Vampire Weekend: 'We won't be defined'

The members of Vampire Weekend have said that they will not be easily defined by a specific sound.

Multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij also told Metro that the band's new album Contra is possibly more "instinctive" than their debut.

Batmanglij said of the group's sound: "Avoiding convention was just something that came about from following our hearts.

"An example was the song 'Walcott' from our first album - halfway through, the drums disappear and the cello and vocals take over "

Frontman Ezra Koenig added: "We're never gonna be defined by a specific set of instruments or sounds. We grew up in an era where catchy, fresh pop was this huge phenomenon, and that's the value we still hold ourselves to.

"Modern pop music is one of the last places where words can be poetic and meanings don't need to be cut and dried.

"I've never believed that playfulness and seriousness are mutually exclusive. That mixed-up mood is more representative of real life, wherever you are on the planet."

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