Set to play SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday with Tony Halchak & The Happenstance, the Grand Rapids quartet led by Sarah VE has made inroads on the region’s music scene.
Sarah VE and Vespa: A unique collaboration of musicians. (Courtesy Photo)
SCROLL DOWN TO LISTEN TO A TRACK SARAH VE RECORDED WITH TONY HALCHAK
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For vocalist and guitarist Sarah VanEerden, Vespa has been an exercise in the art of seamlessly melding different genres, letting ideas morph and take shape in different ways than originally intended and finding the perfect balance of on-stage chemistry with her bandmates.
“It started because I kind of knew I wanted to branch into playing with others. I was kind of a late bloomer when it comes to music compared to people that started, you know, when they were in junior high,” said VanEerden, aka Sarah VE.
Formed in 2023, the Grand Rapids-based four-piece refuses to be contained by any singular descriptor and is the result of people from differing musical backgrounds joining forces to create something fun and unique.
VanEerden has always favored female-fronted ’90s alt-rock bands and singer-songwriters, saxophonist Rolly Smith is well-versed in jazz standards, drummer Danny McCoy specializes in rockabilly and surf-rock instrumentals, and bassist Chris Carr can often be found playing with jam bands or country-Western acts. Vespa takes inspiration from each of these musical backgrounds (and more) to create their signature sound of soulful, bluesy rock.
“It’s funny because it ends up sounding totally different than that inspiration sound, but you know, when you listen to all kinds of music and love many genres, you pick up on those little things,” VanEerden said.
Working with other musicians as part of a band for the first time, VanEerden has learned that songs don’t always end up sounding the way she might expect them to during the writing process. Working alongside Smith, McCoy and Carr, all of whom have years of experience playing in various bands, has pushed VanEerden out of her comfort zone and into new musical territory.
The Band: Smith, VanEerden, McCoy and Carr. (Courtesy Photo)
“As we become more comfortable playing together, hearing the songs morph is really exciting,” VanEerden said, “It’s so fun to just see things come to life with them. I feel like a lucky duck.”
VanEerden takes the lead on penning lyrics for Vespa, using everything from life experiences to humor and inside jokes that might feel like a mystery to listeners at first. VanEerden strikes a balance between being emotionally vulnerable and weaving together words and phrases that sound pleasing together phonetically.
“Some songs are very autobiographical. . . but other ones might just be like, I love it when one word has three syllables and then you can rhyme it with three individual words, something phonetic like that,” VanEerden said of her songwriting process.
Vespa is set to release its latest project “Little Monster,” this spring with a tentative release for May. “Little Monster” was recorded at Second Story Sound in Grand Rapids and mixed by Tony Halchak, who has collaborated with VanEerden on multiple projects. The project also features Grand Rapids guitarist Alex Austin on several tracks.
Vespa and Tony Halchak & The Happenstance will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Speak EZ Lounge in Grand Rapids for the Local Spins Wednesdays series. Details here.
“It was my first experience recording, I learned a lot, and I’m really excited just to have something exist, you know,” Van Eerden said of the “Little Monster” project. “Creating something from nothing is pretty awesome.”
Fans can expect performances of these new tracks at Wednesday’s SpeakEZ Lounge show, with VanEerden considering herself lucky to have found such a collaborative and supportive space in the Michigan music scene.
“Part of why we love it is that none of us take ourselves too seriously. I feel like it’s more comfortable when we’re out there to have fun, and then I’m also willing to be an open book and share some stories. So sometimes there’s some tears, depending on the set list,” VanEerden said.
Additional spring performance dates can be found online at vespatheband.com, including a May 8 date at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids opening for The Moonrays. Tickets and info here.
LISTEN: “Parasitic Lover of an Everlasting Ghost,” Tony Halchak with Sarah VE
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