By Nicholas Jason Lopez
Described as a “seamless blend of 90’s indie aesthetic and classic pop hooks,” Oslo, Norway-based indie rock/pop quartet Veps recently dropped their latest EP ‘Open The Door’ via Kanine Records.
A 17-year-old all-womxn band who’ve known each other since elementary school, ‘Open The Door’ showcases a direction of true maturity, evidenced by the catchy singles “Ecstasy” and “Girl On TV.”
Veps are guitarist/vocalist Laura Dodson, bassist June k. Urholt, drummer Maja B. Berge and keyboardist/vocalist Helena Olasveengen.
The Music Bugle had the opportunity to conduct an email interview, where Veps answered as a collective unit.
Music Bugle – How would you describe Oslo to someone who has never been there before?
Veps – Smaller than most big cities. The perfect city to grow up in. It might not seem very interesting at first glance, but once you find the right people and places, it’s very charming!
Music Bugle – What excites you the most about your style of music?
Veps – The type of music we play is the type of music that anyone can resonate with, no matter what age or circumstance. It’s fun, but meaningful. What we give is what you get. It’s simple, but thought through and detailed at the same time.
Music Bugle – How did you decide the band name?
Veps – We were sitting at band practice trying to find a new band name, when a wasp flew in the window! It was meant to be. Veps is Norwegian for “wasp,” by the way. Maja killed it and we continued our practice.
Music Bugle – What was it like putting together your new EP ‘Open The Door’?
Veps – These are songs we have written since we first started playing together when we were 14. They have all been written as we went through different things and phases growing up and we have been playing them at live shows for a while now. When we were talking about releasing an EP, we knew this would be the perfect collection of songs to end the “childhood” chapter in our lives, hence the title ‘Open The Door.’
Music Bugle – What are three of your favorite all-time albums?
Veps – We picked four, one for each band member – ‘Oracular Spectacular’ – MGMT for Maja, ‘Good Thing’ – Leon Bridges for June, ‘A Different Kind Of Human’ – AURORA for Helena and ‘Doolittle’ – Pixies for Laura.
Music Bugle – How have you been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Veps – At the beginning, we definitely had a down-period. We had no shows to work towards and no practice space. However, more exciting things started happening behind the scenes for us after we recorded our EP and this sparked motivation in us again. We missed out on a tour with Death By Unga Bunga this Spring, but several dates are moved and we are super excited to start playing live again soon.
Music Bugle – What does today’s music industry need more of?
Veps – Diversity! Women!
Music Bugle – Does social media help or hurt musicians?
Veps – Social Media has helped us a lot and is part of the reason why we have come in contact with the people we have. It makes music more accessible, which might make the competition harder, but more people get to showcase their talents and gain a following! It makes the music scene more diverse and artists have more control over what they put out to the world.
Music Bugle – Where do you go when you need an escape?
Veps – Band practice. There’s something very therapeutic about being able to move around and scream and play as loud and much as you can every once in a while. Sometimes, when one of us is going through something difficult, we sit down, talk about it and then write a song about it. Our band is very much our way of expressing ourselves.
Music Bugle – What has been your biggest challenge lately?
Veps – The pandemic has obviously affected us. The live aspects of being in a band has been put on hold and were very eager to start playing concerts again. We’re also just getting used to playing in a band as actual recording artists. It has taken an adjustment to get used to meetings, interviews and deadlines!
