Show review & interview by Melissa Edelblum
We had the opportunity to sit down with indie trio Vern Matz, which consists of Daniel Belgrad, Michael Lituchy, and Noah Silvestry, all students at Yale who make music together when they’re not studying.
So, tell us a bit about yourselves musically. How would you describe your sound?
We’d say that at this point, we’re half straddling the alternative/indie rock line. Sound-wise, we focus a lot on layering. Most of our music is sentimental and nostalgic, it’s all about texturing. We try to tap into the juvenile and carefree. When we write, we leave a lot open to the magic of studio.
You’re all in college, you attend a small school called Yale (maybe you’ve heard of it?) – can you tell us about how you guys met?
Well, Michael and I met at a party at Yale and I asked him what are your favorite bands? I learned he was a musician. Then we would turn the lights off and play in the dark for the first two weeks that we started playing together. We knew we needed a drummer, we met Noah and it was love at first sight.
Listeners can detect strong influences from your music. Who are your biggest musical inspirations that inspire your music?
From a songwriting perspective, Wilco. We also love Radiohead. We have an indie-rock sound with folk influences and are starting to venture into an alt-rock direction as well.
What are next steps for Vern Matz?
Well, we just dropped our debut EP, so our next step is probably to finish a record.
How do you feel about being young, in school, and creating music professionally?
It’s cool to be able to do a total flip of the college life, it’s like living a second life. We’re at the point where we’re dumb and young enough to try it and keep going.
We also had the privilege of seeing Vern Matz perform later that evening.
Their sound is soft-spoken and electrifying, there’s truly something for everyone who enjoys indie/alt-rock. Some tracks are very drum-heavy, some more acoustic-based. The influence of Wilco and stylings of Radiohead are clearly present, but the Shelby Park trio puts a unique spin on their genre. The vocals are raspy and off-kilter, which actually works perfectly with their emotional lyrics and powerful melodies and layering.
As for their show, the band’s presence was humble, yet confident. Their performance was simple, and they let the complexities in their songs speak for themselves and capture the audience’s undivided attention. Notable songs include Trampolines, Shelby Park, and Earth Boy.
We’re excited to see where this band goes. Check out their self-titled debut EP on Spotify and Soundcloud. To learn more about Vern Matz, visit their Facebook page.
