VI∙ZA at Aftershock
Lead singer K'noup Tomopoulos
Original? Ground-breaking? Talented? Yes, VI∙ZA is all of those things. However, they are so much more than an exciting new band. On album, VI∙ZA is not just an "avant-garde, progressive, cultural" band; they are musicians of incredible skill who experiment with new ways of manipulating sound and use their intelligence to be funny and entertaining. On stage, VI∙ZA is charismatic, always putting in one hundred percent and pulling the crowd in.
Intertwining an Armenian folk sound with Western traditions combines to create an extremely revolutionary sound. Featuring an oud player (Andrew Kzirian; to read an exclusive interview with him (click here) in a band will undoubtedly place you on a higher level than bands close to your genre.
I would describe VI∙ZA as a cross-cultured rock band that is not afraid to dabble in new musical concepts and explore different sounds.
I sat down with guitarist Orbel Babayan and lead singer K’noup Tomopoulos backstage after their set at Aftershock. Somehow, it always works out that VI∙ZA only plays at twenty-one plus venues whenever they come to town, so this was only my second time seeing them live.
Recently, Tomopoulos says, “We’ve just been laying low, writing, playing some local shows on the West Coast. It’s been a quiet summer. It’s okay. We recorded a little bit; we recorded a new song with a couple of other covers that are associated with our kick-starter campaign…and here we are at Aftershock. Good times.”
Intertwining an Armenian folk sound with Western traditions combines to create an extremely revolutionary sound. Featuring an oud player (Andrew Kzirian; to read an exclusive interview with him (click here) in a band will undoubtedly place you on a higher level than bands close to your genre.
I would describe VI∙ZA as a cross-cultured rock band that is not afraid to dabble in new musical concepts and explore different sounds.
I sat down with guitarist Orbel Babayan and lead singer K’noup Tomopoulos backstage after their set at Aftershock. Somehow, it always works out that VI∙ZA only plays at twenty-one plus venues whenever they come to town, so this was only my second time seeing them live.
Recently, Tomopoulos says, “We’ve just been laying low, writing, playing some local shows on the West Coast. It’s been a quiet summer. It’s okay. We recorded a little bit; we recorded a new song with a couple of other covers that are associated with our kick-starter campaign…and here we are at Aftershock. Good times.”
Oud player Andrew Kzirian Not too long ago, VI∙ZA hired an American publicist to help them increase their following here in the states (they are much better known in Europe). “It’s just putting your face out, and putting it along with your music,” says Tomopoulos about the strategies they’ve adopted. “We take shows that we can, we travel far…we’re trying to make little baby steps.”
Babayan adds in, “The opening slots that we got for Serj [Tankian] and Gogol Bordello increased our following the most over the past few years. We’re in Europe for a couple of months at a time. We would do just fifteen shows with Serj, or we did a couple with Gogol...That’s pretty much what got us a lot of our following in Europe. We’re still working on the States. It is more difficult in the States.”
The States are indeed probably the hardest of the places to make it because in general the crowds are so fickle. Unfortunately, our culture here has developed into loving songs instead of albums, loving noise instead of music, and loving looks instead of lyrics. Despite these setbacks, the opportunities are still there to make a name.
Each member of VI∙ZA brings different sounds into the band. “Individually, I like to bring passion,” explains Tomopoulos. “Everyone in this band brings passion. But, I grew up watching the greatest front men and have studied them, and for the most part I like to take a page from them for their one hundred percent in every time. That’s what I bring in.”
Babayan brings in a different side of music. “I joined the group later, after everybody was in…so the style was already there. I grew up listening to classic rock, more Western style music. But, when I met these guys, they were into the more Armenian sounding stuff…I think I bring a more Western side. Andrew, for instance, he plays the oud, so he brings that sound, and Shaunt, he’s really into the ethnic stuff, too. So, they bring in a lot.”
Babayan adds in, “The opening slots that we got for Serj [Tankian] and Gogol Bordello increased our following the most over the past few years. We’re in Europe for a couple of months at a time. We would do just fifteen shows with Serj, or we did a couple with Gogol...That’s pretty much what got us a lot of our following in Europe. We’re still working on the States. It is more difficult in the States.”
The States are indeed probably the hardest of the places to make it because in general the crowds are so fickle. Unfortunately, our culture here has developed into loving songs instead of albums, loving noise instead of music, and loving looks instead of lyrics. Despite these setbacks, the opportunities are still there to make a name.
Each member of VI∙ZA brings different sounds into the band. “Individually, I like to bring passion,” explains Tomopoulos. “Everyone in this band brings passion. But, I grew up watching the greatest front men and have studied them, and for the most part I like to take a page from them for their one hundred percent in every time. That’s what I bring in.”
Babayan brings in a different side of music. “I joined the group later, after everybody was in…so the style was already there. I grew up listening to classic rock, more Western style music. But, when I met these guys, they were into the more Armenian sounding stuff…I think I bring a more Western side. Andrew, for instance, he plays the oud, so he brings that sound, and Shaunt, he’s really into the ethnic stuff, too. So, they bring in a lot.”
Drummer Chris Daniels
You may be wondering how a band like VI∙ZA comes up with their strange themes and fascinating song structures. "I think the best songs we’ve written are where we come with the idea or the concept first and we base it off that," says Babayan. "Once you have a concept, then you have a song, you have a great hook, and it becomes more of an anthem, which is more of the style of songs I like. I always love anthems that everyone can sing along to. I think when you have a concept or an idea in your head first about what you want the song to be about, that’s when it usually becomes more of the universal song that everybody loves, because everybody relates to it as well.”
Tomopoulos adds, “Songwriting—I like to call it magic. It comes out of nowhere. We don’t sit down and say, ‘Okay, time to write this.’ Songs just come out of nowhere. Ideas are spawned out of just the smallest of things. The old saying that we wrote it in the shower, that’s literal. Many times, we’ll be—well, not together—we’ll be individually be in the shower, and [at least] I will be like, ‘Oh, I just got an idea for this an this and this.’ Where music and songs come from, who knows where they come from? We’re just messengers of the songs.”
Tomopoulos adds, “Songwriting—I like to call it magic. It comes out of nowhere. We don’t sit down and say, ‘Okay, time to write this.’ Songs just come out of nowhere. Ideas are spawned out of just the smallest of things. The old saying that we wrote it in the shower, that’s literal. Many times, we’ll be—well, not together—we’ll be individually be in the shower, and [at least] I will be like, ‘Oh, I just got an idea for this an this and this.’ Where music and songs come from, who knows where they come from? We’re just messengers of the songs.”
Guitarist Orbel Babayan In a previous interview with VI∙ZA, I asked oud play Kzirian about his current top five songs or artists. Now, Babayan and Tomopoulos had their chance to talk about it.
“That is the most difficult question for me,” confesses Babayan. “I will try to narrow it down, and then I’ll feel like such a jerk later for leaving something out that I really like. It’s hard to say. That’s why I usually like to say, ‘lately.’ Actually, on the drive over here, my girlfriend showed me this Tom Waits song called “Poor Edward,” and I’d never heard that song before, but I was just like, ‘wow.’”
“I’m a huge fan of Tom Waits,” chimes in Tomopoulos. ““Blood Money” and “Alice” are the greatest off his records I own. I want to throw Tom Waits into the mix. I love his caricature.
“[Waits] said, ‘I’m going into the Hall of Fame and yet I’ve never written a hit single.’ I love that about him. Well, the songs that I have are very eclectic when in comes down to music. Lately, I’ve been listening to a Hebrew rock band from Israel. They’re called Orphaned Land. They’re fantastic, they’re very along the lines of our passionate side, and hopefully someday we can tour with them. So I’ve been checking those guys out. I listen to Andrea Bocelli, I listen to Queen, and I listen to various artists. I actually checked out U2’s new record because it was put into my iPod, and I’m a fan of U2, so I accept that.”
Adding on to the subject of U2, Tomopoulos articulates his opinion: “To those artists who are giving U2 a hard time for putting their music in their iPod, I’d like to see you last thirty years and sell a quarter of the albums that U2 has sold. Then you guys can talk. Until then, please be quiet. Just delete the album if you don’t like it.”
“That is the most difficult question for me,” confesses Babayan. “I will try to narrow it down, and then I’ll feel like such a jerk later for leaving something out that I really like. It’s hard to say. That’s why I usually like to say, ‘lately.’ Actually, on the drive over here, my girlfriend showed me this Tom Waits song called “Poor Edward,” and I’d never heard that song before, but I was just like, ‘wow.’”
“I’m a huge fan of Tom Waits,” chimes in Tomopoulos. ““Blood Money” and “Alice” are the greatest off his records I own. I want to throw Tom Waits into the mix. I love his caricature.
“[Waits] said, ‘I’m going into the Hall of Fame and yet I’ve never written a hit single.’ I love that about him. Well, the songs that I have are very eclectic when in comes down to music. Lately, I’ve been listening to a Hebrew rock band from Israel. They’re called Orphaned Land. They’re fantastic, they’re very along the lines of our passionate side, and hopefully someday we can tour with them. So I’ve been checking those guys out. I listen to Andrea Bocelli, I listen to Queen, and I listen to various artists. I actually checked out U2’s new record because it was put into my iPod, and I’m a fan of U2, so I accept that.”
Adding on to the subject of U2, Tomopoulos articulates his opinion: “To those artists who are giving U2 a hard time for putting their music in their iPod, I’d like to see you last thirty years and sell a quarter of the albums that U2 has sold. Then you guys can talk. Until then, please be quiet. Just delete the album if you don’t like it.”
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I can guarantee that if you take just one listen to VI∙ZA, you will become enchanted in their spell of music. So, go look them up, you won’t regret it.
 | Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future. |
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