Bryce Vine has filled New York City’s storied Webster Hall with his high-energy sound a handful of times since his debut EP dropped in 2014. But his next show, set for Saturday, marks a milestone of sorts for the Manhattan-born performer.
"It’s amazing," Vine, the singer behind the popular "Drew Barrymore" track, says ahead of the show date. "I’ve played here throughout my career like four or five times, opening for different people, but never had this room."
Fresh off the release of his latest album, "Carnival," Vine, 31, is set for Webster Hall’s newly renovated Grand Ballroom — and it’s still an exciting first for the humble artist who’s one of few who can say they’ve performed atop Radio City Music Hall.
For his Webster Hall headlining first, the R&B artist has a story to tell. Though eight lyrical tracks, and two bonus additions (a voicemail recording and an outro), Vine is set to welcome fans into the "Carnival" inside his mind.
Chatting by phone the day before his July 26 album release, the performer who just kicked off his "Carnival" headline tour is still in disbelief.
"There’s been so much going on that probably not until today did I say, ‘oh shoot. The album’s coming out tomorrow,’ " Vine says.
With "Carnival," Vine uses summer-worthy tracks to reflect the circular range of emotions he says can take over his mind. In his teenage years, Vine was diagnosed with depression and ADD.
“I wanted to write my own therapy and have my own songs that I didn’t get to hear,” he said when we last spoke in January. “‘Carnival’ is kind of perfect because, how my mind works, it’s all over the place.”
But with fame, his creative processes is slowly evolving.
"I used to write songs just for myself, for my own therapy. Now, it’s like I think about all the people who are listening. It’s art therapy, together."
"Carnival" serves as a sequel of sorts to the continuous theme of his previous LPs — "Lazy Fair" (2014) and "Night Circus" (2016).
"Any time you’re thinking doubt, or about something important, it helps to just get it out there. These songs are a reflection of all the things that have happened in my life, or that I was thinking about in the last two years," Vine says.
The success of his January single "Drew Barrymore" — a track about the actress’ beauty and fame — helped transform the artist’s career. Vine, represented by Sire Records / Warner Records, taught himself to play the guitar at age 13 and was in a punk band in high school. After establishing his own sound — a mix of R&B and punk — and going solo, his single helped land him a spot in the Billboard Hot 100.
And while most of his songs are upbeat like "Barrymore," Vine says one on his latest album sings a rare, slower tune.
"It’s one of my favorite songs I ever wrote, for sure," Vine says of "Love Me, Hate Me," the seventh track on "Carnival." "I was going through at the time, a breakup, and me and my buddy were at the studio. His guitar player started playing a little riff that was rad. It’s still an uplifting sort of sad. We wrote the whole thing right then, pretty much."
Vine says he’s been working on "Carnival" his "entire life," but really only for the past two years. He hopes it helps "makes people feel better."
IF YOU GO: Bryce Vine is performing at Webster Hall on Aug. 3. Tickets are available at websterhall.com and on resale sites.
