Those who have listened to Ecca Vandal’s latest album, Looking For People to Unfollow, will know that the 41-minute project is a journey through multiple genres and influences. In it, the South Africa-born, Melbourne-raised artist channels moments of jazz vocals, ‘90s alt-rock, hip-hop and more, all in her distinctly feminist punk style. And the story behind the album is as much of an expedition as the sound – Vandal took a decade after her self-titled debut to release the project, going “completely offline” for four of those years. Last Wednesday evening, July 15, Dazed Club members heard all about the behind-the-scenes magic at Marshall and Dazed’s “Making It” listening party in Brooklyn. 

Here’s everything that went down at the intimate evening celebrating the sound, story and creative process behind one of music’s most exciting emerging voices. 

IT WAS A MUSIC LOVERS MEET-UP

Looking For People to Unfollow is a biting rejection of the culture of 15-second social media snippets and online “faux-sincerity”. The album is a rallying call for true connection, long-form listening and artistry – all of which were well and truly present at the event. At 7pm at Public Records, Dazed Clubbers made their way upstairs to a listening room to mingle with fellow music lovers between old-school TVs (playing Vandal’s dynamic music videos) and the dancing lights of Marshall’s biggest portable speakers.

PLUGGING IN, TUNING OUT

As you can probably tell, we think Looking For People to Unfollow is an album worth listening to from front to back – and that’s exactly what you could do at “Making It”. Marshall’s latest MILTON A.N.C. headphones were spread throughout the venue, with adaptive active noise cancellation to tune out any background noise for those looking to lock in and discover Vandal’s music for the first time (or listen to the album again and again). At the bar, you could order drinks named after songs on the album.

A DEEP DIVE WITH ECCA VANDAL

Vandal’s work is all about the joy of long-form art, so it was fitting to celebrate the album with an hour-long conversation. Starting at 8pm, Vandal had an open and honest discussion with Dazed’s US editor, Laura Pitcher, about the international inspirations behind the album and the process of making its DIY sounds. Halfway through, Vandal’s musical collaborator, Richie Buxton, joined to chat specifics. The duo shared stories about everything from how they work (and skate) together to getting noise complaints from their neighbours. 

MORE SAGE ADVICE (AND SOUVENIRS)

At the end of the night, the floor opened up to questions from Dazed Clubbers, and Vandal dished out some stellar advice on sticking to your guns and staying true to your vision (something she’s known for). After the conversation wrapped up, people went back to listening and mingling, leaving the party with a gift – the foldable MILTON A.N.C. headphones packed away in a bag that was customised with personalised embroidery on site.