Earlier this month, Cork-based alt-rock trio The Last Vinci returned with their third album, ’15 Minutes at a Time’. On the surface, their routine mix of twisting riffs and dense urgency remains, yet there’s a deeply personal narrative that runs through it. Two years ago, frontman Alex Vinci was diagnosed with a chronic illness, merely days before a European tour. Hit with a sense of uncertainty, his wife reassured him with the simple mantra of “Take it 15 minutes at a time.”
Supported by his wife, six kids, bassist Dylan Scully, and drummer Francesco “Brasko” Marietta Odone, Vinci would embark on a path of rediscovery, adjusting to living with his condition and adapting in impactful increments. ’15 Minutes at a Time’ documents Vinci’s journey, going through moments of fear, uncertainty, hope, and resilience.
Paired with a sonic intensity, The Last Vinci serves up a thought-provoking and introspective collection. Musically, there is an element of experimentation and growth. Whether that be on the ominous use of electro beats and samples on ‘Come Back Home,’ or the heartstring-tugging acoustics of ‘Everything Behind’, or the jagged stomp of ‘The Hollow Show’. There are also playful blasts such as ‘Unbalanced Unaddressed,’ and ‘Temporary,’ which merely exemplify The Last Vinci‘s brand of bold alt-rock.
Nevertheless, the lyrical narrative of ’15 Minutes at a Time’ is arguably the biggest factor that makes the record stand out. With that being said, it made sense to learn more about the album by the man who wrote it. The Last Vinci frontman Alex Vinci breaks the album down track-by-track, detailing the inspirations, the emotions, and the journey behind each song.
Come Back Home
“No one’s coming to save you. The only person that’s gonna make a drastic change in your life… the only person that is going to dig you out of your hole is YOU.”
This track was meant to open the record. It was born during a time of deep uncertainty in the COVID period, when I found myself separated from my family across two different countries, not knowing when we would be reunited. It sets the foundation for the entire journey of the album. It feels almost like a prayer, a cry for help, where I shout “come back home,” but in truth it marks the beginning of a deeper search for myself. The vocal samples point toward a direction, but the tension in the track reflects the endless struggle to understand which path is the right one.
Living Certified Disaster
“I have nothing left but sleepless nights / And many friends I’ve made along the way. / In the end I am still here fighting / For something I don’t know, I should really let it go.”
This song came after a sleepless night, when I felt completely lost, once again moving forward without knowing where I was going, especially in relation to music and the constant struggle of seeing others as better than you. Looking back, I realise I was preparing for a change, but at the time, all I could feel was that I wasn’t enough to do what I was doing and still am doing.
Begging For Some Help
“Feeling sick, / Grinding teeth, / Trembling, / And I keep begging for some help.”
This track was inspired by the stories of people around me who live constantly with anxiety. Without realising it, I was actually writing a snapshot of my own transition, a reflection of my ongoing battle with my demons, with whom, at times, I end up dancing, becoming complicit in my own struggles.
15 Minutes at a Time
“But here I am, with nothing else to lose, / 15 minutes at a time.”
The breaking point. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness that completely destroyed the person I had been up to that moment. The dynamics of the track mirror the emotional rollercoaster I was experiencing and the realisation that I would never be the same again. Then there were my wife’s words, “we’ll take it 15 minutes at a time.” In my deepest weakness, those words made me feel, for the first time, free from the person I thought I had to be. It’s probably the song I’m most proud of in my entire career.
Black Wall
“The only thing I can see is a black wall, / Unable to see what’s going on beyond. / How foolish I was, thinking I could see beyond.”
This is what I used to dream about at night during the first week after the diagnosis. A black wall I couldn’t see beyond. It represents the moment I realised that the version of myself always projecting into the future could no longer exist. In a way, the illness was showing me that life is something else entirely, that it must be lived in the present, and that all future plans, while necessary, are not the ultimate goal.
Everything Behind
“You saved me from myself all my life, please let me do the same. / You’ve been forgiven a million times, please give it another try.”
I didn’t write this song for myself, but for someone else after a tragic event. Yet, in hindsight, it turned out to perfectly reflect what I was going through. It’s a love song that promises that, despite life’s disasters, love always wins and that forgiveness is the true secret to feeling truly loved.
Temporary
“Sometimes I live like we are here to live forever. / Sometimes I think a chicken wrap is better than a burger.”
Here I begin to realise that living with the awareness that we will die is actually class. Not in a negative way, but as a realisation that living in the present is far more freeing. I play with the contrast between life’s big questions and the trivial things that constantly worry us without real value. I have genuinely witnessed heated debates over whether a chicken wrap is better than a burger. Shouting “we’re all going to die” becomes a liberating cry, one that helps you live better.
Better to Never Know
“We are lost inside / A hamster wheel that never stops. / Drinking stagnant water, / Eating tasteless food, / Unaware that life can be something beautiful.”
Have you ever seen people around you who feel dead inside, living like hamsters on a wheel, going through life without joy? I wondered what would happen if one day they realised that life is actually beautiful and that they have lost so much time they will never get back. Maybe it is better they never find out. Maybe it would hurt too much. I had these thoughts for a long time, but could not find a way to put them into a song. It took getting sick to finally find the words and the right riff. An unmissable track live.
Hollow Show
“Why don’t you try to love me / When I’m sick? / Why don’t you try to love me / When I’m weak? / Why don’t you love me / When I am a freak?”
This track was originally meant for our previous album, ‘The Revolution Is Made Together,’ but we could not find the right words, so it was left out. At the time, I wanted to talk about the importance of real love, not the kind you see on magazine covers or in movies, but the kind rooted in accepting our limitations and in forgiveness. The only true path to something that can last. When you understand that love means embracing someone and yourself at your lowest, that is when it becomes a real superpower.
Unbalanced Unaddressed
Now balanced and addressed, / It’s time to be the best. / The character I never used to play / Can make me happy.”
This is the moment I realised my life was not over, that what I thought would be lifelong depression was actually just a temptation. For the first time, I no longer needed to hold back. I could be my best self, even through struggle. The Beatles-inspired elements come from the fact that this realisation happened while I was in Liverpool. Of course, I could not resist adding a heavy section with an intense riff (I just can’t help it, ahah).
Moon Lullaby
“Forget the fear, lay down on my wings. / I will take you high where the sky is clear to make you feel I will always be / Here for you.”
This track was not supposed to be on the album. I owe the idea of closing the record with it to the genius of Tom Peters, our producer and engineer.
I wrote it during COVID with my daughter Maria. It is sung with my daughter Anna and features my sister Elena on violin with an arrangement by my nephew Emanuele Vinci, a phenomenal classical composer. In short, it is a real Vinci family affair. On trumpet, we also have our Cork legend Gavin from The Cliffords. Family is the foundation of everything I do. Without them, I would not be here talking about this record. The love and support I received after my illness are the core of it all. Tom told me, “this song is you. It represents the foundation of The Last Vinci. Everything is built on it.” He is absolutely right. I never thought I would close an album with a ballad, but I am truly proud of it.
’15 Minutes At a Time’ by The Last Vinci is out now on Narrow Door Records.
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