicians personally delivered their albums to various record stores and booked their own shows.[2]
On 27 October 2023, the band released two singles from their third studio album, Humble as the Sun. The album was released on 5 April 2024.[4]
Members
Bobby Vylan is the singer/guitarist of the band and Bobbie Vylan is the drummer. Both go by stage names to protect their privacy, and call themselves 'the Bobs'. Bob Dylan is not cited as a musical influence on either member. Singer Bobby Vylan is very open about his mental health journey. Both band members advocate for healthy lifestyles; not drinking or smoking and eating whole foods. How they met and started the band is kept private, and so are many details of their personal lives. This is in line with one of their philosophies as a band: protecting their privacy in an age of increasing digital surveillance. Both band members, however, are very enthusiastic and open about their life philosophies and the ethos of their band. Neither member believes the band is the most important thing in their lives: rather, they view it as an opportunity to share their music and ethos with the world.[5]
Musical style
Bob Vylan combines grime rap with punk rock. Singer Bobby Vylan grew up listening to rap, grime, punk and indie rock. After learning the guitar, he wanted to incorporate all of his influences into his music. Their music is also influenced by Jamaican genres as a tribute to Bobby's Jamaican heritage; songs Wicked and Bad and Health is Wealth on their album The Price Of Life contain elements of dancehall and reggae.[6]
Their music also contains elements of spoken-word poetry, like Intro in We Live Here and Interlude in Price of Life.
Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and Akala are cited as two of their musical influences. Rappers Dizee Rascal, Stormzy, and Skepta are cited as influences by Bobby Vylan in particular.[7]
The American magazine Alternative Press recommended Bob Vylan for fans of Idles, Fever 333 and Turnstile.[8]
Ian Winwood from UK magazine Kerrang! called Bob Vylan the most exciting and important punk band in the United Kingdom in 2022.[6]
Musical themes and influences
Common ideas found in the lyrics include social and political issues such as racism, police violence, unequal income distribution, access to healthy food, gentrification, mental health, fatherhood, late-stage capitalism, homophobia, toxic masculinity, Britain's political hypocrisy, and the pharmaceutical industry. The theme of the struggles of being a Black man in Europe are recurring in every album, and include the mental health struggles of Black men, institutional racism that contributes to poverty in Black societies, the threat of police, and the struggles of being a Black parent in a world that threatens your children. In a 2024 interview with DIY Magazine, lead singer Bobby attributed a lot of his lyrical influence to the late Whitney Houston, with drummer Bobbie adding "Whitney was everything to me when I was a kid".[9]
Fatherhood is another significant theme in their music. The first album was titled by Bobby Vylan's daughter and contains a track by her. Their most recent single, Dream Big, includes a picture of her on the cover and includes her and her cousins on the track. While the members' spouses and children are kept anonymous just like the band members to protect their privacy, they still have a presence on the albums.
Walter Rodney, a Guyanese academic and anti-colonial activist, is featured on Walter Speaks and Health is Wealth.
