Very Emergency finds a way to bridge the gap between “indie” and “radio-friendly.” Very
Emergency’s sound is so arresting that when Peter Frampton heard their cover of his song “I’m In You,” he invited the band to come to his home studio and record the track.with Frampton himself backing up on guitar and vocals. Frampton isn’t the first music biz celebrity whose attention Very Emergency has attracted in their young career. Legendary Chris Kimsey, who topped the band’s “wish list” of producers, has added Very Emergency’s debut LP The Getaway to a repertoire that already included albums by The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran and Killing Joke. Produced and engineered by Kimsey, The Getaway was recorded in Minneapolis, MN at The Terrarium – the same state-of-the-art studio that has produced renowned albums by Andrew Bird, Beck, Mason Jennings and the Melvins.
If you aren’t noticing a common thread amongst all this name-dropping, it’s because Very
Emergency is as eclectic and diverse as their influences from Weezer to The Cars. The pure energy and emotion of their live performance has attracted a large regional fan base, extending from their hometown in central Kentucky to Nashville and Cincinnati. Very Emergency frequently sells out venues, and their repute has allowed them the chance to share a stage with bands as accomplished and varied as My Chemical Romance, Jets to Brazil, Emarosa and My Brightest Diamond.
The Getaway – soon-to-be re-released to include “I’m in You” and another original bonus track – is a tightly woven concept album about a character from a wealthy upbringing that graduates from college and turns to a life of crime. While allegorized and dramatized, The Getaway’s well crafted, intellectualized yet highly accessible songs draw from the band’s real-life experience – creating real-life music that listeners can relate to. This is especially important in today’s social climate where, in the words of VE vocalist and songwriter Kenneth Fletcher, everyone’s blueprint to happiness has become unclear.
“In this album, we’re able to share some of our own struggles as a band,” said Fletcher,
“graduating college in today’s cold economic climate, failed relationships, and constantly
changing ideas of morality.”
The Getaway is what radio has been missing: heavy yet heartfelt, deeply layered in both sound and emotion. Kimsey described VE guitarist Danny Maupin as “the noisiest guitar player I’ve ever heard in my life.man, that guy is an 11!” VE’s noise is also marked by seemingly tireless drummer Kevin Hamilton, but is balanced by Fletcher’s eloquent, impassioned vocals; Greg
Melnyk’s forceful, driving basslines Very Emergency’s sound is raw and tender, upbeat and
emotive, passionate and intuitive, all at once . a real band, making real music.
