Vampire Weekend frontman, Ezra Koenig, reflects on the ten-year anniversary of the group’s third album, Modern Vampires Of The City(MVOC). Initially released in 2013, MVOC has made itself the centerpiece of Vampire Weekend’s discography with hits such as “Step”, “Unbelievers”, and “Diane Young”. Going number one on the U.S album charts when it was first released and was awarded a Grammy in 2014 for Best Alternative Music Album. The album also was ranked 328 in 2020 for Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time List after the magazine’s revisions to the original list.

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister

Taking to Instagram, Koenig recalled the album’s conception saying, “About half the songs started with something I’d written (Hannah Hunt, Finger Back and Step had been kicking around as concepts for a few years) and the other half all began with a piece of music from Rostam, often with drums, bass and everything sketched out. I remember when he played me the beat for “Don’t Lie” for the first time. That drum pattern and descending chord progression on the organ moved me deeply. I started singing the vocal melody almost immediately.”

Reflecting on the album’s impact on not only their career but their musical maturity as a group, Koening described MVOC as, “far and away our most ‘studio album’”, he continued, “This is an album of more deliberate composition and detailed, patient recording”.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vampire Weekend (@vampireweekend)

In Koenig’s latest endeavors, the vocalist recently made an appearance on the French Indie Band, Phoenix’s, latest album, Alpha Zulu.