| VEARA on John Cena, pop-punk, and honesty. |
| Written by Sarah Mudgway |
| Monday, 04 July 2011 14:10 |
 Hailing from Augusta, Georgia, pop-punk four-piece VEARA have been steadily growing and cementing their fanbase and place in the music scene, courtesy of a heavy touring schedule, a working relationship (and friendship) with Jeremy McKinnon from A Day To Remember, and their ability to write upbeat pop-punk which is both honest, and infectious. When Coup De Main caught some of Veara’s set at Soundwave Festival earlier this year - click HERE to read our review - we were so impressed by the energy the band brought forth in a live setting and the incredible response and dedication of their fans, that we just had to speak to the band and find out a little more about them, their 2010 debut album ‘What We Left Behind’, and what is in-store for their future. Kindly taking time out of his busy band-schedule to answer our questions, read what singer and guitarist BRADLEY WYROSDICK had to say below... COUP DE MAIN: Hello there! For anyone who hasn’t heard of you before, tell us a little about Veara! VEARA - BRADLEY WYROSDICK: We are a pop-punk band from Augusta, GA. We have been a band for about seven years, and released our debut album 'What We Left Behind' on Epitaph Records and Running Man Records last year. CDM: Veara played Soundwave Festival earlier this year which was your first trip to Australia. How did you find that tour, and of course... do you think we’ll ever see Veara in New Zealand anytime soon? BRADLEY: That tour was amazing. It was one of the best tours we have ever done and one of the best responses we have received from fans. I'm sure in time we will make it to New Zealand! We would love to come play for y'all. CDM: Your album ‘What We Left Behind’ was released a year ago now on Epitaph Records - looking back at the journey that album has taken you on, do you have any standout moments? BRADLEY: It has been a journey for sure since ‘What We Left Behind’ came out. There are lots of standout moments, almost too many to name. Soundwave Fest being one of them and Groezrock Fest in Belgium. Both incredible festivals and incredible crowds! CDM: You worked with Jeremy McKinnon from A Day To Remember on the album, and I believe you’re working with him again on your next release - how did that relationship come about? BRADLEY: Veara has been playing with ADTR for a few years, even before I was in the band. ADTR would come play Augusta all the time and Veara would always play with them and they just always stayed in contact with each other. When we recorded our demos for 'What We Left Behind' we showed them to Josh from ADTR and he showed them to Jeremy and he decided he wanted to produce our record and sign us to his and Josh's label, Running Man Records. CDM: What did he bring to the table that made you guys want to record with him again? BRADLEY: Jeremy was really easy to work with and understood our ideas and what we were going for. He didn't try to make us something we're not or force us to do anything. Instead he pushed us to write to the best of our abilities, and after working with him the first time it would be foolish for us not to have him produce our next record. CDM: Speaking of the second album - you’re in the writing and demo recording stages currently. What can you tell us about it so far? BRADLEY: It's going great so far. We have almost half a record written and honestly, I didn't think things would be happening this fast. Now that we have the technology to demo out our songs it makes writing songs a lot easier and less stressful. It helps the ideas flow a lot quicker when you can hear back what you are creating. CDM: When do you expect it to be released? BRADLEY: We are shooting for an early 2012 release.  CDM: In the writing process - both lyrically and musically – do you each contribute or is there one person who takes lead on that? BRADLEY: When it comes to the music, we all four collectively write the music. We each will bring certain parts or ideas to each other, then take them apart and put them back together as a group. As far as lyrics go, Patrick and I write most the melodies and lyrics, but Brittany and Bryan also have a part in that as well. We feel it’s really important for all of us to have a part in the writing process rather than just one of us. CDM: Obviously you're all huge fans of the pop-punk scene - what bands did you grow up listening to, and who are some of your current favourites? BRADLEY: Some bands that really influence us musically are Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, The Movielife, and there are tons of others. My personal current favorites are The Swellers, Fireworks, Bayside, and Living With Lions. CDM: Do you have any thoughts on why the genre seems to be reigniting with music fans? BRADLEY: I have no idea. <laughs> I've always been into pop-punk and I felt the scene for it never died, but it has definitely been growing over the past few years. CDM: What is something you guys are into that might surprise your fans? Music, movies, hobbies... BRADLEY: We love professional wrestling, mainly the WWE. We usually get together with all our friends on Monday nights to watch Monday Night Raw. If you follow us on Twitter, I'm sure you have seen us tweet about wrestling. <laughs> As far as music goes, we love 90's, boy-bands, country music and rap music. <laughs> CDM: Your whole band is on Twitter and you often post updates about what you’re all up to. Is connecting with fans something you are quite conscious about doing? BRADLEY: Talking with people who are interested in our band is something we do just 'cause. And also we are just four normal kids that just happen to be playing in a band together. I feel it’s important to let people know that, because I feel it helps them realize that you are on the same level as them. We aren't big stars are anything, just working hard for what we love. CDM: You’ve shared the stage with some pretty awesome bands throughout your career so far - who is left on the bucket list of musicians to play with? BRADLEY: Hmm, I'd say Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, and Foo Fighters - and we are playing with Jimmy Eat World and Foo Fighters at some Euro fest, so I guess that counts them off the list? <laughs> CDM: You have a song called 'Better Off Without You' - what are five things the world would be better off without? BRADLEY: Narrow minds, money, war, Xanadu, and John Cena. CDM: On Twitter you mentioned that you are (or were) working a job while Veara were in writing-mode to help keep money coming in. With the music industry changing, and music piracy being at an all-time high, do you think it will become more common for musicians to hold down jobs outside of music in order to survive? BRADLEY: I feel that it is already a common thing for musicians to have jobs outside of their bands. When you are home and your band isn't doing anything, you aren't making money, so to make ends meet you find a job that will let you come in and out from touring. But it is very expensive to tour, paying for gas, paying for food, or if you are touring overseas, paying for plane tickets, renting equipment and transportation - it all adds up very quickly. Even when you are still sleeping in your van! <laughs>  CDM: You have a lyric that goes "staying honest is the hardest part" - how important is honesty in your music and creative expression to Veara? BRADLEY: Honesty in our music is #1. We write the music we want to write, we say the things we want to say. When we write a song we make sure it's something we enjoy and when we write lyrics we get together and talk about what has been on our minds and what we have been seeing around us. We write a lot about the people who surround us and the attitudes that surround us. It's what fuels us the most to write music, both negative and positive attitudes. CDM: Has there ever been any moments where staying honest to yourselves has been hard - pressure from fans, labels etc.? BRADLEY: It is a challenge to stay honest, because honesty and the truth hurts and that's what keeps you from making poor decisions or making decisions that aren't right for you. Everyone is different and has different morals, so when it comes to staying honest, treat people the way you want to be treated and do what you feel is right. CDM: If you all weren’t in Veara - what would each of the members be doing instead? BRADLEY: I think Patrick would be a professional landscaper, Bryan would be a pharmacist, Brittany would be a chef, and I would be fry-cook. Patrick and I are doing those things now even while in the band. <laughs> CDM: And finally, what is something you would like to leave behind once Veara is all said and done? BRADLEY: Our music and our message. |
