by Michelle Singer
If you love indie rock and the chilled out vibe of bands such as Real Estate or The Shins, you are going to love Very Americans. Their new EP Stereo Types just came out in January and they are already on the rise.
Hailing from Harrisburg, PA, Tony Bavaria (guitar) and Tom McGrath (guitar) have been playing together in bands since they were 16. They met Garret Rothman (bass) and Tyler Coleman (drums) from other bands in the area that they played with or ran into at shows. From there, two more members were added and fleshed out the band.
Bavaria explains, “we initially just got together and started writing songs and hanging out. Then we decided we wanted keys, and we ended up meeting Steve Radtke on Craigslist actually. Rich Wise, our singer, was in the process of moving here from Florida right at the time we were looking for a singer, and a mutual friend introduced us. He started writing melodies and vocals for the songs we had already written and everything just kind of fell into place.”
So. after getting together in 2012, the members instantly clicked and starting putting out music in about two months. “We did put the Back From the Dead EP out really quickly. It was two songs and we basically did the whole thing ourselves so we were able to get it out there pretty fast.”
Their new EP, cleverly titled Stereo Types, came out earlier this year on Eulogy Records. “I think Stereo Types took about a year to get out after that. We actually recorded everything ourselves, which was nice because we got to really take our time and make sure we were getting the sounds we wanted, and didn’t have that ‘oh my gosh, this is costing so much money’ thing hanging over our heads.”
Before Very Americans, some of their members were in hardcore and punk bands such as The Commercials, Junction, and Safari So Good. “I think most of us come from a hardcore and punk background so that stuff has always been a big influence on not only our music, but how we approach being in a band, how we book shows, how we release records, etc.”
They toured with acts such as Fugazi, Saves the Day, At The Drive In, Cursive, and Me Without You. Although the sound of Very Americans is a lot softer than their previous bands, their eclectic music styles produce a melodic pop-infused sound riddled with layered guitars and encircled by soothing vocals.
Songs on Stereo Types encompass lyrics of destiny, heartache, and getting out. Rich Wise describes one of their songs titled “Fast Planes To Rio” as, “a destiny or fate song. It’s following your life story believing that you are meant to be somewhere or going in a certain direction. The “waters edge” and “took a dive off the edge” lines especially describe a meeting point where you have to decide a way to go and hope that fate agrees with it. I hope that’s where my story lies”.
Up next for Very Americans are new shows and new songs. “We’ve been writing a lot so we have a bunch of new songs that we’ve been working on for a full length. We’re probably going to be demoing the songs soon to narrow them down a bit, with the plan of being in the studio to record later in the summer. We’ve been getting a pretty positive response to some of the newer songs at shows, so we’re pretty excited!”
Very Americans are constantly scheduling shows especially around the Pennsylvania area. They just played a show with The Whigs and are playing Fed Live in May. “Playing shows and touring is great, I know for me that’s the best part of playing in a band. I think ultimately that’s the reason why most people play music. Writing, recording- that can be fun, but if you’re not out there playing the songs and interacting with people, I think you miss out on a lot of the experience of what it really means to play music.”
Very Americans are definitely a band to watch and Stereo Types is a great collection of relatable tunes that are timeless. You can feel their talent, natural chemistry together, and genuine love for music flow through your speakers.
“I know I’m very thankful for all the experiences I’ve had through music, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been able to visit, the bands I’ve seen. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything in the world, and they’ve definitely shaped who I am today.”
