Getting to Know… Versus | Interview

In the 514^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from the independent Leeds-based rock band Versus.

Shortie x asserts about his band, Versus! He expounds, “We combine, let’s say, post-grunge with post-hardcore, I think – we manage to merge different styles or genres that eventually define our sound.” Shortie X gives us the inside scoop on the Leeds-based band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know…Versus: Interview No. 514!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Hello there!! Distinctiveness is one of our main objectives; we combine, let’s say, post-grunge with post-hardcore, I think – we manage to merge different styles or genres that eventually define our sound. Saying that, blowing an audience away doesn’t just depend on the sound in our books; we like to combine visuals as well as the sound to try and create an experience for our audience and fans. We don’t want to play shows for people; we want to give fans everything we have got creatively to create an environment where it’s safe to feel the emotional bomb we just handed them on a platter.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Versus form, and what were some of your goals or visions early on?

The band formed back in 2016 with a few friends to release our inner demons and play shows. I think it is safe to say that everyone in existence has had their fair share of trouble & trauma where they don’t think they can carry on. A couple of us had hit rock bottom and needed something to focus on that would help us escape reality for a few hours a week. Playing shows and having folks coming back time after time drove us onwards and motivated us to want to do more creatively. Our vision for the band was just to use it as some sort of emotional release at that time, but eventually, as some of us emerged from our darker days, all battered and bruised, we evolved and grew from our experiences and eventually found our sound and focus.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or perspectives changed since you first started? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

It was different when we first started, as we were using the music as an outlet for our experiences with no real goal or aspirations – if people liked the music and shows, then they kinda liked it, you know? Bonus for us.

Now, after embarking on a journey of discovering ourselves and evolving as musicians, we want to be able to do more than we used to. Play the big festivals, go on all of the tours, and ditch the 9-to-5 to work full-time with music. With the industry the way it is after streaming platforms and leaps forward with technology that empowers any creative soul to slam their art up on the internet, it’s a real slog getting anywhere without having something different from everyone else, and we have that in abundance.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

100%!! Influences are so important to every single creative person who has ever existed. Everyone in Versus has their favorite bands and their own inspirational figures, but each one of us is very eclectic musically, so our influences go from classical composers to The Prodigy, from 70’s funk and disco to metal and nu-metal; the list could literally go on and on. Plus, our influences do change over time, so currently the bands that inspire us are Dayseeker, Slayer, Enter Shikari, and System of a Down.

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

I knew we would get this kinda question one day. It’s a show story; we were booked to play an acoustic festival a few years ago, and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Our old bassist got delayed, so he missed sound check and load in; none of the venue’s tech was working properly, and glitches with our own tech and instruments proved to be super stressful. Nah, I’ll be honest, I was pissed off beyond measure and was getting more wound up. Extracting myself from the situation, I went to the bathroom. I wasn’t ‘concentrating’ or watching what I was doing and managed to get a tiny amount of pee on my shorts with no other change of clothes. Don’t get me wrong, it was noticeable enough for me to die a thousand times over internally and had me panicking enough to go lay on my wife’s car bonnet (the engine was still hot) to try and dry myself down before our stage time. That is a life lesson right there, kids.

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To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

I have so many favorites – I think one of my favorite ever songs to record was “All Good Things”, but live, I love kicking off the live set with “Blinded By The Lights” – that track commands the attention of everyone in the audience and really helps me let go and immerse myself in the moment and the performance.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about Versus? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Calvin can also play the lute, and Rob likes Farley’s Baby Rusks.

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What is Versus currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

This is where I want to tell you everything but can’t (Rob gets mad with me when I spunk stuff early) – to be honest we are still working on promoting the last album (The Catalyst) and trying to play as much as we can nationally – we have got plans for a second album (currently working on it) but are taking the time we have now booking shows and organizing small tours – watch this space!

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Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

No problem at all – thank you for taking the time to ask all of the questions – had a blast answering them.

Shortie x

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Getting to Know…Versus: Interview No. 514 [📷: Ed Fielding]

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