Hana Vu - "Mr. Lonely"

Photo by Maria Camacho

You're probably familiar with Bobby Vinton's 1962 hit "Mr. Lonely" about a homesick soldier. While Hana Vu's song of the same name isn't a cover, it is a "response of sorts" to Vinton's classic. When you re-listen to the original (which you can find here), you'll notice that Vu's "Mr. Lonely" is oddly similar. It's not a pure 1960's crooner song by any stretch, but there are some little snippets of that sound in Vu's song. The new song is like a bizarro world modern take on Vinton's. It sounds kind of similar, just... off. If anything, it's like you're listening to the song on a slightly warped record, in the best possible way.

Hana Vu explains how Bobby Vinton's song inspired her own:

"I thought that the sentiments of the original song were almost pathetic when put into today's context." 

You can listen to "Mr. Lonely" below. Parking Lot is out now on Ghostly, and can be ordered here. For more on Hana Vu, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.

Sun. March 20 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Wed. March 23 - Washington, DC @ DC9
Fri. March 25 - Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
Thu. March 31 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge
Sat. April 2 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord
Sat. Aug. 27 - Sun. Aug. 28 - Pasadena, CA @ This Ain’t No Picnic Festival

Hana Vu - "Gutter"

Photo by Corinne Shiavone

When you hear music described as ethereal, you're not going to picture Hana Vu's latest single. "Gutter" is certainly ethereal. It has that dreamlike and fuzzy quality associated with that musical description. But no ethereal song has ever rocked quite as hard as this one. "Gutter" is filled with crunchy and fuzzy guitars and driving drums. It's like someone put albums from your favorite 90's genres (grunge, shoegaze, power pop, alt-singer/songwriter) into a blender and this is what came out. It's the kind of sound that is instantly familiar and completely fresh. 

Hana Vu says of the new single:

“I used to watch these YouTube videos called Tales of Mere Existence by Levni Yilmaz when I was in middle school and then rediscovered them while writing this record. I actually wrote him a letter when I was 12 … this song is based on one of his shorts.”

You can watch a live performance video of "Gutter" below. Public Storage is due out November 5 on Ghostly International. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here. For more on Hana Vu, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.