Since the last time Organised-Sound interviewed VersaEmerge, the band have seemed to grown a lot. At the end of the AP Spring Tour which ended not even a month ago, Devin Ingelido (their now ex-bassist) announced his departure from the band. However, despite losing another member, frontwoman Sierra Kusterbeck and guitarist Blake Harnage seem to have taken this in their stride and carried on strong with the band.
We caught up with Sierra at VersaEmergeīs headline show in Glasgow back in May to hear what Versa could have in store for us.
OS: First off, how are you?
Sierra Kusterbeck [Vocals]: Iīm great! How are you?
OS: Good, thank you, despite the rain.
Sierra: Yeah! I saw it, thatīs good.
OS: So, this is your first headline tour in the UK, and you only have two more dates left here.
Sierra: Wow, really? I didn't even notice, it goes so fast. Then we're off to Europe.
OS: Must be crazy! How's tour been?
Sierra: Yeah, itīs been amazing and the feedback has been really, really, really amazing. It's good to see the kids and that there are a lot of people coming out to the shows, I have a blast every night.
OS: Does it feel different closing the show every night, rather than opening for another band?
Sierra: Oh, yeah! Itīs definitely different, itīs more of our show, we get more time to play more of our songs and have it play out the way we want, it feels a lot more comfortable.
OS: And the crowds, how have they been?
Sierra: Theyīve been good! Iīve been super excited because, yīknow, there's always lines outside every day. Itīs awesome, I love that dedication and then when they get inside they go totally nuts. There's so much energy.
OS: I've heard before that shows here are quite different to those in the US, what's your view on that?
Sierra: Well, sometimes the kids wait outside like over here, it all really depends upon which state and which city youīre in too, honestly.
OS: Recently, you lost another member of your band, Devin, and the band is still as strong as it was?
Sierra: Yes! We're going to be the mighty duo.
OS: How is it getting on stage without him now?
Sierra: It's basically a different dynamic, Iīm so used to just having him there, stage right, rocking out but itīs honestly just like, we miss him but it doesn't really affect the music or the band, it's not like we're going to become a totally different band. Music is still the same and I feel that that's what's important.
OS: You guys sound very adaptable.
Sierra: Yeah, I mean I understand that people fall in love with characters and the people behind the scenes but that's not what itīs all about.
OS: Was his last show as memorable as you expected it to be?
Sierra: Yes! Oh yeah! Oh my gosh, it was also the last day of the AP Tour and all the bands were such good close friends that it was bound to be crazy.
OS: It looked amazing!
Sierra: Yeah! It was they hoisted Devin up on their shoulders, and the couch was brought right across the stage with Jeffree Star on it and they ended up tackling him at the end of the set. It just went nuts!
OS: Do you have any plans for permanent new members any time soon, or are you sticking as 'the mighty duo'?
Sierra: No, I mean weīre taking our time and we're doing a lot of writing right now and that's what's important to us just now.
OS: Yeah! the first album's been out for a little while, what kind of things are you writing for the new album?
Sierra: Well, I canīt tell you! Top secret. Everybody wants to know. It's kind of hard to explain what we've been writing, itīs still going to be Versa but it's going to be a lot bigger.
OS: Do you think itīs going to sound similar to your older stuff or are you going to try out something brand new?
Sierra: I guess youīd have to make your own judgement when you hear it.
OS: Who do you think are your main influences?
Sierra: It's all over the place really, musically, I think it changes every month. I don't know who to say... definitely right now, Iīm pretty influenced by Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, not so much musically, just style. I like that they have a lot of girl strength and girl power, that feeling, Iīm in love with that.
OS: I think that you yourself have changed a lot of peoples' views on female singers in the alternative scene. Before I heard a lot of female singers being compared to the likes of Hayley Williams but I havenīt heard it so much since Versa started to get bigger: did you intend to change views on that sort of thing or did it just happen?
Sierra: I'm not a very opinionated person, but Iīm me and I just go with the flow. I'm just being myself, but after noticing how much people take, either the things I say or things I do, people take to it and it makes me realise how much people are listening and watching and I really want to use that to my advantage, obviously, and tell people things about what I think and what I like, maybe something out of the box, maybe something that you donīt see coming from any other typical girl. I like that a lot and if somebody thinks that maybe Iīm not very comparable then that's just fucking awesome!
OS: How do you feel you reach out to your fans?
Sierra: Well, thereīs my blog and the meet and greet, yeah, we try to do everything to make sure that they stay in touch because kids minds are going a million miles a second like; "This band! That band!" to "I like them. Oh, I'm over them." They get over it, and we want to try lots of things, like thereīs Twitter and Facebook and contests and especially the shows, like I said, the meet and greet; and we like to come out and hang out and spend some time. We know how important they are, I've heard people say "oh, you're way nicer than this band!" I donīt see why any band would be mean, to their fans! I mean if bands ignore their fans completely, I'm sure that they have their reasons. I've heard people say like, "you're a bitch, you ignore your fans," and Iīm like, no, I'm fucking tired! I guess Iīm not gonna ever put on a fake smile and be all like "Hi everybody! How are you?!" if I don't feel that way, yīknow? Thatīs not how I feel, I want to be real, so I understand sometimes that every band member doesn't come out or want to say hi. I know I definitely try to, I don't think any band would be blatantly rude to someone's face unless the fan was rude to you first; then I think you have every right to be rude back. I mean, the people that listen to our music are everything and theyīre the reason why youīre a band and why you get to continue to be in a band.
OS: Did you ever think that Versa would get as big as they are with headline tours overseas and festivals and everything like that?
Sierra: When I was joining I had all the hopes in the world that weīd be huge and the biggest band in the world - obviously thatīs our goal, haha. I never really went in to it thinking that it was just for fun or the time being I just wanted it all to happen. There's definitely been ups and downs with the band and in regular life with it.
OS: Do you feel like the statement from Anthony [Martone], was a downer for a band?
Sierra: No, I just thought it was funny. It was funny, it was just long and outdated.
OS: Back to your music, anyway, what is your favourite song to play live?
Sierra: Right now, it's probably 'Fixed at Zero'. It always gets a good reaction and itīs really fun to play, I just like it.
OS: And, do you have a favourite song on your album?
Sierra: 'Youīll Never Know', definitely.
OS: Are you looking forward to playing Slam Dunk Festival?
Sierra: Yes! I'm really looking forward to it, I donīt know anything about it, but I've heard a lot about it and I've heard it's a really awesome music festival.
OS: Do you have any big plans for the rest of 2011?
Sierra: We are going to be writing a shit tonne, a lot, a lot, a lot. A lot of creative experimentation with our music and prepare for a really big release, just something more.
OS: Are you going to do anything exciting for the lead up to it?
Sierra: Of course! You'll have to wait and see.