If you're in tune with Veara on its social media pages, you would've noticed that the band is back at full speed with big plans for the future, having already started working on its third album. Following the release of its sophomore LP, Growing Up Is Killing Me, on Epitaph Records and some brief downtime, Veara is undergoing a revamp of sorts. The band's lead vocalist, Bradley Wyrosdick, tells us all about the motivation behind the recent changes and what to expect next. Click the Read More… link to read the interview.
To start, can you state your name and your role in Veara?
Bradley: My name is Brad Wyrosdick and I'm the lead vocalist.
Veara seems to mature with every album, both artistically and personally. How would you describe your musical evolution so far?
Bradley: We have definitely been learning something new, whether it be personal or musically, from every album; we become more open to new ideas. We push ourselves creatively, yet become more acceptable to song ideas and styles as time goes on with writing.
Many have praised Growing Up Is Killing Me for being the most lyrically and technically dynamic of your records thus far. Is musical experimentation a goal the band consciously strives for, or is it something that just happens naturally?
Bradley: It’s hard to say if it’s specifically one or the other. Some songs, we would just rot our brains thinking about and then others just came out naturally. Either way, we set a goal in mind for the track, and went for it.
How have the band’s musical influences changed since The Walls Have Ears?
Bradley: There were several member changes in between the first EP and The Walls Have Ears. When I came in the band, we really only wrote one song with our fifth member (guitarist) at the time, until they quit. I was already a guitarist, so I became a lot more heavily involved in the musical arrangements of the songs after they left the band. Some of the older members were into a lot of spacey stuff. Before I was in the band, there was a keyboard player and the other guitarist used lots of delay and effects. I’m just a plug-in-and-play kind of guy when it comes to guitar, so I’m sure that had something to do with the style change.
Veara has worked with a myriad of well known producers and musicians -- Dan Korneff, The Wonder Years’ Dan “Soupy” Campbell, and A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, just to name a few. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working with other artists?
Bradley: Andrew Wade was the first producer I had ever gotten to work with and it was such an eye-opening experience for me. He really helped me wrap my head around staying interesting and creative while keeping a strong song structure. I love working with producers and having that outside ear from the band; it really helps you bring out the best in your work.
I understand that Veara has recently welcomed a new member into the band. Can you introduce him?
Bradley: Our newest member is Vinnie Orozco. He is taking over my spot as guitarist while I just take the mic. He has been in multiple bands around Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC for quite some time now. He was the “mastermind” behind a lot of Augusta hardcore/punk and metal bands. We would have him tech for us at our hometown shows. At the last show at our local venue that was closing, Sector 7G, he came up and played guitar on a cover of “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit with us. The vibe on stage was just awesome and of course, he was just a natural and blended right in with the presence of the band. When we felt like things were getting stale in the band, we asked him to join. We are super stoked to be taking him out on the road. We’ve also been working on our new album with him.
I’m sure it’s not easy to juggle full time jobs, the band, and all the preparation, promotion, and sheer effort that come with it. What’s your motivation to keep touring and creating new music, even with such busy schedules?
Bradley: We’ve put so much into this band. There was a point not too long ago where we weren’t sure how much longer we could hang in there, but we added Vinnie, started pushing ourselves online, brainstorming, and came up with doing "The Separate Ways Tour". We’ve come so far and have so many fans and friends that appreciate what we do, so we decided to quit pointing the finger at people for the lack of our success and realized that maybe we needed to change. We are ready to fix it and go harder than ever.
Speaking of new music, I’ve noticed that the band mentioned the production of new music on its band page. How’s the new album coming along? When do you think we can expect it?
Bradley: It’s going well so far. We have just a few songs completed musically and then a ton of ideas, riffs, and such. As we go along, we just pick something out of the pile of riffs and see what we come up with. Definitely next year.
Though it may be a bit early to tell, how do you think the new music you’re writing is different from past records?
Bradley: We are always trying new things with every record. This time around, we haven’t been too crucial on style and just take an idea we think sounds rad and roll with it. Everything we’ve come up with so far has been more on the aggressive, up-tempo style, but we have a lot of ideas for some slower-paced stuff as well. I think this next album will have a lot of variety and have some surprising points for the listeners who are familiar with our band.
I have to say, I love Veara’s YouTube channel. In addition to studio updates, covers, and interviews--pretty normal videos to see on a band account--you’ve also started a series on your channel with more personal and hilarious videos like “Brittany’s Kick Ass Kitchen”. Can you tell us the more about your series and the ideas behind it?
Bradley: Thank you! All those ideas are basically how South Park happens. We have an idea at the beginning of the week, hash out a bunch of ridiculous things that could potentially happen, film and edit it that weekend, and put it out the next week haha. We haven’t released anything in a while because we were getting a little burnt out and wanting to focus on the music more. We have some more ideas in the works for more “consistent” programming. We will be doing more "Kick-Ass Kitchen" and are also in the works of creating our own talk show, which will be really awesome. Be on the lookout for that!
Earlier this month, Veara announced the dates for “The Separate Ways Tour” with Sudden Suspension and Second to Last. What are you most excited about playing with these bands?
Bradley: I’m excited 'cause I think they are cool, upcoming bands that have a solid shot. I’ve known of Second To Last for quite a while, and met the singer/guitarist while we were touring with Major League and Stickup Kid (who he was playing guitar for) back in December 2013. I heard of Sudden Suspension from the Handguns “Life Lessons” release tour. I dug the sound, so I hit them up.
How do you feel about getting back on the road?
Bradley: I’m really excited, but I’m not too sure what to expect to be honest. We are hitting the West Coast for the first time since 2011, so that should be really cool. I have a feeling there will be a lot of new fans out at the shows on this tour, since we have been getting a great response for our online promotion.
Looking even further ahead, what can we anticipate from Veara after the tour? What direction do you see the band heading?
Bradley: I know before, during, and after this tour, we are going to be working very hard on new music. Hopefully getting back on the road more also. We would love to do some more internationally touring before we release another album. We are kind of going with the flow, but also getting our ducks in a row at the moment. Whatever they maybe, we will be ready to take it on.
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Are there any words you’d like to end with?
Bradley: Be sure to check us out on "The Separate Ways Tour" this fall!
Interview by Rosie Baek
Bradley: My name is Brad Wyrosdick and I'm the lead vocalist.
Veara seems to mature with every album, both artistically and personally. How would you describe your musical evolution so far?
Bradley: We have definitely been learning something new, whether it be personal or musically, from every album; we become more open to new ideas. We push ourselves creatively, yet become more acceptable to song ideas and styles as time goes on with writing.
Many have praised Growing Up Is Killing Me for being the most lyrically and technically dynamic of your records thus far. Is musical experimentation a goal the band consciously strives for, or is it something that just happens naturally?
Bradley: It’s hard to say if it’s specifically one or the other. Some songs, we would just rot our brains thinking about and then others just came out naturally. Either way, we set a goal in mind for the track, and went for it.
How have the band’s musical influences changed since The Walls Have Ears?
Bradley: There were several member changes in between the first EP and The Walls Have Ears. When I came in the band, we really only wrote one song with our fifth member (guitarist) at the time, until they quit. I was already a guitarist, so I became a lot more heavily involved in the musical arrangements of the songs after they left the band. Some of the older members were into a lot of spacey stuff. Before I was in the band, there was a keyboard player and the other guitarist used lots of delay and effects. I’m just a plug-in-and-play kind of guy when it comes to guitar, so I’m sure that had something to do with the style change.
Veara has worked with a myriad of well known producers and musicians -- Dan Korneff, The Wonder Years’ Dan “Soupy” Campbell, and A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, just to name a few. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working with other artists?
Bradley: Andrew Wade was the first producer I had ever gotten to work with and it was such an eye-opening experience for me. He really helped me wrap my head around staying interesting and creative while keeping a strong song structure. I love working with producers and having that outside ear from the band; it really helps you bring out the best in your work.
I understand that Veara has recently welcomed a new member into the band. Can you introduce him?
Bradley: Our newest member is Vinnie Orozco. He is taking over my spot as guitarist while I just take the mic. He has been in multiple bands around Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC for quite some time now. He was the “mastermind” behind a lot of Augusta hardcore/punk and metal bands. We would have him tech for us at our hometown shows. At the last show at our local venue that was closing, Sector 7G, he came up and played guitar on a cover of “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit with us. The vibe on stage was just awesome and of course, he was just a natural and blended right in with the presence of the band. When we felt like things were getting stale in the band, we asked him to join. We are super stoked to be taking him out on the road. We’ve also been working on our new album with him.
I’m sure it’s not easy to juggle full time jobs, the band, and all the preparation, promotion, and sheer effort that come with it. What’s your motivation to keep touring and creating new music, even with such busy schedules?
Bradley: We’ve put so much into this band. There was a point not too long ago where we weren’t sure how much longer we could hang in there, but we added Vinnie, started pushing ourselves online, brainstorming, and came up with doing "The Separate Ways Tour". We’ve come so far and have so many fans and friends that appreciate what we do, so we decided to quit pointing the finger at people for the lack of our success and realized that maybe we needed to change. We are ready to fix it and go harder than ever.
Speaking of new music, I’ve noticed that the band mentioned the production of new music on its band page. How’s the new album coming along? When do you think we can expect it?
Bradley: It’s going well so far. We have just a few songs completed musically and then a ton of ideas, riffs, and such. As we go along, we just pick something out of the pile of riffs and see what we come up with. Definitely next year.
Though it may be a bit early to tell, how do you think the new music you’re writing is different from past records?
Bradley: We are always trying new things with every record. This time around, we haven’t been too crucial on style and just take an idea we think sounds rad and roll with it. Everything we’ve come up with so far has been more on the aggressive, up-tempo style, but we have a lot of ideas for some slower-paced stuff as well. I think this next album will have a lot of variety and have some surprising points for the listeners who are familiar with our band.
I have to say, I love Veara’s YouTube channel. In addition to studio updates, covers, and interviews--pretty normal videos to see on a band account--you’ve also started a series on your channel with more personal and hilarious videos like “Brittany’s Kick Ass Kitchen”. Can you tell us the more about your series and the ideas behind it?
Bradley: Thank you! All those ideas are basically how South Park happens. We have an idea at the beginning of the week, hash out a bunch of ridiculous things that could potentially happen, film and edit it that weekend, and put it out the next week haha. We haven’t released anything in a while because we were getting a little burnt out and wanting to focus on the music more. We have some more ideas in the works for more “consistent” programming. We will be doing more "Kick-Ass Kitchen" and are also in the works of creating our own talk show, which will be really awesome. Be on the lookout for that!
Earlier this month, Veara announced the dates for “The Separate Ways Tour” with Sudden Suspension and Second to Last. What are you most excited about playing with these bands?
Bradley: I’m excited 'cause I think they are cool, upcoming bands that have a solid shot. I’ve known of Second To Last for quite a while, and met the singer/guitarist while we were touring with Major League and Stickup Kid (who he was playing guitar for) back in December 2013. I heard of Sudden Suspension from the Handguns “Life Lessons” release tour. I dug the sound, so I hit them up.
How do you feel about getting back on the road?
Bradley: I’m really excited, but I’m not too sure what to expect to be honest. We are hitting the West Coast for the first time since 2011, so that should be really cool. I have a feeling there will be a lot of new fans out at the shows on this tour, since we have been getting a great response for our online promotion.
Looking even further ahead, what can we anticipate from Veara after the tour? What direction do you see the band heading?
Bradley: I know before, during, and after this tour, we are going to be working very hard on new music. Hopefully getting back on the road more also. We would love to do some more internationally touring before we release another album. We are kind of going with the flow, but also getting our ducks in a row at the moment. Whatever they maybe, we will be ready to take it on.
Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Are there any words you’d like to end with?
Bradley: Be sure to check us out on "The Separate Ways Tour" this fall!
Interview by Rosie Baek
