Vanna Recent News

Vanna Hits The Road With Gwen Stacy In February

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:01:00 -0800

New England bred post-hardcore outfit Vanna will be hitting the road with metalcore group Gwen Stacy beginning Feb 19 through March 12.

Touring in support of their latest release, A New Hope, out now on Epitaph Records, Vanna recently departed amicably with their former singer Chris Preece and recruited Boston native Davey Muise to fill the position.

“Davey has brought new life to the band...along with the energy we've always needed,” says co-vocalist/guitarist Evan Pharmakis. “He has a deeper more mature tone to his voice, and a true passion for what Vanna is and where we are going.”

Stay tuned to www.myspace.com/vanna for the latest news and info on New England’s hard rocking newcomers.

Vanna Tour Dates:

Feb 13 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Feb 19 – Kansas City, MO – The El Torreon
Feb 20 – Colorado Springs, CO – Stargazers Theater
Feb 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Club Sound at The Venue
Feb 22 – Boise, ID – The Venue
Feb 23 – Spokane, WA – The Blvd
Feb 24 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
Feb 25 – Portland, OR – Satyricon
Feb 27 – Stockton, CA – Plea For Peace Center
Feb 28 – Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction
March 1 – Bakersfield, CA – Jerry’s Pizza
March 2 – Palmdale, CA – The Crossing
March 3 – Canoga Park, CA – Cobalt Café
March 5 – Tempe, AZ – 23 West
March 7 – San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit
March 8 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock
March 9 – Houston, TX – The Junction
March 10 – Plano, TX – Eisenbergs
March 11 – Oklahoma City, OK – Conservatory
March 12 – Russellville, AK – The Journey Church

VANNA UNVEIL A NEW HOPE IN MARCH

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:01:00 -0800

Post-hardcore Group To Release New Album In March And Launch US Tour

Boston post-hardcore group Vanna will release their anticipated sophomore album, A New Hope, March 24th on Epitaph Records. Produced and mixed by Steve Evetts (Every Time I Die, Our Last Night, Story of the Year) and mastered by Alan Douches (Converge), A New Hope emphasizes the band's heightened musical abilities, balancing a perfect blend of emotive rock and perilous hardcore with refined precession. Fans can catch a preview of the new album this January as the band tours with Gwen Stacy.

Since the release of Vanna's fan-favorite debut EP, The Search Party Never Came, and their follow-up full-length, Curses, the band has been on a continuous musical journey, evolving, exploring and maturing with each release and tour. With the experience of using what works and letting go of what doesn't, the band tackled the writing and recording of A New Hope with an added perspective and understanding.

"The writing and recording process naturally becomes more dialed and decisive with each record," explains lead vocalist Chris Preece. "This record was approached with more of a group mentality. We talked a lot about what we liked and disliked about our last two releases, and each one of us were able to express ourselves in every step of the process. We locked ourselves in our practice space for two months, everyone threw out song ideas, and the ideas were fleshed out into something that we were all happy with. All of our individual influences and inspirations played a big role creatively."

Creativity abounds. A New Hope will grab Vanna's core fans with catchy songs fueled by intense breakdowns, while their accessible melodious song-writing will open the door to a new audience.

Continually elevating their game, Vanna have raised the musical stakes with a bombardment of twelve tracks that invoke a deluge of sensations. Preece's guttural screams and Evan Pharmakis' (guitarist/vocals) melodic choruses seamlessly duel on tracks like the epic post-hardcore anthem for the ages, "Safe To Say," and the sweeping hit "The Same Graceful Wind." The fast, ferocious work of guitarist Nick Lambert, bassist Shawn Marquis and drummer Chris Campbell provide a wall of intense sound on tracks like "Thrashmouth" and "Life and Limb."

Vanna's undying passion for creating and growing musically has resulted in one of the best post-hardcore releases in years. Resistance is futile. See Vanna this January and February on tour with Gwen Stacy and Our Last Night.

A New Hope Tracklisting:
1. Let's Have An Earthquake
2. Into Hell's Mouth We March
3. The Same Graceful Wind
4. Like Changing Seasons
5. Trashmouth
6. Safe To Say
7. We Are Nameless
8. Sleepwalker
9. Where We Are Now
10. Ten Arms
11. Life and Limb
12. The Sun Sets Here

Vanna Tour Dates:
1/26 – Knights of Columbus – Annapolis, MD (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
1/27 – Plan B – Danville, VA (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
1/29 – Providence Church – Mobile, AL (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
1/30 – The Village – Little Rock, AR (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
1/31 – King of Clubs – Tulsa, OK (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/1 – Singleton – Bartlett, TN (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/2 – The Anchor – Nashville, TN (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/4 – Bulldog Café – Louisville, KY (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/5 – Doug's Rockhouse – Aurora, IL (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/6 – Truth Ministries – Port Clinton, OH (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/7 – Terre Haute Music Venue – Terre Haute, IN (w/Gwen Stacy & Our Last Night)
2/8 – The 4-H – Cape Girardeau, MO
2/10 – 516 Sound Stage – Shreveport, LA
2/11 – Java Jazz – Houston, TX (w/Belle Epoque)
2/13 – First Family Church – Albuquerque, NM (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/14 – War Room – Amarillo, TX (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/15 – Plano Center – Plano, TX (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/16 – King of Clubs – Tulsa, OK (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/17 – The Village – Little Rock, AR (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/20 – The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/21 – Boney June's – Evansville, IN (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/22 – Peabody's – Cleveland, OH (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/24 – The Mixtape – Grand Rapids, MI (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/25 – Chubby Pickle – Windsor, ON (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/26 – Embassy – London, ON (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
2/27 – The Bayou – Ottawa, ON (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)
3/1 – The Reverb – Toronto, ON (w/Lovehatehero & Blessed by a Broken Heart)

VANNA RECORDING NEW ALBUM

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:09:00 -0700

Post-hardcore Group Working On Sophomore Album Due Out In 2009

New England, post-hardcore group Vanna is currently wrapping up recording on their sophomore album, which is due out in early 2009. Produced by Steve Evetts (Story of the Year, Every Time I Die, Our Last Night) and mixed by Mike Watts, the yet-to-be-titled new album accentuates the band's matured sound, reveling in a elevated mix of melody and hardcore.

After a year and a half on the road in support of their debut album, Curses, Vanna returned home to Boston in March where they began writing and demoing new tracks before relocating to Los Angeles in August for a month to record with Evetts.

"Working with Steve Evetts was such an incredible opportunity for us," says guitarist Nick Lambert. "Steve produced some of the most influential and important albums for all of us in this band, so having him be the one steering the ship on this album was just mind blowing. He definitely helped us put together an album that we really feel is exactly how Vanna was always meant to sound!"

Comprised of Chris Preece (vocals), Evan Pharmakis (guitar, vocals), Shawn Marquis (bass), Nick Lambert (guitar) and newcomer Chris Campbell (drums), Vanna have over four years of touring and recording under their belts now, and have stepped into the studio with a remarkably developed sound for the group's sophomore effort.

"The new record feels like a great combination of everything we've done as a band up to this point," explains Lambert. "It has catchier hooks, bigger breakdowns, as well as bringing back all of the gang vocals, and gang singing, varied styles of screaming, and it has a faster more punk influenced vibe in a lot of places that we're really excited about. We all grew up as kids listening to pop punk as well as hardcore and metal so it feels right having the faster paced and more intense feel in the new songs, while as the same time adding even catchier and more pop oriented choruses."

Vanna continue to up their game with skillfully written songs and amazing duel vocals. Fans of the group's previous releases will be excited to hear the accessible mix of the catchiness from their EP and the brutal heaviness of their debut full-length, with an added edge of maturity and progressed talent.

"I really think everyone will be pumped with the new record," continues Lambert. "It feels so much more energetic than anything else we've ever done, and we've put our hearts and minds into this recording more so than we ever have before. If you were a fan of the Search Party EP or the Curses LP, then there will be something on the new record to appreciate. We feel like we finally had a chance to include everything that we love doing in this band and put it on one album without having to compromise anything. Not only that but quality wise, it's the best sounding Vanna recording by far, and we really think that's going to help translate our live energy to the new record."

Fans can get a preview of the album this fall when Vanna tours the US with Ligeia.

Vanna Tour Dates:
9/26 – The Living Room – Providence, RI
9/27 – The Station – Portland, ME
10/1 – The Kave – Bucksport, ME
10/2 – Oddfellows Temple – Burlington, VA
10/4 – Club Octane – Charleroi, PA
10/5 – St. Christophers – Linthicum, MD
10/6 – Peppermint Beach Club – Virginia Beach, VA
10/7 – The Oasis – Charleston, SC
10/10 – Soundstage – Conway, AR
10/11 – The Darkroom – Baton Rouge, LA
10/12 – The Pinkeye – Tulsa, OK
10/14 – American Legion – Wichita Falls, TX
10/15 – The Club – Denison, TX
10/16 – Red Seven – Austin, TX
10/17 – The Compound – Corpus Christi, TX
10/18 – Java Jazz – Houston, TX
10/19 – Ridglea Theater – Fort Worth, TX
10/22 – The Compound – Albuquerque, NM

Post-Hardcore Rockers Vanna to debut Curses On April 24th

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:02:00 -0800

New England's post-hardcore outfit Vanna will debut their first full-length album, Curses, on April 24th from Epitaph Records. A follow-up to 2005's EP, The Search Party Never Came, the record is a sonically ferocious effort that features the group's unique blend of blistering metal and cathartic melody.

Drawing from their influence of bands like Norma Jean, Every Time I Die and Neil Perry, band members Chris Preece (vocals), Nick Lambert (guitar/vocals), Evan Pharmakis (guitar/vocals), Shawn Marquis (bass) and Brandon Davis (drums) set out to create a passionately vicious album filled with discordant riffs and screams entwined with melodic overtones.

With esteemed producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Norma Jean) at the helm, the group recorded the hard-hitting album at Robert Lange Studio in Seattle. Bayles served as a guide throughout the recording process, offering advice and making sure the band stayed on course.

Working with Matt was a blast. We all connected with him, and it was like having an older brother to help steer us in the right direction, said guitarist Nick Lambert. He's an amazingly talented guy, and I think we all agree that Matt definitely played an important role in shaping this album into what it is.

Curses pulls all stops by violating the senses with the harsh dissonance of its brutal breakdowns and death screams in songs such as Country Boys Goddamn and methodically soothes with its fusion of metal and melody in The Things He Carried.

We wanted to really hit people hard with the full length. All of the hooks from the EP are still there, they've just been completely stepped up along with all of the music, said Lambert. There's a lot more heavy material on Curses, and I think we're all really excited since it's a much better representation of the band we want to be.

With what promises to be the band's breakout album and one of the year's best post-hardcore releases, Vanna are ready to get back to doing what they do best - touring. On the verge of ripping up Canada the group is set to do a string of spring dates as well as a summer tour.

Vanna on the road this spring!

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:02:00 -0800

Be sure to mark your calendars, Boston's very own Vanna are heading out on tour with, Blinded Black (SideCho), Love Hate Hero (Ferret), and Morello (I Scream) March - April 07.
Check below for dates.

03/20/07 - Lewisville, TX @ Fat Daddy's

03/22/07 - El Paso, TX @ House Of Rock And Roll

03/26/07 - Hollywood, CA @ The Knitting Factory

03/29/07 - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven

03/30/07 - La Grande, OR @ The Gadfly

04/03/07 - Lancaster, CA @ Cedar Center

04/05/07 - Ogden UT @ The Country Club Theater

04/09/07 - Southgate, MI @ The Modern Exchange

04/10/07 - Roseville, MI - My Space Internet Cafe

04/11/07 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom

04/12/07 - West Seneca, NY @ Chuggers

04/13/07 - Danbury, CT @ Empress Ballroom

04/14/07 - Portland, ME @ The Station

04/15/07 - Dover, NH @ Dover Elks Lodge

04/16/07 - Providence, RI @ The Living Room

04/17/07 - Lowell, MA @ University Of Mass VPAC Room

04/18/07 - Brockston, MA @ Tigers Den

04/20/07 - Amityville, NY @ Village Pub South

04/21/07 - Wilmington, DE @

04/23/07 - Huntongton, WV @ HYAMP

04/25/07 - Valparaiso, IN @ Java Jim's

04/26/07 - Papillon, NE @ The Rock

04/27/07 - Springfield, MO @ Remington's Downtown

04/28/07 - St. Louis @ Pops

Vanna in studio with Matt Bayles; new videos and press release now up!

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:11:00 -0800

Vanna enters studio with Matt Bayles (Mastodon/Norma Jean) to record full-length debut for Epitaph!

Post hardcore up and comers VANNA are hard at work on their upcoming Epitaph full-length debut at Robert Lange Studios in Seattle. With eyes on an April 2007 release, the hardcore quintet is working with esteemed producer Matt Bayles, who counts Mastodon, Norma Jean, Isis, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Pearl Jam to his credit.

The Massachusetts-based outfit, which consists of guitarists Nick Lambert and Evan Pharmakis, drummer Brandon Davis, bassist Shawn Marquis and vocalist Christopher Preece, will record through the end of November and begin mixing in December. The disc marks the follow up to Vanna�s simultaneously expressive, cathartic and intense 2006 EP, The Search Party Never Came.

Speaking recently of the group�s hybrid of mayhem and melody, co-founder Lambert insisted, �We love to drop into the brutal breakdown stuff. At the same time, our music is really emotional. I think that intensity opens us up to a lot of people.�

On the heels of extensive touring throughout 2006, including a successful run of Warped Tour dates last summer, the band � dubbed by one writer as �hardcore�s new hope� � has earned a reputation as an explosive live act.

�I think all live music should be fun to watch,� says Lambert. �If you�re going to see a band play live, the last thing you want to do is just look at them standing there playing their instruments. It�s just so boring. So we go the opposite route and just flip out, taking it as far as we can without actually causing injury to ourselves.�

Check out the "in studio" videos at the link below!

Vanna Studio Videos

Vanna posts multiple "studio videos" on Youtube.com!

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:10:00 -0800

Vanna is currently at Robert Lange Studios, in Seattle, WA., with Matt Bayles (Mastodon/Norma Jean), working on their next album, which will be produced by Matt Bayles. While in studio, the band has been taking a bunch of video of the recording process and have now posted them on Youtube.com!

Check them out at the link below!

Vanna "In Studio" Video Clips

Escape The Fate and Vanna tear up the road!

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:06:00 -0700

Hot on the heels of releasing their debut EPs for Epitaph, Escape The Fate and Vanna have taken to the road together, and are tearing it up! Vanna is jamming out tracks from their new album, The Search Part Never Came, and Escape The Fate is rocking songs from their new one, There�s No Sympathy For The Dead!

Together, these guys make for one sick bill! Hit the link below to see all of the current Vanna dates, as they are accurate for both bands at this time!

Vanna / Escape The Fate Tour Dates

Vanna gets in-depth with The Boston Phoenix!

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:06:00 -0700

Vanna were in the right place at the right time, but can Boston�s newest metalcore sensations live up to the hype?

By: JULIA KAGANSKIY

They�re 22. They live in Allston. They�re heavy like Norma Jean and pretty like Motion City Soundtrack. They signed to Epitaph, after being together only eight months, when an A&R scout stumbled over a song on PureVolume. Some people call Vanna the luckiest band in town � not least of all the band members themselves. But even such modest success comes with consequences. Since signing with Epitaph, the boys of Vanna have been faced with resentful peers and cynical listeners. Choosing to part ways with their original lead singer only weeks before they were scheduled to record their debut EP only added to the bad blood. And yet throughout they�ve managed to stay positive and optimistic, confident that they will win over the kids with catchy, melody-laden hardcore and an energetic live show. With that EP, The Search Party Never Came, coming out this week, the Phoenix got founding member, Evan Pharmakis and new singer Chris Preece on the phone. They were already in the middle of their first-ever tour.
JULIA KAGANSKIY: What�s up with the name? Are you guys like die-hard fans of Wheel of Fortune?
EVAN PHARMAKIS: We really wanted something simple, and we decided to have it be one word, because you�ve got all these bands out here now with too many words. Vanna is just such a pretty name, we love it. We love Wheel of Fortune too. Vanna White is one hot lady. I don�t know if this had anything to do with it, but I�m a fan of Vanna White.

JK: I wonder if she�s a fan of you.
EP: I was wondering that too when I was watching Wheel of Fortune the other day.

JK: Everything�s been happening so fast for you guys.
EP: Well, it makes me feel a few different ways. Ever since I can remember I�ve always wanted to be in a successful band. I�ve been writing music for a long time. We�ve all just been in so many bands writing, playing shows. Regardless of which band it was, we�ve always been putting our all into it. This band, I think it just clicked right off the bat. It was really luck that we got picked up by Epitaph, we were in the right place at the right time. I�m sure there�s tons of bands out there that do what we do better [and] that aren�t discovered, so in that respect, I�d say it�s luck. There�s so many bands out there that have been around longer than us in Boston that bust their asses. We do get a little bit of jealousy and weird vibes from some bands and we catch a lot of flack. And you know, we take the good with the bad and try to stay positive, and let people know that we love what we do and we put our all into it and we really appreciate it and really love this chance that we�ve been given.

JK: Where the hell did you guys come from?
EP: Nick and I had both been writing and playing in bands since we were about 14 years old. We met through a mutual friend and instantly hit it off and started writing in the dorms of MassArt. The next year we ended up becoming close and got an apartment together and started writing what would become Vanna material. We originally did all the screaming and singing ourselves. It was just the three of us � Shawn, Nick, and myself. Eventually, we wanted to start playing live shows and a drum machine is a little impractical to do such things, so we started hunting for a drummer. We came across this guy, Brandon Davis, who was actually a guitar player for another Boston band called Therefore I Am. He met up with us and practiced with us, and loved it, and we loved him, so that instantly worked out.

JK: So what exactly happened with your first singer, Joe Bragel?
EP: Once we got picked up by Epitaph it seemed like he lost his drive to try his hardest and put the most that he could into it. His screaming just started to go downhill. It just didn�t seem to us that this was something he deserved, to just get handed a free ride. Right before we left to start recording our EP, we were in the studio with him and our producer was even like, �This really isn�t good for you guys. Everything is so good, everything is so solid, he�s the only issue you have.� And we were already having problems with him so we just sat down and talked it out and were like, �You know, he�s definitely not going to work out for us. This isn�t going to cut it.� Chris here was going to be the original singer before Joe even started screaming for us, but he lived in Texas at the time.

JK: How did you hook up with Chris, with him in Texas and you living in Boston?
EP: A good friend of ours, she�s from Austin and she goes to BU. We met him through her, just hanging out while he came up to visit. We loved him instantly. Then, after a while, once we started to get this band going, I saw her on the T in Boston and I started talking to her about him: �We�re getting our band going and we really want to get a screamer instead of just doing it all ourselves.� We really like having an energetic live performance and really be able to move around and if you�re playing guitar and you�re pinned to a mic the whole time you don�t really get the full effect. He came down and we practiced with him, and it was amazing, and this was still before Joe. The only problem was that he still lived in Texas . . . But we took Joe as a fill-in until Chris got here and we had him for a while, and Joe was doing pretty good towards the beginning, so we were like, we�ll just keep him. Chris didn�t get too upset, he was really cool about it. He was at all our shows and once he moved out here he was very supportive of us. Everything just worked out. Everything�s been working out for us in these really lucky ways. It almost feels like it�s destiny sort of.

JK: As far as the local Boston scene goes, how have you been accepted, or maybe even not accepted, because of the success that came so suddenly to you?

EP: Towards the beginning I�d say it was kind of strange . . . All the bands in Boston that we play with are awesome people. Who knows if they say anything when we�re not around? All I know is, we trust them. As far as we know, everyone�s great. We do everything we can to help other bands out. We�ve been given this chance and it just opens the door for us to be able to help our fellow friends in other bands from Boston and get them known.

JK: Do you feel a certain amount of pressure to live up to expectations with this new EP and your first tour?
EP: I could say yeah, we definitely do feel a little pressure but we�re very excited and wide-eyed about it. We know that we�re gonna have a blast. We�re very happy with our performances and we�re not overly confident, but we are confident in ourselves.

CHRIS PREECE: More than pressure, it�s like, we have so much fun that it�s hard to feel anything but really good energy and excitement all the time.

JK: You guys have a pretty even-handed blend of melody and aggression, power and pop. Why is that balance important to you?
CP: Honestly, I think it goes back to influences for everyone. Because we love a lot of really heavy mosh bands, but we listen to really melodic stuff like American Football and Motion City Soundtrack, bands with no screaming at all. We like stuff from the heaviest, most trashy Southern rock to really pretty indie rock with pretty harmonies and stuff. I think it�s more or less our influences naturally coming together. We just write what we like and what feels right. We don�t try to plan out that this is going to be a hardcore song and this is going to be a melodic screamo part, we write our stuff. And we kind of realize that all our songs are kind of different but we like that. We don�t want to be this band where every CD we release sounds exactly like this CD because that�s what the kids want. We write what we love and what we enjoy playing and what we can put our heart into live. We hope that people will follow and will enjoy it and will come to the shows and will find their own meaning in the songs.

www.thephoenix.com

Vanna set to release debut EP: The Search Party Never Came!

Wed, 10 May 2006 00:05:00 -0700

After signing to the label in early spring and playing a series of live shows to sharpen-up their chops, VANNA is now set to unleash their massive metalcore debut EP, The Search Party Never Came, on June 6th!

Recorded under the skillful watch of Fred Archambault, (Avenged Sevenfold, Eighteen Visions) at Q Division Studios, VANNA have hit the scene in a true fit of rage with The Search Party Never Came. The six-track EP features an explosive vocal mixture of furious, guttural growls and lofty, lucid melodies set atop an intricate mesh of blaring dual-guitars and brutally dense drum blasts.

The Search Party Never Came does not let up for a second, and songs like �A Dead Language For A Dying Lady� and �That Champagne Feeling� display the accomplished song writing and precision execution that VANNA is quickly becoming known for!

Inspired by bands such as, Norma Jean, Underoath, Everytime I Die and The Chariot, VANNA are a new force on the scene. Though powerful and highly accomplished, The Search Party Never Came is only the beginning for this talented group of musicians.

Track Listing for The Search Party Never Came is as follows:

01. A Dead Language for a Dying Lady
02. That Champagne Feeling
03. I am the Wind, you are the Feather
04. Schadenfreude
05. The Search Party Never Came
06. She�s a Real Battleaxe