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Veer Chasm talks with VM Underground.

VMU: Hey guys. How are you doing?
VC: I am much tired, Vic. It is 3am, I just got back from Hollywood, did a show at the Gig. Good crowd, very cool bands.

VMU: You guys have been out for a long time. Could you tell us how you guys got started and who's the current line up?
VC: It was my voice, a bunch of sequencers/samplers/guitars in the beginning. Zxsa joined to play bass a long while back, while our drummer Sara has been with us a couple of years. Now we are a 3 piece sans any synths, but we make our guitars sound like synths sometimes.

VMU: I am from the high dessert as well. Could you tell us what you think of the local music scene?
VC: The HD could use a steady venue, it seems like all the clubs last a short time then die ala the Fly Theater. Or else they get a bad rep like Reflections. Although we have played up there a lot, I no longer live there so it is hard for me to gauge. It is a much better scene than when I started playing clubs in the early nineties, you had to drive to Spankys in Riverside to do a show. As for the bands in the area we really like Istra. We have played together a couple of times. We try to be as supportive of each other as much as possible.

VMU: How many releases has Veer Chasm recorded? Where were the releases recorded and who produced them?
VC: I had a self run label that went bankrupt in 1997. We have 3 full length albums:

1997's Blade Halo
2001's The Depth of You
2003's Suffer Cruel Children

All of them were self produced with varied results at my home studio. We are currently recording our new album.

VMU: Could you explain what big acts you opened for and how it was?
VC: We opened for Berlin at the Key club recently. Terri Nunn was very nice to us. We did Tomfest in Washington a year ago, but because it was a big 5 day festival spread out in different buildings we hardly saw the other bands. Starflyer 59 was there. They are amazing.

VMU: Could you guys explain what gear you use live and for recording?
VC: Ewww, where do I begin? I use a Roland hard disk recorder to do all the tracks. DBX, Focusrite, Presonus preamps and compressors, along with Rodes condensers. Audix and Shure dynamic mics. I used to have a ton of keyboards that I used on the early albums, but now its just a Ensoniq sampler for noises and snippets of dialog. My main instruments are Gibson Les Pauls, Fernandes guitars with the Sustainer system, Ovation acoustics. Tama drums and Zildjian/Sabian cymbals. A bunch of guitar pedals, can't give those secrets away... so all [of] your readers will have to see us live and find out. Mesa Boogie head and Marshall 4x12 half stack. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, cowbell.

VMU: I recently downloaded your video off your website (hope that was ok) How was that produced and where? And what is the song, "Chameleon” about?
VC: Whoa, I thought we took that down! That was a rough edit that we used live footage and show footage to make. We used a Mac G4, iMovie, really lo-fi kind of stuff. As for the meaning of The Chameleons rise... I really wanted to write a song that could inspire struggling believers. I thought of the idea that believers are a lot like Chameleons, our surroundings and circumstances may change but our inner spirit does not change. It is really a call for believers to rise for their Lord and not to compromise. Thus the rally cry at the end of the song "I will choose Heaven/Salvation!"

VMU: I noticed you guys play a lot of shows! I quit my live days years ago and stick to recording now. Do you prefer live or studio recording?
VC: Recording in the studio is a lot of work but the results of that work usually display themselves in the recordings. Playing live is a lot of downtime.... you sit around or drive all day waiting for your 40 minute set. And after weeks of rehearsal there are so many things that can go wrong during that set. But when things are going well there is nothing like the live experience. It has been said before but getting positive feedback from a good crowd really makes you play in a special way.

VMU: What do you think of the Secular and Christian market?
VC: Both are in business to make money, but obviously the Christian market should be geared towards more spiritual issues. There are a lot of snakes in the Christian market who are using it to capitalize on a market that will buy anything deemed as Christian. There are things inherently good and bad with both.

VMU: Are you guys on a label? If not, are you shopping your songs around?
VC: After the aforementioned bankruptcy we just worried about recording and playing live. Only recently have we been seeking major label interest. So if you are reading this, run a major label, and want to sign a cool, band give me a call.

VMU: What are some of the big plans for Veer Chasm now?
VC: Getting signed, of course. But more importantly to be focused on why we are here. To praise God through the songs he has allowed me to write and have more people hear the music.

VMU: What are your guy's musical influences?
VC: Too many to mention. My short list would be Bauhaus, Kate Bush, Human League, Mortal, Massive Attack, Portishead, 77's, the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Cranes, Starflyer, Depeche Mode, and Smashing Pumpkins.

VMU: I really enjoyed the song "Broken." What [is] kind of funny, I produce a project called "The World Black" and we just completed a song called "Broken" which deals about breaking a promise to God. Could you explain what your song is about?
VC: It's a song about how you can only really know the Lord when you are completely broken. When you are full of pride and yourself you don't have a desire for God. The song lists a bunch of things you need to let go of before the relationship can actually begin.

VMU: Do you guys have any side projects in the works?
VC: I am going to produce a local HD band this week as a matter of fact. If it works out we will do more songs.

VMU: Thanks guys for your time! Any last words?
VC: Support the VM Underground. Email Vic and let him know what a cool thing he is doing for the HD music scene.

VM Underground!
May 5, 2004