Versa (band)

Last updated
Versa
VersaEmergePrivateShow2013.jpg
Versa performing in 2013
Background information
Origin Port St. Lucie, Florida, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock, experimental rock, synthpop, post-hardcore (early) [1]
Years active2006–2015
Labels Fueled By Ramen
Past members Sierra Kay
Blake Harnage
Devin Ingelido
Nick Osborne
Jerry Pierce
Anthony Martone
Spencer Pearson
Anthony James
Josh Center
Ian Brown
Justin Osterhoudt
Website versa.fm

Versa (stylized as VERSA) was an American rock duo formed in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in 2006, as VersaEmerge. The group consisted of Blake Harnage (guitar, vocals, and programming) and Sierra Kay (lead vocals). [2] They had a revolving line-up, their most prolific being with bassist Devin Ingelido, who was a member from 2007 until 2011. [3]

Contents

Following self-releases, the band signed with record label Fueled by Ramen in late 2008 and released the VersaEmerge EP and their full-length debut Fixed at Zero (2010), which met with positive reviews from alternative critics. [4] [5] The album didn't enter the Billboard 200 chart, but it ranked third on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. [6] After changing their name to Versa, the duo self-released the EP Neon on January 21, 2014.

Although the band was considered part of the emo pop scene and compared to other emo female-fronted bands, Versa's music style included experimental rock, space rock and electronic rock, as being influenced by artist Björk and band Muse. [7] [8]

In a 2015 podcast, Sierra Kay announced that she and Blake were working on a new project under a new moniker, leaving Versa behind to not create confusion. [9] The project between the two never materialized. Kay instead went on to form the shoegaze band Neaux.

History

2006-2009: Beginnings and early releases

Kusterbeck and Harnage performing with VersaEmerge, October 12, 2008 VersaEmerge at the Middle East Upstairs.jpg
Kusterbeck and Harnage performing with VersaEmerge, October 12, 2008

Florida band VersaEmerge was formed in 2006 by Blake Harnage (guitar, backing vocals), Anthony Martone (drums), Anthony Doan (backing vocals, programming and keys), Josh Center (rhythm guitar), and Nick Osborne (bass), after the departure of the vocalist of their previous band My Fair Verona. [10] Harnage chose the name "VersaEmerge" from the terms "vice versa", meaning opposite, and "emerge" meaning to rise up. [10] The band recorded their first EP, Cities Built On Sand , in 2007, with new vocalist Spencer Pearson.

With the departure of the four members, the band recruited Devin Ingelido from Bury the Ashes in bass. [11] Sierra Kusterbeck auditioned for the vocal position by sending a tape online. While the other members were not too sure about Kusterbeck, Harnage convinced them she was right for the job and she soon joined the band in 2007. [12] Little did they know that Kusterbeck lied about her age saying she was 18 years old, when she was really 16, so she could get an audition. However, Kusterbeck later cleared this misunderstanding and explained that it was more of a mix up; she was turning 17 a week from the audition, and she said to Harnage on the phone, "I'm 17, my birthday is in a week". This was misconstrued to mean she was already 17, and was turning 18, however she actually meant she would be 17 in a week. [13] After the recruit of Kusterbeck, VersaEmerge played local home shows and went on tour with bands such as Kiros, Our Last Night, There for Tomorrow, and Craig Owens. [10] The band worked hard and released their first EP with Kusterbeck, Perceptions , in May 2008. They then parted with rhythm guitarist James Lano, who was then replaced by Jerry Pierce. VersaEmerge later signed to Fueled by Ramen. They began to write their self-titled EP, recording with producer James Paul Wisner. The EP was released February 3, 2009. Rumors stirred of music videos for in Pursuing Design and The Authors, two songs on the EP. In late 2011, the video for in Pursuing Design was leaked. [14] A month after the leak, VersaEmerge still has not commented on its unplanned release.

After the release of the self-titled EP, VersaEmerge went on "The Secret Valentine Tour" with headlining bands We the Kings, The Maine, The Cab, and There for Tomorrow. [15] After the Secret Valentine Tour, VersaEmerge grew a larger fan base and got picked to play 2 of 4 dates of the Give It a Name 2009 festival in the United Kingdom with bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, Thursday, Escape the Fate, and Innerpartysystem. They returned to the United States and almost immediately left for Bamboozle in New Jersey. When they returned to their homes in Florida, they began writing for their LP for a few months before leaving for Warped Tour '09. After The Warped Tour, they headed to Malibu to record and write for their LP, then packed up for the OP tour featuring headliner Boys Like Girls, and co-headliners Cobra Starship, The Maine, and A Rocket to the Moon. [16]

On September 19, 2009, drummer and co-founding member, Anthony Martone, announced his split with the band through his Twitter saying "I'm no longer in VersaEmerge. Thanks for all your support. I am currently a drummer for hire, thanks everyone..." After about a week of fan speculation in regards to Martone's sudden departure, bassist Devin Ingelido and the band posted blogs about their parting with Martone, stating the split was due to personal reasons that will not be elaborated on. The band hired musician and friend Spencer Peterson (not to be confused with the band's former vocalist, Spencer Pearson) to fill in as a temporary replacement on drums for the OP tour Joined in latter portions of the tour by Ian Brown who came by recommendation by the Fueled by Ramen label after demonstrating his competency on the drum kit during his work on the street team for bands like Rocket to the Moon, This Providence, and Anti-Flag. On November 22, 2009, guitarist Jerry Pierce announced on Twitter that he will be leaving the band due to personal reasons concerning his family. He cleared up that he remains friends with the other members, however he "just can't keep touring as much as [VersaEmerge] does." Jerry played his last show with the band on November 28, 2009. [17] They released their debut album right before the 2010 Vans Warped Tour. Pierce was not a part of the recording process.

2010-2011: Fixed at Zero

Kusterbeck performing with VersaEmerge at the Vultures United Tour, October 2010 VersaEmerge Vultures Unite Tour.jpg
Kusterbeck performing with VersaEmerge at the Vultures United Tour, October 2010

In March 2010, VersaEmerge was named one of American music website Shred News' "10 Artists to Watch in 2010". At the SXSW Purevolume house, VersaEmerge played four new songs; "Fixed at Zero," "Mind Reader," "Figure it Out", and "You'll Never Know", all from the upcoming album. Sierra Kusterbeck was also featured in the "Front and Center: The New Class of 2010" article of the May issue of Alternative Press. According to a couple of tweets, [18] [19] Chris Pollock, formerly of Maryland-based band Oh, The Story! is currently filling in as the drummer for the band. It has not been announced whether this is permanent or temporary.

The band was featured on the compilation album Punk Goes Classic Rock with a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black". [20] On April 26, 2010, the band posted that the name of their debut album would be called Fixed at Zero . A clip of "Fixed at Zero" was also posted on the website www.fixedatzero.com. On April 28, 2010, fixedatzero.com posted the album cover, and pre-order information, with a release date of June 22, 2010, for the album. VersaEmerge went out to support the release of the album by playing The Bamboozle on May 1, 2010, playing alongside such bands as label-mates Paramore as well as Weezer. They also co-headlined a tour with I See Stars in the mid spring.

VersaEmerge completed their second full run on the Vans Warped Tour that began June 25, 2010, in California. They played the Glamour Kills Stage the entire tour. Kusterbeck also played a game called Where the Fuck is Sierra? with fans on every date of the tour. The game was similar to hide and seek and the first ten fans to find her received a winning card which was also a cut the line pass for their signing. On July 27, 2010, the band released the music video for the title track and first single from Fixed at Zero on their Myspace page. It was later made available on YouTube. On September 13, 2010, VersaEmerge announced that they would be headlining a tour in Fall '10 called the Vultures Unite Tour. They were joined by Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer and Conditions. The tour hit small venues across the US and also had two Canadian dates. It was claimed to be a "cinematic experience". The Dangerous Summer left the tour due to an altercation between Ingelido and members of The Dangerous Summer, as well as previous issues disclosed on Kusterbeck's Tumblr page.

The band appeared on the MTV documentary show World of Jenks on October 18, 2010. After the episode aired, VersaEmerge's fan base had grown substantially. On December 10, 2010, Alternative Press announced that VersaEmerge would be one of five bands on the 2011 Spring Alternative Press Tour. Joined by VersaEmerge are Black Veil Brides, Conditions, D.R.U.G.S. and I See Stars. In December 2010, former drummer Anthony Martone posted a personal account explaining his departure from the band, revealing that his tendencies to butt heads with Kusterbeck prompted his dismissal. This departure lead to Ian Brown's increased involvement in the band including recording and touring. On April 26, 2011, band member Devin Ingelido announced he was leaving the band to spend more time with his wife and newborn son. [3] His last show was on May 7, 2011. [21] Nick Osborne (2005–2006) will be replacing him on bass for the UK/Euro Invasion tour. Later on it was announced that Nick Osborne will be coming back to the band as the bass player for VersaEmerge.

On August 23, 2011, they released Live Acoustic . VersaEmerge was the opening act at the Fueled By Ramen 15th Anniversary show on September 9, 2011. It was also their last scheduled show for the year 2011. On November 29, the band streamed their cover of "Santa Baby" on YouTube. It would be made available on iTunes on December 20. [22] The music video for the song premiered on PureVolume on December 6, 2011. [23] The band performed at the Soundwave Festival from February 25, 2012 - March 5, 2012.

2011-2015: Departure from Fueled By Ramen, name change and Neon

Once they returned to the U.S. they entered the studio to record with producer Shaun Lopez. [24] VersaEmerge were officially done recording the album early in the morning on May 5, 2012. [25]

The band included a preview of a song that will be on the second album titled Another Atmosphere on the Fueled By Ramen Bamboozle sampler. [26] On July 16 VersaEmerge streamed a new song on SoundCloud called "No Consequences." [27] On the 25th of July a clip of the song "Bones" from the new album was streamed on SoundCloud. [28] A clip of the song "Domesticated" was also released on the 28th of July via SoundCloud. [29] However, the band delayed the release to early 2013. [30] [31] On September 25, a track titled "Burn" was uploaded onto SoundCloud, [32] and was made available to iTunes on September 27. The video of "Bones" was released on YouTube December 20.

In July 2013, the band was released from their record label, Fueled By Ramen. [33] On October 29, 2013, the band posted on their Tumblr the video for their song "No Consequences", and said that the song was to be the band's last release under the name VersaEmerge. [2] They also stated that new music was to be released before the end of 2013 under the band's new name, Versa. [2]

In November 2013, Versa announced that a new EP entitled Neon would be released on January 21, 2014. [34] The three-song EP includes otherwise unreleased songs from Another Atmosphere. The first single as Versa, "Neon," was released on November 22, 2013.

In June 2015, Sierra confirmed that the duo were ready to begin working on a new release following Neon in a new studio that Blake would be building in Brooklyn, New York, but that they would go under a new moniker and completely abolish the name VERSA. In the same interview, she also confirmed the band had created a second full-length album titled Another Atmosphere whilst they were under the name of VersaEmerge, but that their label at the time, Fueled By Ramen, never signed it off and it is unlikely they will ever release it. [9]

Influences

The band has cited Björk, Muse, Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth as their favorite artists, [7] [8] [35] [36] [37] the last of which got interested in the band and contributed on the song "Up There" from Fixed at Zero . [37] Blake stated that he's also "into movie soundtracks, film scoring, so I try and incorporate that as much as possible (...) But we have different influences from different things, not just bands." [7]

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbumChart positions
Top Heatseekers
2010 Fixed at Zero 3

EPs

YearAlbum
2007 Cities Built on Sand
  • Released as VersaEmerge: November 11, 2007
  • Label: Self-released
2008Perceptions
  • Released as VersaEmerge: July 2, 2008
  • Label: Self-released
2009 VersaEmerge
2011 Live Acoustic
2012 Another Atmosphere Preview
2014 Neon
  • Released: January 21, 2014
  • Label: Self-released

Singles

Band members

Final lineup

Former members

Touring musicians

Timeline

Versa (band)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Authority Zero</span> American punk rock band

Authority Zero is an American punk rock band from Mesa, Arizona, United States, formed in 1994. The band's style is rooted in reggae and skate punk, with Spanish/Portuguese influences. They have released seven albums to date, two DVDs and nine singles. The band regularly tours North America, Europe and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Academy Is...</span> American rock band

The Academy Is... is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before temporarily disbanding, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other established bands already under that name. The band has released three studio albums: Almost Here (2005), Santi (2007) and Fast Times at Barrington High (2008), along with four EPs. The band announced their disbandment on October 8, 2011. In May 2015, lead singer William Beckett announced that the band would reunite at Riot Fest 2015 in Chicago. In addition, the core members of the band, being Beckett, Mike Carden, Adam Siska, and Andy Mrotek, as well as Jamie Reed Schefman and Ian Crawford, reunited for a farewell tour that took place during December 2015. They announced that they would be reuniting again on May 11, 2022, alongside the announcement of their participation in the 2022 Riot Fest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hush Sound</span> American indie pop band

The Hush Sound is an American indie pop band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Initially named "The Hush," the band later changed its name to "The Hush Sound" due to the discovery of a rapper with the same name. The band consists of Bob Morris, Chris Faller, Darren Wilson, and Greta Salpeter. Mike Leblanc temporarily replaced Faller after he left the band for a few months in 2008.

Kiros was a Canadian rock and punk band formed in 2002 in Calgary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Swellers</span> American punk band

The Swellers were an American punk band from Flint, Michigan. Their music is influenced by melodic punk rock, as well as alternative and indie rock bands, from the 1990s. They disbanded in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Providence</span> American alternative rock band

This Providence was a four-piece alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States. The band consisted of Dan Young, David Blaise (bass), Gavin Phillips, and Andy Horst (drums).

Days Away was an American indie rock band based in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, formed in 1998.

Forgive Durden was an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, United States. They got their name from the novel Fight Club. They were signed to Fueled by Ramen. Fueled by Ramen released Forgive Durden's first full-length album, Wonderland, on May 9, 2006.

Recover is an American rock band from Austin, Texas.

Powerspace was a four-piece power pop band from Chicago, Illinois. They were signed to Fueled by Ramen. The band released their debut album, The Kicks of Passion produced by Marc McClusky, on July 31, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Rocket to the Moon</span> American rock band

A Rocket to the Moon was an American rock band formed during 2006 in Braintree, Massachusetts, United States, by Nick Santino, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Guitarist and backup vocalist Justin Richards, bassist and backup vocalist Eric Halvorsen, and drummer Andrew Cook eventually joined the band, forming the final member lineup. The band has two albums through Fueled by Ramen. Their debut, On Your Side, was released on October 13, 2009. Wild & Free was released on March 26, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Kay</span> American singer-songwriter and model.

Sierra Kay Kusterbeck, better known as Sierra Kay, is an American singer-songwriter and model. She rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the rock band VersaEmerge.

<i>Fixed at Zero</i> 2010 studio album by VersaEmerge

Fixed at Zero is the first and only studio album by American experimental rock band VersaEmerge, released through Fueled by Ramen on June 22, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Harnage</span> Musical artist

Blake Preston Harnage is an American songwriter, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He has written, produced, engineered, mixed or performed on songs for Versa, PVRIS, Hands Like Houses, All Time Low, With Beating Hearts, and others.

The Front Bottoms are an American rock band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, formed in 2006. They are currently a duo consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich. During live performances, they are currently accompanied by touring members, including guitarist and backing vocalist AJ Peacox, bassist and backing vocalist Natalie Newbold, and bassist, guitarist and backing vocalist Erik Kase Romero.

"If It Means a Lot to You" is a song by the American rock band A Day to Remember featuring American singer Sierra Kay. Produced by Chad Gilbert and A Day to Remember, it was featured as the closing track on the band's 2009 studio album, Homesick.

<i>Live Acoustic</i> (VersaEmerge EP) 2011 EP / Live album by VersaEmerge

Live Acoustic EP is the fourth EP by American experimental rock band VersaEmerge. It was released in August 2011 to tide over fans until the release of their second album, Another Atmosphere.

<i>White Noise</i> (Pvris album) 2014 studio album by Pvris

White Noise is the debut studio album by American rock band Pvris. Pvris formed as a five-piece metalcore band in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2012. Following the band becoming a four-piece of vocalist/guitarist Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, guitarist Alex Babinski, bassist Brian MacDonald and drummer Brad Griffin, the group's sound changed. Bringing pop and electronic elements into their music, the band released a self-titled EP. After winning a contest, the band played a week on Warped Tour; following this, Griffin left the band. The group signed with Rise and Velocity Records in June 2014. White Noise was recorded with producer Blake Harnage. Harnage would help co-write several songs on the album with Gunnulfsen; Sierra Kusterbeck helped co-write a few songs with Harnage and Gunnulfsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SWMRS</span> American punk rock band

SWMRS, pronounced 'swimmers', are an American punk rock band formed in Piedmont, California in 2004 by Cole Becker and Joey Armstrong, with Becker's brother Max Becker joining only a few weeks afterwards. They drew on a mix of influences ranging from the Beach Boys to the Ramones to create their own brand of rock. The band added Travis Neumann in 2009, who later left in 2014 due to creative differences. The band released a demo and a string of EPs from 2008 to 2010. The band released their first album, Don't Be a Dick, on June 14, 2011. The band's second album, Lost at Seventeen, was released on June 11, 2013. They added Sebastian Mueller as the bassist in 2014. The band's third studio album, and their first under the name SWMRS after dropping their former name, Drive North, was released February 12, 2016, via Uncool Records. Drive North was later re-released after the band was signed to record label Fueled by Ramen on October 13, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen D'Agostino</span> American musician and singer-songwriter

Colleen Marie D'Agostino is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Simi Valley, California. In 2005, while attending San Diego State University she formed The Material. They released their first EP entitled Tomorrow on September 1, 2007. After six years recording and touring with The Material, Colleen started an electropop side project called With Beating Hearts. The first With Beating Hearts EP was released on October 11, 2011.

References

  1. ↑ "23 post-hardcore tracks that definitely ruled your iPods in the 2000s". Alternative Press . 22 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "In the summer of 2012." VersaEmergeMusic.com. October 29, 2013. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. 1 2 "VersaEmerge Announce Departure of Bassist". Upvenue.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "VersaEmerge Releases". VersaEmergeMusic.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ "Fixed at Zero out today!". VersaEmergeMusic.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ↑ "VersaEmerge". Billboard . Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 "Interview: VersaEmerge - 09/04/2009". Alter the Press. September 4, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  8. 1 2 "VersaEmerge - 01.07.09". Absolutepunk.net. January 7, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Pup Fresh Podcast Ep. No. 8 - Sierra Kusterbeck Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "Blogger". Accounts.google.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Bury the Ashes on Purevolume<purevolume.com/burytheashes>
  12. ↑ "FBR+ :: Coming Soon". www.fbrplus.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Blogger". Accounts.google.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "VersaEmerge - in Pursuing Design - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Archived copy". wethekings.fangap.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ↑ "Boys Like Girls Announce Love Drunk Tour With Cobra Starship The Maine & More". TheyWillRockYou.com. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "Jerry Pierce (JerryPierceVE) on Twitter". 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  18. ↑ kylo 🎄 ✨, ✨ 🎄redeemed (April 16, 2010). "@chrispcream HELLO! i'm glad you're drumming for Versa! you seem like a cool guy, hopefully you'll get to stay:D". Archived from the original on 20 November 2013.
  19. ↑ P, Chris (April 16, 2010). "@djsarXD thanks duder, I appreciate the kind words". Twitter.com.
  20. ↑ "Punk Goes Classic Rock comes out on april 27th". VersaEmergeMusic.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ↑ "VersaEmerge". Versaemergemusic.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. ↑ "VersaEmerge: Santa Baby (Cover)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2011-11-29.
  23. ↑ "Pure Volume". Purevolume.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  24. ↑ "PUP FRESH - VERSAEMERGE HITTING THE STUDIO NEXT MONTH". Pupfresh.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  25. ↑ Quan Phan [@VersaEmerge] (5 May 2012). "May 5, 2012 @5:41AM @SierraVE sang the last of her vocals and we finished tracking LP2" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ "alterthepress". Alterthepress.tumblr.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  27. ↑ "No Consequences by VersaEmerge on SoundCloud - Hear the world's sounds". Archived from the original on November 4, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Bones". Soundcloud.com.
  29. ↑ "Domesticated". Soundcloud.com.
  30. ↑ "VersaEmerge Releasing New Album "Another Atmosphere" Early 2013". Alter the Press!. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  31. ↑ "VersaEmerge: Another Atmosphere Studio Update". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Burn". Soundcloud.com.
  33. ↑ "Fueled By Ramen Artists". Fueledbyramen.com.
  34. ↑ "Our 1st official release". Versaofficial.tumblr.com. November 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Interview with VersaEmerge". Mxdwn.com. September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Band of the week: VersaEmerge". Rock Sound. February 14, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  37. 1 2 "Track-By-Track: VersaEmerge". Alternative Press. July 29, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.