New York City-based collective VRSTY (pronounced "Varsity") — Joey Varela [vocals], Javy Dorrejo [bass], Chris Cody [drums], and Paul Gregory [guitar] — are serving up a brand new track with "The Plug."
It's a confident track, powered by Varela's vocals, synths, and powerhouse riffs. It doesn't adhere to any genre specifications or parameters — and that's what makes VRSTY stand out from the pack.
"'The Plug' was only the song that came to me naturally, because I was literally living it as I was writing it," Varela shares, pulling back the curtain on the song's in-real-time and incredibly personal nature. "It's about convincing yourself that you're in love with the good in a person when in actuality, you're addicted to the hell they bring into your life. They essentially become the dealer of all your problems and you can't help but buy what they're selling."
The band is currently on tour with Secrets, For the Fallen Dreams, Outline in Color, and Nerv. All dates are below.
VRSTY ON TOUR:
WITH SECRETS, FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS, OUTLINE IN COLOR, + NERV:
6/22 — Houston, TX — White Oak Music Hall
6/23 — Dallas, TX — Cheapsteaks
6/24 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Event Center
6/26 — Nashville, TN — The End
6/27 — West Columbia, SC — New Brookland Tavern
6/28 — Greensboro, NC — Hangar 1819
6/29 — Philadelphia, PA — Milk Boy
7/1 — Thompson, CT — Capulet Fest
ABOUT VRSTY:
Welcome Home is the band's debut full length for the label and follows last year's breakthrough Cloud City EP, which has accumulated six million streams in less than a year and yielded the head-turning singles "Shameless" and "Massive." The latter was the most played on SiriusXM's Octane for two weeks in a row in late 2020. VRSTY have perfected their seamless and fearless cross-pollination of metallic grooves and R&B-influenced, after midnight vocal swagger on this 14-track offering. VRSTY aren't just offering their own take on a genre; they have authored a fusion style that is entirely their own. "Welcome Home is an incredibly personal album to me," Varela shares. "I know everybody says that, and hey, maybe they're not lying when they do. I sure as hell am not. It was definitely a task, at first, trying to figure out how to phrase or sing something without getting too personal. But somewhere along the way, I threw that idea out the window and decided to say exactly what I felt. You won't find me trying to sound cool or using any fancy wordplay. It's just me in my rawest form, saying exactly what I've felt or experienced over the years, which is what has made me who I am today. I think if anybody ever wants to get to know me, this record will give you everything you need to know. No secrets. Just me." The band has also tallied an impressive 25 million streams in the U.S.