Vanna (band)

Vanna was an American hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, US, which was formed in 2004.[5] On December 15, 2017, the band played their final show at the Worcester Palladium.

Vanna
OriginBoston, Massachusetts, US
Genres
Years active2004–2017
LabelsEpitaph, Artery, Pure Noise
Associated actsTherefore I Am
MembersDavey Muise
Nicholas Lambert
Shawn Marquis
Seamus Menihane
Past membersJoe Bragel
Brandon Davis
Chris Preece
Chris Campbell
Evan Pharmakis
Eric Gross
Joel Pastuszak

The band's sound has been described as furious and cathartic, changing over time from screamo to metalcore to post-hardcore, with some songs showing emo or melodic metalcore elements.

History

Early years (2004–2005)

The band formed in December 2004 by guitarists Nicholas Lambert and Evan Pharmakis. The duo recorded their first demo in Lambert's dorm room at MassArt, using the program Reason for drums. Soon after, they recruited drummer Brandon Davis (who at the time was playing guitar for the band Therefore I Am), bassist Shawn Marquis, and vocalist Joe Bragel. They then recorded and self-released their first EP entitled This Will Be Our Little Secret. The five song EP helped the band gain a strong local fan base. It was this EP that got them noticed to the record companies, and on November 15, 2005, the band was signed to Epitaph Records.

Epitaph Records (2005–2009)

In March 2006 they released a split 7" vinyl with Therefore I Am, of which only 500 hand numbered copies were pressed (100 pink colored vinyl, 100 blue and 300 white). They then began recording their third EP and first release with Epitaph Records, The Search Party Never Came in February 2006. During the recording process, Vanna decided to part ways with original vocalist Joe Bragel. Nick Lambert filled in and took over on vocals for the recording of that album. After the release of the record in June 2006, they recruited Chris Preece as vocalist.

The band toured the second half of 2006, and on October 25, 2006, they traveled to Seattle, Washington to record their first full-length album with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Norma Jean, the Fall of Troy, Pearl Jam). They recorded until December 19, 2006. In February 2007 the band began touring again with the Esoteric and played a few dates on the 2007 Epitaph Tour. Their first full-length debut album, Curses was released on April 24, 2007.

On February 15, 2008, drummer Brandon Davis played his last show as a member of Vanna and parted ways with the band during a tour with Knives Exchanging Hands and My Hero Is Me. The band finished up the tour with Ryan Seaman on drums. As the band began writing their second full length, they recruited Chris Campbell as full-time drummer. Campbell joined Vanna from the New Hampshire-based band the Jonah Veil, who were disbanding. Campbell's first concert with Vanna was at The Living Room in Providence, Rhode Island, on March 22, 2008.

Vanna's next album titled A New Hope was released on March 24, 2009. A New Hope reached No. 31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[3] AllMusic described the first track as a "stuttering hardcore breakdown blast" setting the tone for the rest of the album's "uplift and crushing heaviness"; something that screamo bands had been trying to accomplish.[6]

In July 2009, vocalist Chris Preece left the band on good terms, citing "personal reasons". Following the band's summer 2009 tour with A Static Lullaby, Preece was replaced by Davey Muise of Seeker Destroyer.[7] Preece played his last show with Vanna at the Mansfield, Massachusetts, stop of the 2009 Warped Tour where Muise was brought to the stage and introduced. Muise played his first official show with Vanna on Saturday July 25, 2009, at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Artery Recordings and departure of Evan Pharmakis (2010-2013)

Epitaph dropped the band from their roster,[8] so in August 2010, Vanna announced their signing to Artery Recordings. Their debut release through the label was an EP titled The Honest Hearts with producer Jay Maas, released on October 12, 2010.[9] Vanna released the single "Passerby" from the EP and a rerecording of "Trashmouth" as well as "Dead Language For A Dying Lady" with Davey Muise. On January 2, 2011, the band confirmed that they were going to Glow in the Dark Studios to record the new full-length album titled And They Came Baring Bones with producer Matt Goldman. The album was released on June 21, 2011. AllMusic described the album as a continuation of previous work, with some familiar melodic metalcore-style songs, and much the same singing from Muise as had been heard from Preece. The band still delivered vocals that were alternately "Cookie Monster rough and emo clean", with lead vocals coming from guitarist Pharmakis on some songs.[8]

On February 2, 2012, the band announced that founding member guitarist/vocalist Evan Pharmakis and drummer Chris Campbell had quit the band due to family and financial issues.[10] Pharmakis formed a solo project, Wind in Sails. The band also announced on the same day that they recruited guitarist Joel Pastuszak to the band's lineup. Vanna was featured on the Warped Tour 2012.

After touring with several fill-in drummers, Vanna settled on drummer Eric Gross to record next album, again with producer Jay Maas.[11] On March 19, 2013, the band released their new full-length record, The Few and the Far Between, touring in support of the release through 2013 and into 2014. The band promoted and supported the album by uploading video clips through their YouTube account from August to October 2013.

In November 2013, the band recorded a couple of new songs and announced that they would be self-releasing a 7" titled Preying/Purging on December 17.[12]

Pure Noise Records (2014-present)

In February 2014, the band announced they had signed with Pure Noise Records and that they would play on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour.[13] Vanna started recording a new album with producer Will Putney (Like Moths to Flames, Texas in July, Stray From the Path).[14]

On April 18, 2014, the band announced that their fifth album would be titled Void, and would be released on June 16, 2014, through Pure Noise Records.[15] The band's style had changed from screamo to metalcore, supported by Patuszak's clean vocals and Muise's screaming vocals. AllMusic described the band as a "punk-metal hybrid", delivering an album that was "furious, punishing, and relentlessly hateful..."[16] In August it was announced that the band, along with bands Sirens & Sailors, Sylar and Alive Like Me, would be supporting Beartooth on their first North America tour throughout October.[17]

On October 2, 2015, they released an EP titled ALT, consisting of five cover songs.

On May 19, 2016, Vanna released a video for the first single off their new LP, All Hell, titled Pretty Grim, while additionally announcing that All Hell would be released July 8, 2016. Two more singles were releaed: "Mutter" on June 9, 2016, and "Leather Feather" on June 23.[18] AllMusic reviewed All Hell, calling Vanna a "post-hardcore unit" delivering an album full of cathartic fury.[19]

On April 28, 2017, the band confirmed dates of a tour titled 'All Good Things Must Come To An End' as "a farewell with our friends", confirming their forthcoming plans to part ways.[20] Pastuszak elected to not participate in the band's final shows. In Summer 2017, the band announced their farewell performance with support from Eighteen Visions, Knocked Loose, Bad Rabbits (later to be replaced by END), On Broken Wings, Like Pacific, Kublai Khan, Lions Lions, Old Wounds, Sharptooth, and Roseview. The final Vanna show took place December 15, 2017, at the Worcester Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. Past members of Vanna Joe Bragel, Evan Pharmakis, Chris Preece, Brandon Davis and Eric Gross all took part in the concert.

Band members

Mike Vee ( drums) Timeline

Discography

Studio albums
Release date Title Record label Billboard charts
April 24, 2007 Curses Epitaph
March 21, 2009[21] A New Hope[22] Epitaph #31 (Heatseekers)
June 21, 2011 And They Came Baring Bones Artery Recordings #42 (Independent), #22 (Hard Rock) & #8 (Heatseekers)
March 19, 2013 The Few and the Far Between Artery Recordings #39 (Independent), #16 (Hard Rock) & #12 (Heatseekers)
June 17, 2014 Void Pure Noise #157 (Top 200)
July 8, 2016[23] All Hell Pure Noise #2 (Heatseekers)

EPs
Release date Title Record label Billboard chart
2005 Demo Self-released
August 2005 This Will Be Our Little Secret Self-released
March 10, 2006 Therefore I Am / Vanna Robotica Records
June 6, 2006 The Search Party Never Came Epitaph
October 12, 2010 The Honest Hearts[24] Artery Recordings #18 (Heatseekers)
December 17, 2013 Preying/Purging self-released
October 2, 2015 ALT Pure Noise Records
Release date Title Track title Record label
Winter 2006 Epitaph Sampler "That Champagne Feeling" (Demo) Epitaph
Winter 2006 (Europe) Epitaph Sampler "A Dead Language for a Dying Lady" Hellcat Records
June 6, 2006 Warped Tour 2006 Compilation (Disc 2) "A Dead Language for a Dying Lady" Epitaph Records & SideOneDummy Records
June 6, 2006 Unsound Volume 1 "I Am the Wind" Epitaph Records
June 20, 2006 Purevolume Epitaph Digital Summer Sampler "The Search Party Never Came" Epitaph Records
Summer 2006 Epitaph Sampler "The Search Party Never Came" Epitaph Records
Summer 2006 Best Buy 'The Noise of Summer' Sampler "The Search Party Never Came" Epitaph Records & Alternative Distribution Alliance
December 2006 Purevolume 'Epitaph Tour 2007' Digital Sampler "The Things He Carried" Epitaph Records
Winter 2007 Epitaph Sampler "Country Boys...Goddamn" Epitaph Records
Spring 2007 Epitaph Sampler "The Things He Carried" Epitaph Records
March 23, 2007 Hails & Horns Volume 3 Sampler "The Things He Carried" Epitaph Records
June 5, 2007 Warped Tour Compilation (Disc 2) "The Things He Carried" Epitaph Records & SideOneDummy Records
Summer 2007 Epitaph Sampler "The Alarm" Epitaph Records
October 2007 Purevolume & Epitaph Halloween Digital Sampler "We Ate the Horse You Rode in On" Epitaph Records
June 9, 2009 Warped Tour 2009 Tour Compilation (Disc 2) "Into Hell's Mouth We March" Epitaph Records & SideOneDummy Records
February 20, 2012 One H.E.L.L. of a Compilation (Side D) "Every Bridge" Get Stoked! Records
June 5, 2012 Warped Tour 2012 Tour Compilation (Disc 2) "I, The Remover" Epitaph Records & SideOneDummy Records
gollark: Hi, comrades!
gollark: Yes, 300 computers or so.
gollark: Good idea.
gollark: There is no escape, you see.
gollark: Though apparently aus210, one of their other alts, wasn't. Weird.

References
  1. Crane, Matt. "VANNA ENTER THE STUDIO WITH PRODUCER WILL PUTNEY". Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. "11 songs to get you into metalcore - Features - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  3. "Vanna | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  4. Frazier, Kelly (4 August 2017). "Boston Post-Hardcore Band 'Vanna' Says Goodbye After 2017, Aiming To Go Out On Top On Their Own Terms". Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  5. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vanna-mn0000983114/biography
  6. https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-new-hope-mw0000811369
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. https://www.allmusic.com/album/and-they-came-baring-bones-mw0002148055
  9. Shotwell, James (August 9, 2010). "Vanna plan new EP". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  10. Yancey, Bryne (February 2, 2012). "Evan Pharmakis (guitars, vocals) and Chris Campbell (drums) out of Vanna". Alternative Press. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  11. "Vanna enter studio to record new album, The Few and the Far Between". Razor & Tie. December 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "Timeline Photos - Pure Noise Records". Archived from the original on 2020-03-10.
  14. "Vanna enter the studio with producer Will Putney". Alternative Press. March 20, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  15. "NEWS: Vanna to release fifth studio album 'VOID' on June 16th 2014!". Deadpress.co.uk. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  16. https://www.allmusic.com/album/void-mw0002668583
  17. Whitt, Cassie. "Beartooth - "The Lines" video premiere and first headlining tour announcement". Altpress.com. Altpress. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  18. "90 Days To Warped Feature Band: Vanna". Vans Warped Tour. 2016-05-19. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  19. https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-hell-mw0002944674
  20. "NEWS: Vanna to part ways; announce farewell tour!". Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. Alternative Press Magazine No. 247, pg. 28
  23. "Vanna Premieres Music Video for "Pretty Grim" and Announced 'All Hell' LP : Pure Noise Records". Purenoise.net. 1999-02-22. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  24. Shotwell, James (August 9, 2010). "Vanna plan new EP". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
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