Óskar Logi on “Portals” and capturing the live spirit – interview with The Vintage Caravan

Icelandic rock trio The Vintage Caravan will release their sixth studio album “Portals” on September 26th, 2025 via Napalm Records. Chaoszine caught up with founding member, vocalist and guitarist Óskar Logi via Zoom to talk about the new record, their collaboration with Mikael Åkerfeldt and the upcoming European tour. On the feelings before release, Óskar shares:

“I’m really excited! I feel it’s the strongest album we’ve made, and I’m looking forward to hearing the fans’ reactions. The reviews I’ve seen so far have been amazing. I think we have something special on our hands, and I can’t wait to play the material live.”

Despite the success of “Monuments,” Óskar says there was no pressure:

“It didn’t even cross my mind. My philosophy is: create something you love, something you feel is missing from the music scene, and don’t compromise. If we don’t love the album, why should anyone else?”

The opening track “Philosopher” features Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt, and Óskar explains how the collaboration came about:

“We became good friends during our tours together, and it actually goes back to Roadburn 2014. Mikael even once mentioned starting a band together. At Bloodstock in 2024 we talked about him maybe using his mellotron on our album. Later, when the idea of guest vocals came up, Mikael’s name was the obvious choice. He eventually sent us his take while we were mastering, and we were floored. It sounded so good, we’re very grateful it worked out.”

The record features recurring “Portal” interludes crafted by Alexander:

“He bought old cassettes, stretched them into loops, and added synths, birds, restaurant conversations… He had around 50 of those, and we picked the ones that matched the songs. They tied the album together very naturally.”

Musically, the band aims to bridge eras:

“We want the warmth of the old and the punch of today. In many aspects, we play like a metal band, but with influences from both classic rock and contemporary sounds. We look for the middle ground between Gentle Giant and ABBA.”

On personal songwriting, Óskar highlights “Alone“:

“I wrote it during a dark period. Being open and honest in the lyrics creates a stronger bond with our listeners, and they can reflect on their own lives through it.”

As for live shows, the band plans to mix new tracks with fan favorites:

“We are a live band, and with this album we captured that energy better than ever. We recorded in one room, amps bleeding into mics, feedback, mistakes – it created that live urgency. On tour, we’ll play a big chunk of the new songs, some hits, and mix them together. We’re also bringing the interludes into the live set, which will add a new feeling to the show.”

Óskar concludes with a message for Finnish fans:

“I love playing in Finland! We had a great after party with Opeth in 2020, and that’s where we met Walterri, who later joined the band. Please listen to ‘Portals’ and tell some cool Finnish festival to book us – we’ve never played a festival in Finland!”