I came across the music of Brit band The Vaulted Skies by complete accident as I was doing the usual mindless scroll through social media. And what a happy accident it was! You could say it was *ahem* fate (pun intended) that led me to discover this band. They became one of the biggest influences on the musical direction I decided on for my radio show I host at my university’s student radio station (89.1 WIDR FM at Western Michigan University), and later on, I even got to interview lead singer James Scott on my show. The gratitude that I have for this band is immense, and so I only felt it was right to return the favor by writing this review of their EP of last year No Fate? (Alya Records).

When first diving into Paul Adam Mayer’s music I went first to his YouTube channel. Upon investigating, I noticed that all his videos were filmed in a very plain room with a looper, a piano and a microphone. A few clicks later I found myself on his first upload titled I Just Wanna Give It Back, which was an improvised loop he uploaded in December of 2018. As soon as I started listening to it, I was instantly transported back to summer. Something about the keyboard line at the beginning with the addition of the beat and organ line reminded me of sitting in a hazy, humid summer room with my closest friends. Or driving west toward the sun as it’s setting with the windows rolled down and the vol