FLASHBACK TO THE MID 90s. THE TUNES WERE GOOD AND THE TIMES WERE SIMPLER.

The Verve Pipe came into Annapolis MD bringing back with them nostalgia and great song writing. Empire Extreme got to sit down with Singer Brian Vander Ark and talk about old times, tough times , and the future of The Verve Pipe.

EE: How’s the Tour so far?

Brian: It’s been great, just had a couple days off, which doesn’t happen that very often. I went down to Raleigh for a speaking gig, and then came back up to meet with them. That’s where the real money is Corporate Speaking (Laughs)

EE: How often do you guys get mistaken for The Verve?

Brian: Happens everyday. I get tagged people thinking they are tagging The Verve. People ask me why we didn’t play Bitter Sweet Symphony. I don’t mind it at all. I’m sure they get the worse of it because their band is cool and credible English band.

EE: How was it making the Villains album, were you expecting the huge reception that you got for that album?

Brian: I think you always expect all your albums to sell, but we failed to realize that 95% of records on labels fail so we were really lucky. Then we make the next album and you think it’s going to sell and it didn’t. But that album was great making we were a bunch of Michigan kids in SF on a house boat and we recorded where Metallica was recording at the same time. It takes a cold hard slap in the face to realize that what you had, we have to work out ass off now.

EE: You guys released the latest album Parachute last year, how’s the response been for that and with the cover being what it was?

Brian: Yeah we do kids shows and nobody has ever complained, I’m not sure if we put that album out at those shows. It’s a great piece of artwork. We did have a complaint about her being a parachute as it was sexist, but I always took it as she’s the parachute and that’s what saves you.

EE: So you mentioned you did kid albums, how is doing that compared to the adult ones?

Brian: I have kids and I was sick of listening to the Wiggles and other stuff, nobody is making rock and roll kids stuff. Let’s make a Verve Pipe record but with lyrics for kids and the shenanigans we did as kids. Sirius Xm played it, and we did better on that stuff, and we sell more kids merch and stuff that anything else. The kids shows are way harder than the adult one, the kids ones you have to be entertaining the whole time, and focused on them 100%. Kids have a way less attention span and you have to work so much harder for them than adults.

EE: How was it like doing the acting stuff like Dead&Breakfast and Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg?

Brian: That experience was amazing, Jeff Pilson of Dokken taught me how to play bass, and playing with Zach Wylde was amazing, Blas Elias from Slaughter these guys are great musicians all together with the actors. Dominic West who blew up after that, and Tim Olyphant who was amazing. It was great all the actors wanted to talk about music and all the musicians wanted to talk about acting.

EE: With all the bands reuniting, is there a band you like to see Reunite?

Brian: XTC, I’m a huge Andy Partridge fan, after the Beatles there my favorite band.

EE: What Dead musician would you want to bring back?

Brian: I would probably say George Harrison or John Lennon. I think George would be making such Greg music now and he produced a lot of films like the Monty Python stuff.

The Verve Pipe put on one hell of a show, StoryTelling from the beginning of the band till currently, giving us insight to ideas that became songs and the hardship of being a top band to being down in the dirt and picking yourself up again. Songs like The Freshman, Never Let You Down and Colorful from the Rockstar Soundtrack which Brian said was him on the recoding with Mark Wahlberg lip syncing to him, and everyone asks why The Verve Pipe is doing a Wahlberg cover. Then playing a few covers before ending the night. They played an amazing version of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac and a killer version of Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult.

Overall the show was amazing, it was great to hear about making the songs and the places he was and mindset of them. Brian’s voice is amazing, and the band just played so great together. I can’t wait to get to see them again.

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Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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