At once aggressive, atmospheric, and emotionally forceful, Vedera are a four-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, who have made a name for themselves through a pair of small-label recordings and plenty of touring. The band was formed in 2004 by singer, guitarist and pianist Kristen May and lead guitarist Brian Little, worked together in a band called Red Authentic, and joined forces with bassist Jason Douglas and drummer Drew Little.
Kristen May was raised in a musical family, so she was influenced by her mom's Joni Mitchell and Carole King records while also exploring Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana, the bands her brother was into. May got her first guitar at age 17 and began penning her own songs. Brian Little and May knew each other in high school and started a band together after dropping out of college. In 2003, high-school friend Jason Douglas was asked to join the outfit along with Little's younger brother Drew. The group was named Veda, in part for "Vedha," a Hindu word meaning "sacred writings" and in part for Vada, the character played by Anna Chulmsky in the 1991 film My Girl. The new band quickly went into the studio and released its first EP, "This Broken City," though Second Nature Recordings, a Kansas City-based independent label. A year later, Vedera released their first full-length album, "The Weight of an Empty Room," but shortly afterward the band changed its name from 'Veda' to 'Vedera' to avoid legal action after learning another act was using the same name. Vedera wasted little time establishing the new moniker, re-releasing "The Weight of an Empty Room" and logging more road work, co-headlining a tour with Dear and the Headlights.
Vedera is now ready to take on the world with their forthcoming second and major-label debut album, "Stages." "We're a family and we're very devoted to this life and to our music," May says. "We try to be as honest as we can and put everything we have out there with as much conviction as possible." According to a recent blog on the group's Myspace page, "Stages" will be available on iTunes on October 6, and is produced by Mike Flynn and Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana). Rough cuts of "Back to the Middle," "Satisfy," "Forgive You," and "Taking Chances" have been made available on the band's MySpace page.
Satisfied now? The first single "Satisfy" explores a question which we all see ourselves asking at some point in our time: Is there anything left in the world that will satisfy me? The answer is yes, and it lies within the lyrics. Vedera has a strong voice which is sure to entertain and it cuts away from those cookie cutter artists. I heard them for the first time, and Kristen has a beautiful voice!
Kristen May was raised in a musical family, so she was influenced by her mom's Joni Mitchell and Carole King records while also exploring Stone Temple Pilots and Nirvana, the bands her brother was into. May got her first guitar at age 17 and began penning her own songs. Brian Little and May knew each other in high school and started a band together after dropping out of college. In 2003, high-school friend Jason Douglas was asked to join the outfit along with Little's younger brother Drew. The group was named Veda, in part for "Vedha," a Hindu word meaning "sacred writings" and in part for Vada, the character played by Anna Chulmsky in the 1991 film My Girl. The new band quickly went into the studio and released its first EP, "This Broken City," though Second Nature Recordings, a Kansas City-based independent label. A year later, Vedera released their first full-length album, "The Weight of an Empty Room," but shortly afterward the band changed its name from 'Veda' to 'Vedera' to avoid legal action after learning another act was using the same name. Vedera wasted little time establishing the new moniker, re-releasing "The Weight of an Empty Room" and logging more road work, co-headlining a tour with Dear and the Headlights.
Vedera is now ready to take on the world with their forthcoming second and major-label debut album, "Stages." "We're a family and we're very devoted to this life and to our music," May says. "We try to be as honest as we can and put everything we have out there with as much conviction as possible." According to a recent blog on the group's Myspace page, "Stages" will be available on iTunes on October 6, and is produced by Mike Flynn and Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana). Rough cuts of "Back to the Middle," "Satisfy," "Forgive You," and "Taking Chances" have been made available on the band's MySpace page.
Satisfied now? The first single "Satisfy" explores a question which we all see ourselves asking at some point in our time: Is there anything left in the world that will satisfy me? The answer is yes, and it lies within the lyrics. Vedera has a strong voice which is sure to entertain and it cuts away from those cookie cutter artists. I heard them for the first time, and Kristen has a beautiful voice!
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