New York City-based collective VRSTY (pronounced “Varsity“), who are known for being fearless when it comes to experimenting with musical boundaries, effortlessly blurring, blending, and bending the lines between genres to craft their own unique brand of alt pop, hard rock, and R&B that doesn’t have a name but it’s DNA-distinct, and distinctly VRSTY, capture that feeling perfectly in their music.
Today, they announce their new album ícon. It arrives on October 23 via Spinefarm. Pre-order it here.
The band has also shared the video for latest single “sugar.” Watch it here.
The song explores the addictive nature of love.
“This song is so much fun,” states singer Joey Tyler. “It’s probably the most fun I had writing a song — ever. It was very interesting writing the lyrics and trying to find the balance in writing what is essentially a love song about addiction. That is how I’ve always seen it, at least. I think there’s something really wild about the feeling of thinking you NEED something or someone to survive. You want that thing or person in your veins so bad it almost feels like love. Extremely dangerous love, but love nonetheless.”
ícon TRACK LISTING:
“sugar”
“face down“
“dear whoever”
“ez2find” (Feat. Brian Butcher)
“fake”
“grief machine“
“over the moon”
“what’s the point” (Feat. Intervals + Cartographer)
ABOUT VRSTY:
VRSTY make music as energetic and richly diverse as the city that spawned them. Assembled by band leader Joey Varela, a Puerto Rican singer from New York City raised on R&B, pop, and Spanish music and equally inspired by metallic post-hardcore, VRSTY blend genres with fearless ambition and visceral enthusiasm. A handful of EPs preceded 2020’s debut album, Welcome Home, itself followed by a three-part series of sequel EPs solidifying the band’s reputation.
VRSTY specialize in what Kerrang! described as “endless grooves and danceable parts, punctuated by breakdowns and completed with dark atmosphere.” Meanwhile, “Massive,” from 2020’s Cloud City EP, remained the Most Played on SiriusXM’s Octane for two consecutive weeks. In a 9/10 review, Outburn described Welcome Home as “effortless, fun, and above all genuine.” Blabbermouth raved, “While other bands may have introduced the concept of genre-bending, VRSTY have refined it.”
Levitate, the band’s sophomore set, was powered by spirited conviction and a commitment to follow their muse wherever it leads. Tyler co-produced Levitate with Justin Deblieck (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Lorna Shore, Fit For A King).
VRSTY have commanded the crowd anytime they perform, connecting with anyone who struggles with feelings of low self-worth, bad relationships, or generally feels like an outsider. It’s a feeling of shared community evident on the band’s tours with the likes of 10 Years, Nonpoint, Secrets, and For The Fallen Dreams, among others.
Ultimately, VRSTY aim to encourage, provoke, and inspire listeners in the next era of their career, which starts with icon.
Leave a Reply