Rockers VERSA have four album's to their namesake. Their newest is coming out just in time for the spooky season this October! Some shows are in the works as well. Even newer music is likely in the works too, plus much more in-store. The band discusses all of this below.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Versa was formed in late-2007 by Matthew Dolmage, Benjamin Rancourt, Hollas Longton, Kevin Grady, and Anthony Theocharis, who met at a music composition course taught by Christopher Butterfield at the University of Victoria. They were joined by Janelle Wrona. This lineup recorded Versa's self-titled debut album, after which Kevin Grady left to pursue a masters degree in chromatic percussion, and was replaced on Versa's second LP by Ajay Bhattacharya, who is now a music producer in LA under the name Stint. Jesse Bell joined permanently on drums in 2012, along with Michelle Edwards on trumpet. After several members decided to return to school in 2017, the band went on hiatus, but began playing together again during the COVID pandemic in 2021 and recorded “A Voyage / A Destination”, released in 2022. After that release, Rancourt, Theocharis, and Wrona left the band to focus on their careers and young families, and “A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2” was completed by the core of Dolmage, Longton, and Bell, joined by many amazing guest artists.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
At an early rehearsal, Anthony suggested “Versa's Vice”, which the rest of us thought was a little too 90s alt/grunge band-sounding so we shortened it to just “Versa”. The Nissan Versa was released shortly after, screwing up our search engine optimization forever more.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We are based out of Victoria, British Columbia. Currently the biggest active band from Victoria is probably the fantastic power metal band Unleash the Archers. When we were first starting out the big indie bands from Victoria were Hot Hot Heat and Immaculate Machine, both of whom are great listens.
4. How would you describe your style?
Post rock meets progressive rock with a dash of indie folk.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
With the new album, we have released four full-length LPs and and one EP. Our first album is entirely instrumental post rock, but since then we've been gradually incorporating more vocals and progressive rock sounds.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Our new album, “A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2” is out on October 4, 2024, on streaming platforms and physical CDs.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
We haven't played a live show since 2017; however, recently we've been joined by a new guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist, with the intention of playing some local shows toward the end of 2024 and possibly some festivals in 2025.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
I (Matt) have started sketching out some new compositions for our next LP, which will likely be recorded in 2025 and released in 2026. We're hopefully going to play some festival gigs in 2025 as well.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
www.versa-music.com will take you to a linktree with links to our Spotify, Youtube, Bandcamp, and all other places where our music is hosted.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
We just hope they enjoy it and come back to listen again!
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