Photo via Versio Curs
The sophomore record, depending on who you talk to, is often the make-or-break moment for young bands. In the case of local indie rockers Versio Curs, it is the chance to further cement their name within the city’s music scene, building upon the success of 2018’s breakout, How Are You. The new record, Quit, is an expansion for the band in many ways, stepping past the status of a band that was once finding their sound when first covered by the Shepherd Express.
“The first album, we were just kind of messing around” said guitarist George Kuether. “We mixed and mastered it essentially ourselves. On this album, we took a much more professional course of action. Overall, we knew what we were doing a bit more.”
While the band has grown and matured, there’s no sense of actually calling it quits when Quit is released. The name came from vocalist Kyle Halverson.
“Looking for album names is a tough process as it is” said Halverson. “All the songs kind of thematically connect with that in one way or another, whether it be quitting bad habits or thought patterns. I hope it doesn’t come off too negatively. It’s a positive Quit.”
Based on the initial singles from the new album, “Recess” and “Tradition,” Quit is shaping up to be one of the highlights amongst the local music released coming out of the pandemic. The first of the two releases, “Recess” is upbeat and features nuanced similarities to some of the biggest records of the indie explosion at the beginning of the millennium. The track begs to send crowds bouncing in the comfort of a mid-summer festival. On the contrary, “Tradition” is more reserved, with lyrics that capture the apathy of being dragged along, desperately searching to be anywhere but here. Both songs live on clean guitar lines and an ever-building dynamic that feels timeless in alternative music.
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When Quit is released to the masses this June, it won’t have much material relating to the past year of mass seclusion. That’s because much of it was written in 2019, with anticipation of completing the record in 2020. The band has kept busy, but ultimately felt that the timing wasn’t right to put out an album that wouldn’t be able to be played out live.
“When the pandemic first hit and everything was closing down, we had most of our songs done or 90% completed” said guitarist Joe Kelnhofer. “There was a long time where we were sitting on these songs, and then you almost listen to them too much, and you wonder if you still like them. It was hard for the songs to stay fresh in my brain.”
While it would be safe to say that a good percentage of music coming out in 2021 will be relative to the hellscape that preceded it, Quit may stand out by avoiding the elephant in the room. From a purely sonic standpoint, Versio Curs have not only matured, but have harnessed their identity as a band, and will only continue to get tighter with time.
Quit will be available on June 11 via all major streaming outlets.
