Veps (band)

Veps
Veps in concert at Parkteatret, Oslo, March 2023.
Background information
OriginOslo, Norway[1]
Genres
Years active2018-present
Labels
Members
  • Maja Beitrusten Berge
  • Laura Dodson
  • Helena Mariero Olasveengen
  • June Urholt
Websitewww.vepsofficial.com

Veps is a Norwegian indie pop band from Oslo, Norway.[4] The band consists of four members, Maja Beitrusten Berge (drums), Laura Dodson (vocals and guitar), Helena Mariero Olasveengen (vocals and keyboards) and June Urholt (bass).

History

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The band was founded in 2018, when the girls went to middle school together and teamed up to make a short film, "Liv and Erle", which won an award at the Norwegian Amandusfestival in 2019.[5] They later realised they shared the same musical interests and agreed to start a band together at the age of 14.[4][6][7] The band was invited to play at the 2021 Great Escape Festival held annually in Brighton and Hove, England,[8] the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg,[9] as well as the Norwegian show case festivals Vill Vill Vest in Bergen and by:Larm in Oslo later the same year.[10][11][12]

On November 28, 2022 Veps were among the first acts to be announced to Øyafestivalen in August 2023 and subsequently named as one of five up-and-coming acts not to be missed by Clash Magazine.[13][14]

Name

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The name of the band, Veps, is Norwegian for wasp.

Record labels

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Veps was signed to the independent record label Kanine Records in 2020.[2] They released their first single, 'Ecstasy' on the label on 23 April 2021.[15]

On January 26, 2024 Veps released the single 'Greetings From Peru' and at the same time announced their sophomore album, 'Dedicated To:', set for release on June 14, 2024 on Miktam Records/Universal Music.[16]

Music

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'Ecstasy' peaked at 23 on the Spanish iTunes Top 100 Alternative Songs Chart.[17] The band released their first EP, 'Open the Door', on Kanine Records on 11 June 2021. The EP was mixed by the Norwegian producer Matias Tellez.[18] Caitlin Mincher of the music site, 'WhentheHornBlows' remarked that the EP is "the perfect bridge between the unique and the familiar. Open the Door is a gorgeous blend of 90’s angst and raw instrumentals, and it’s a debut that’s beyond promising", while Atwood Magazine said it "introduces a vibrant new artistry, sets a high bar, and makes room for growth in all directions".[19][20]

Following the 'Open the Door' EP the band released the single 'His brother' in October 2021. In March 2022 they released another single, 'Ballerina (Norah)', which led to Veps being picked as the Spotlight Artist of the week at the BBC Radio 6 Music show New Music Fix by Steve Lamacq on Friday March 25, 2002.[21] God Is in the TV wrote about 'Ballerina (Norah)' that it "is a impossibly catchy hook laden track (..) swelling with wonderful harmonies to a wonderful chorus that teeters on that balance beam of affection and insecurity.[22] Both singles were released on Kanine Records.

On September 16, 2022 Veps announced their forthcoming debut album Oslo Park, to be released on November 18, 2022 on Kanine Records.[23] At the same time they released the single "Mooney Tunes" which according to Paste Magazine "sharpens Veps' warm indie-rock sound to a fine point, yet maintains the dreamy whimsy of their earlier material".[24]

Veps' sophomore album Dedicated To: was released on June 14, 2024. According to When the Horn Blows, the record sees the band stick to their wonderfully DIY roots and imbue their sound with a new sense of maturity and growth.[25] Far out magazine described the album as an accessible collection of indie/pop/rock hybrids, drawing on 1990s alternative and 2010s indie pop rock, clearly blending the era they grew up in with the musically illustrious decade that came before them.[26]

Musical style and influences

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Veps in concert at Blå, Oslo, 2021

Their music style is described as alt rock with a strong ’90s vibes[2] as well as fusing alt-pop with indie rock elements.[3][27]

Discography

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LPs

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List of LPs
Title Details
Oslo Park
Dedicated To:
  • Released date: 14 June 2024[16]
  • Label: Miktam Records/Universal Music
  • Formats: Vinyl, streaming

EPs

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List of EPs[28]
Title Details
Open the Door

Singles

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List of singles, with year released and album name shown
Title Year Album
"Ecstasy" 2021 Open the Door
"Girl on TV" 2021
"His Brother" 2021 Oslo Park
"Ballerina (Norah)" 2022
"UFO" 2022
"Mooney Tunes" 2022
"A Show of Hands" 2022
"No. 2" 2023 *On Oslo Park vinyl edition only
"Greetings From Peru" 2024 Dedicated To:
"So Speak" 2024
"Break & Entry" 2024
"Say What?" 2024

Music videos

[edit]
List of music videos, with year released and director shown
Title Year Director Album Ref.
"Ecstasy" 2021 Veps Open the Door [29]
"Girl on TV" 2021 Veps [30]
"His Brother" 2021 Veps Oslo Park [31]
"Ballerina (Norah)" 2022 Veps [32]
"UFO" 2022 Veps [33]
"Mooney Tunes" 2022 Iver Eriksen [34]
"A Show of Hands" 2022 Laura Dodson [35]
"No. 2" 2023 Veps *On Oslo Park vinyl edition only [36]
"Greetings From Peru" 2024 Veps Dedicated To: [37]
"So Speak" 2024 Iver Ambrosius [38]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2022 Headhunters Veps 2 episodes [39]

Short film

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Year Title Role Director Notes Ref.
2024 So Speak Veps Iver Ambrosius [40]

References

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  1. ^ "Oslo quartet VEPS with new single & video for 'Ecstasy'". Amplify Music Magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  2. ^ a b c Golsen, Tyler. "Veps release new video for 'Ecstasy'". Far out magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  3. ^ a b Murray, Robin (23 April 2021). "Veps Share Playful DIY Cut 'Ecstasy'". Clash Music. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  4. ^ a b "INTRODUCING #144 - VEPS". whenthehornblows.com. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  5. ^ "Årets prisvinnere" (in Norwegian). amandusfestivalen.no. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  6. ^ "Veps: "We are ready to take over the world". thefortyfive.com/. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  7. ^ Dingstad, Nora (24 April 2021). "Fra Kjelsås til Europas største showcasefestival". Nordre Aker budstikke (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  8. ^ "REMI WOLF, HOLLY HUMBERSTONE AND MORE ADDED TO THE TGE ONLINE LINE-UP". Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  9. ^ "Veps". reeperbahnfestival.com. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  10. ^ Ullebø, Kjetil. "Dette var de beste konsertene på Vill Vill Vests åpningsdag". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  11. ^ "The first nine artists ready for by:Larm!". Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  12. ^ "Tre artister å se opp for på Bylarm" (in Norwegian). nrk.no. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  13. ^ Young, David James. "Norway's Øya Festival announce first acts for 2023 line-up". nme.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  14. ^ Broyd, Ben. "Øya Festival Is A Vital Platform For Scandinavian Talent". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  15. ^ "Introducing Veps, watch Ecstasy video premiere at Clash Music". KanineRecords.com. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  16. ^ a b Taysom, Joe. "Veps dissect their new single 'Greetings From Peru': "I'm the bad guy in the story". Far out magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  17. ^ "iTunes Top 100 Alternative Songs". top-charts.com/. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  18. ^ Rakvaag, Geir (10 June 2021). "Veps, 17-åringer med stor platedebut". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  19. ^ Mincher, Caitlin (12 June 2021). "EP REVIEW: VEPS - 'OPEN THE DOOR'". whenthehornblows.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  20. ^ Mosk, Mitch (15 July 2021). ""RAW, YOUNG, & ENERGETIC": OSLO'S VEPS 'OPEN THE DOOR' WITH RADIANT INDIE ROCK DEBUT EP". atwoodmagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  21. ^ "BBC Radio 6 Music - New Music Fix with Steve Lamacq". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  22. ^ "Tracks Of The Week #183". godisinthetvzine.co.uk/. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
  23. ^ "THE MATINEE '22 V. 124 – VEPS, LOWERTOWN, CATE LE BON, FRAN, JW FRANCIS, ELA MINUS, KA LOK, AOIFE NESSA FRANCES, INDY". therevue.com. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-19.
  24. ^ a b Russell, Scott. "Veps Announce Debut Album Oslo Park, Share "Mooney Tunes" Video". Paste Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  25. ^ McLaren, Ella (13 June 2024). "ALBUM REVIEW: VEPS - 'DEDICATED TO'". whenthehornblows.com. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  26. ^ Ferrier, Aimee (12 June 2024). "Veps – 'Dedicated To' album review: unfulfilled potential'". faroutmagazine.co.uk/. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
  27. ^ "THE MATINEE '21 V. 062 – JESSE MARCHANT, SUNJACKET, BABEL, VEPS, JOE BY THE BOOK, BACHELOR, FLORA CASH". therevue.ca. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  28. ^ "Veps". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  29. ^ "Veps - Ecstasy [Official Video]". 23 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-25 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "Veps - Girl on TV [Official Video]". 14 May 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-14 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "Veps - His Brother [Official Video]". 29 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-29 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ "Veps - Ballerina (Norah) [Official Video]". 11 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-11 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ "Veps - UFO [Official Video]". 24 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-24 – via YouTube.
  34. ^ "Veps - Mooney Tunes [Official Video]". 16 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-16 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ "Veps - A Show of Hands [Official Video]". 28 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-28 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "Veps - No. 2 [Official Video]". 10 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-10 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ "Veps - Greetings from Peru [Official Video]". 26 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-08 – via YouTube.
  38. ^ "Veps - So Speak [Official Video]". 8 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-08 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ "Veps". Retrieved 2022-09-04 – via IMDb.
  40. ^ "Veps - So Speak (SHORT FILM)". 31 March 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-01 – via YouTube.
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