Versa Emerge Discography

VersaEmerge
Origin: Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA
Genre: Alternative/Experimental/Rock
http://www.myspace.com/versaemerge


VersaEmerge was formed by former drummer Anthony Martone and guitarist/vocalist Blake Harnage back when both members were in high school. Although the duo instantly experienced regional success selling out their first ever gig and gaining critical acclaim in their local music scene, it wasn’t until the band solidified their line-up—which currently includes guitarist Harnage, vocalist Sierra Kusterbeck and bassist Devin Ingelido—that things really started happening for this dedicated group of young adults.

“When Sierra first tried out for the band we didn’t know what to expect,” Harnage explains, adding that the then sixteen-year-old female vocalist lied about her age in order to land an audition. “She’s always been amazingly talented, but now she’s learning how to use that talent to its full potential.”

At the age most of us would be concerned with sneaking into R-rated movies, VersaEmerge were busy crafting an EP of original material called Perceptions that attracted the attention of Fueled By Ramen Records. In addition to listening to everything from Björk to Thrice during their free time, the band have toured with artists in nearly every genre and taken a little bit from each of these varied experiences in order to come up with something completely unique and unprecedented when it comes to their own music.

“We’ve gone on tour with everyone from dance-pop to metal bands,” Harnage explains with a laugh. “I guess people seem to think that we can play with pretty much anyone.”

The band has toured with everyone from Chiodos to We The Kings; and more recently, the band spent time refining their new material and releasing their debut EP for Fueled By Ramen with James Paul Wisner (New Found Glory, Underoath). Currently, they are writing and recording for their new full-length effort for Fueled By Ramen and just finished the entirety of the 2009 Vans Warped Tour.

R.E.M Discography

R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe (lead vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Bill Berry (drums and

percussion). R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals.

R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first

release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases,

constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group

signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.

By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially

successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release Monster was a return to a more

rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M.

re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck,

Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and

commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.