Genre-blending and bending New York City-based collective VRSTY (pronounced "Varsity") have shared their cover of Nate Smith's 200 million-streaming smash "World On Fire." Listen Below.
"The first time I heard this song, I was absolutely stuck," says singerJoey Varela. "I haven't heard a song that's hit me this hard in a long time. Everything from the lyrics to the way that it's composed is just absolutely amazing to me. I think I knew instantly that I was going to cover it. My only fear was not being able to do the song justice.. but I think I did okay."
VRSTY dropped its most recent album Levitate last fall via Spinefarm. Get it here.
VRSTY are on tour through the summer. All dates are below.
VRSTY ON TOUR:
6/1 — Mechanicsburg, PA — 10 Years Birthday Bash
6/15 — Pawtucket, RI — The Met (With Wind Walkers)
6/16 — Hartford, CT — The Webster (With Wind Walkers)
6/17 — Vienna, VA — Jammin Java Vienna, VA (With Wind Walkers)
6/18 — Greensboro, NC — Hangar 1819 (With DRUGS, Wind Walkers, Savage Hands)
6/19 — Columbia, SC — New Brookland Tavern
6/20 — Orlando, FL — Will's Pub (With Wind Walkers)
6/21 — Atlanta, GA — Purgatory at Masquerade (With Wind Walkers)
6/22 — Jacksonville, NC — Hooligans (With Wind Walkers)
6/23 — Richmond, VA — Canal Club (With Wind Walkers)
8/17 — Brooklyn, NY — The Meadows (With A Skylit Drive)
8/18 — Rochester, NY — Montage Music Hall (With A Skylit Drive)
8/20 — Lakewood, OH — The Foundry (With A Skylit Drive)
8/21 — New Kensington, PA — Preserving Underground (With A Skylit Drive)
8/22 — Baltimore, MD — Ottobar (With A Skylit Drive)
8/23 — Mechanicsburg, PA — Lovedraftz (With A Skylit Drive)
8/24 — Clifton, NJ — Dingbatz (With A Skylit Drive)
ABOUT VRSTY:
VRSTY (pronounced "Varsity") make music as energetic and richly diverse as the city that spawned them. Assembled by band leader Joey Tyler, a Puerto Rican singer from New York City raised on R&B, pop, and Spanish music and equally inspired by metallic post-hardcore, VRSTY blends genres with fearless ambition and visceral enthusiasm. A handful of EPs preceded 2020's debut album, Welcome Home, itself followed by a three-part series of sequel EPs solidifying the band's reputation.
The band (comprised of guitarist Paul Gregory, bassist Javier Dorrejo, drummer Chris Cody, and Tyler) specializes in what Kerrang! described as "endless grooves and danceable parts, punctuated by breakdowns and completed with dark atmosphere." Meanwhile, "Massive,”"from 2020's Cloud City EP, remained the Most Played on SiriusXM's Octane for two consecutive weeks. In a 9/10 review, Outburn described Welcome Home as "effortless, fun, and above all genuine." Blabbermouth raved: "While other bands may have introduced the concept of genre-bending, VRSTY have refined it."
Genuine authenticity and uncompromising passion are crucial to everything about VRSTY. Levitate, the band's stunning sophomore set, is powered by spirited conviction and a commitment to follow their muse wherever it leads. It's an album of rich melodic hooks and headbang-inducing grooves.
Tyler co-produced Levitate with Justin Deblieck (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Lorna Shore, Fit For A King). George Lever (Sleep Token, Holding Absence, Loathe) handled mixing duties.
VRSTY commands the crowd anytime they perform, connecting with anyone who struggles with feelings of low self-worth, bad relationships, or generally feels like an outsider. It’s a feeling of shared community evident on the band's tours with the likes of 10 Years, Nonpoint, Secrets, and For The Fallen Dreams, among others. Ultimately, VRSTY aims to encourage, provoke, and inspire listeners.
