Vandaveer
Vandaveer | |
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Vandaveer | |
Background information | |
Origin | Washington D.C., USA |
Genres |
Indie Folk Alternative Rock |
Labels |
Supply and Demand Label Alter K Records |
Associated acts | Alejandra Escovedo, The Jayhawks, Vashti Bunyan, Bon Iver, The Apparitions |
Members | Mark Charles Heidinger |
Vandaveer is the Washington, DC-based alt-folk musical project spearheaded by singer-songwriter Mark Charles Heidinger. Vandaveer has released four full-length LPs and one EP since 2007, touring extensively throughout the US and Europe, logging 500+ shows to date.[1]
History
Vandaveer began performing in late 2006, releasing his debut record, Grace & Speed, in the spring of 2007 on the now-defunct DC label, Gypsy Eyes Records. Rose Guerin began singing with Vandaveer in mid-2007 and has been a permanent fixture since. Robby Cosenza, Justin Craig and J. Tom Hnatow (all formerly of These United States) are regular collaborators with Vandaveer both in the studio and on stage. 2009 saw the release of Vandaveer's second full-length LP, Divide & Conquer, on the Supply & Demand Music label in the US[2] and Alter K Records in Europe.[3]
In 2010, Vandaveer self-released the five-song EP, A Minor Spell, a stark, lo-fi homemade recording centered largely around the vocal pairing of Heidinger and Guerin.
In April of 2011, the band released their third full-length record, entitled Dig Down Deep, again via Supply & Demand Music and Alter K Records.
Vandaveer's fourth full-length LP, Oh, Willie Please... was released in April 2013, via Quack Media. The album, featuring J. Tom Hnatow on dobro, piano, pedal steel and acoustic guitar and Phillips Saylor on clawhammer banjo and acoustic guitar, is a collection of traditional folk songs, mostly murder ballads and songs of self-ruin, and was inspired in part by the band's participation in The 78 Project in December, 2011.
Prior to Vandaveer, Heidinger was the primary vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for The Apparitions from Lexington, KY.
Vandaveer has been featured in Vincent Moon's La Blogotheque series of live music encounters, called Take Away Shows.[4] The video for "Pretty Polly," the first single from Oh, Willie, Please... stars David Yow (The Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid) and Tricia Vessey, and was directed by long-time Vandaveer video & film collaborator, Jared Varava.
Albums
- Grace & Speed (2007)
- Divide & Conquer (2009)
- A Minor Spell (EP) (2010)
- Dig Down Deep (2011)
- XMSEP2012 (2012)
- Oh, Willie, Please... (2013)
References
External links
- Official Band Site
- AllMusic Page for Vandaveer
- Album Review in PopMatters
- Album Review in CrawDaddy! Magazine
- Band Review in Paste Magazine
- Vandaveer on Facebook
- Vandaveer on Myspace
- Vandaveer on Twitter