EMQ’s With VERSA
EMQ’s With VERSA
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Canadian Progressive/ Indie/ Post-rock band, Versa. Huge thanks to them for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
We are Versa, we play a mix of Post-rock, Progressive Rock, and Indie Rock music. We met in 2006 at the University of Victoria attending a music composition class, and first performed in 2007. We released LPs in 2008 and 2010, an EP in 2012, and then went on extended hiatus. We reformed during the pandemic, and released our most recent LPs, “A Voyage / A Destination” in 2022 and “A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2” on October 4, 2024.
How did you come up with your band name?
We were kicking around ideas for band names and our bassist, Anthony, suggested “Versa’s Vice”. I (Matt) thought that sounded a little too early 90s Grunge/Alternative Rock, and suggested we just shorten it to “Versa”.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We are from Victoria, on the west coast of Canada. We had a very vibrant Indie Rock scene here during the Indie Rock heyday around 2010. These days the rock scene here is pretty sleepy but there’s still a pretty good Metal scene.
What is your latest release?
Our album “A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2” was released on October 4th. Our music video for our second single, “The Seething Bay” was released on October 18th. Links to both are available at www.versa-music.com and https://versa.fanlink.tv/vadp2
Who have been your greatest influences?
Jethro Tull, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Genesis, Sufjan Stevens.
What first got you into music?
We’ve all come from musical families and have been playing music as long as we can remember. My mother was a classical pianist and I started taking lessons at 5, but I remember playing with her when I was a toddler. Hollas (violin)’s parents were professional musicians and his father ran the University of Victoria school of music for many years. Jesse’s father is a Juno-winning singer/songwriter and he grew up playing a variety of instruments, as well.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
We’ve already collaborated with so many of our favourite musicians – Ross Jennings (Haken), Michael Trew (moon Letters), Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse), and Kelly Nordstrom (eMolecule) all appear and our new album, and Marjana Semkina (iamthemorning), Eric Gillette (NMB/Temic), Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse), Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train), Jeremy Tardif (Marching Mind), and Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Wobbler) appeared on the last album. I would love to work with Neal Morse (Transatlantic/Flying Colors) or Danny Sexbang (Ninja Sex Party) though.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Cruise to the Edge. I sailed on Cruise to the Edge 2022 as a fan and it was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. There are so many amazing bands, and incredible fans. Playing it would be a dream come true.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
We’ve never really received gifts from fans. I’ve got a show poster from a show in 2012 that a young woman wrote “you’re awesome and you’re cute!” on the back of, though. It was fun to get that!
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thanks so much for listening and supporting us! It means the world to us.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
The honest answer is someone I didn’t know personally, but I know some of his bandmates and friends, and it feels strange wishing someone back to life in those circumstances, so I have to decline to answer this one.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I used to hate practicing, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve grown to enjoy it. I love performing, writing, recording, rehearsing – really the only part I don’t like is the social media hustle you have to do these days to try and get attention for your music.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I’d like to put an end to music piracy. I know a lot of people will say “streaming” but streaming only exists because of piracy – the music industry had to come up with an alternative to people just stealing all their music that was as cheap and easy as stealing. That’s why streaming exists, and why it compensates artists so poorly. If most listeners valued music and were willing to pay for it, streaming would never have become a thing, or it would exist in a form like Netflix, where everyone has to pay for it and artists are reasonably compensated.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Minstrel in the Gallery” by Jethro Tull.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
I prefer CDs. Vinyl and cassettes are noisy and easily damaged, but I like to have physical media. Uncompressed digital (like on CDs) has the best sound quality, and if the servers go down you still have your music!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Our album release show for our second LP, “The Decline and Fall Of…” in 2010 was an incredibly fun show. Great supporting bands, we played well, it was at a beautiful venue, and it was well-attended. What more could you ask for?
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I’m a lawyer, and Jesse is an electrician. Hollas is the only one of us who is a full-time musician, and it’s hard to imagine him doing anything else!
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
If I could invite five musicians I don’t know personally, Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Phil Collins, Danny Sexbang (Ninja Sex Party), and Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes).
What’s next for the band?
We’re playing our first live show in almost eight years on December 13th, and then we’re going to start working on writing and arranging our next album.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
www.versa-music.com is a linktree to all of our social media pages and to our music streaming on Spotify, Apple, Tidal, and to buying physical copies or digital downloads on bandcamp. A similar site that also hosts our music video for “Flew the Coop” is https://versa.fanlink.tv/vadp2
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
I honestly have no idea what you’re even asking!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks very much for the interview!
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
