The Verigolds ~ Their journey to Kaaboo Del Mar

March 19, 2018

The Verigolds ~ Their journey to Kaaboo Del Mar

If for some reason you don't already know of or have not listened to their music or have not been to a live shows check out our interview with the Verigolds. Visit their website and be sure to catch a live performance soon. Then you will wonder what took you so long to discover this eclectic vibrant band.

If you are in San Diego get your ticket for tonight's 2018 San Diego Music Awards. In 2017 the Verigolds won in the Best Indie /Alternative category. Let's make it two!

Band Members:
Jenna Cotton - Vocals
Eliot Ross - Guitar
Ben Smedley -Keys
Craig Schreiber - Drums

How long has the band been together and what would genre of music are you call yourself?

The band has been together a bit over 4 years now and most people would consider us to be in the "Indie" genre, which to me means something a bit left of center. Throw some dashes of psychedelia, alt, dance & folk and you'll start to get the vibe!

What prompted the band to apply to perform at the Festival?

We have always felt that performing outdoors in a festival environment is one of the best mediums to experience music and connect with our audience. We draw a lot of inspiration from the bands we see at festivals such as Lightning in a Bottle, Sasquatch, Coachella and try to infuse that spirit into our songs. When we heard that there was an opportunity for a local band to get on the big stage at KAABOO alongside major artists including Aerosmith, Cold War Kids, Hall & Oats, and even Lenny Kravitz, we had to go for it! In fact, someone told us that they saw Lenny grooving in the audience during our performance at KAABOO!

Would you please describe the selection process to be added to Kaaboo Del Mar? Did you have to play several venues? Were there several rounds of voting?

We submitted our music to GigTown (a music app connecting venues with bands) and were then invited to perform at Quartyard in downtown SD with a few other great local bands. At that show, there was a panel of judges from different sections of the music industry including radio, venues and other tastemakers as well as an audience voting element. We brought out the Glitter Vibe Tribe, a caravan of gypsies who spread the spirit of the Verigolds throughout the seekers in the crowd who haven't heard our music or been to a show. With all of our fans, friends and artistic collaborators we brought the party to Quartyard and road the spaceship to the next galaxy that they call KAABOO!

Did you find the Kaaboo Del Mar experience enjoyable for the band on a professional and personal level?

The KAABOO experience was INSANE! It started out early in the morning, where we were handed our All-Access Performer badges and escorted to our own trailer, name printed on the front and all! Whaaat? We have our own trailer? This must be too good to be true. Come to find out, as the artist liaison was bringing in a fruit tray, she got a call on her walkie-talkie explaining that they had messed up and we were actually in Third Eye Blind's trailer. Before singer Stephen Jenkins could throw a fit over someone eating his cantaloupe, we fled the scene and ended up in an awesome part of backstage where they had a cafe', lounge chairs, masseuse, acai bowls, cocktails, and many other creature comforts. After hanging and mingling about, it was time for sound check and before we knew it a sea of people started to form at the stage. For the performance, we had the Glitter Vibe Tribe up on stage with us dancing and frolicking to the music like mystical ferries in a grassy meadow. It was amazing and something we were so grateful to be a part of! After the show, we spent the rest of the festival hanging next to Jimmy Buffett while watching Hall & Oats, mistakenly (or non-mistakenly) walking in on The Struts lead singer as he was changing out of his show wardrobe, and soaking in the awesome KAABOO vibes!

What effect if any did performing at Kaaboo Del Mar have on the Band and would you perform there a second time?

Being a part of KAABOO raised the profile of the band and helped our music get heard by a more "mass appeal" audience of music lovers. Also, it got us on the radar of some cool industry publications including AXS.com (https://www.axs.com/top-five-musical-acts-to-see-at-kaaboo-on-day-two-that-are-not-headlin-104763) and helped us connect with many new fans that came to the festival from outside of California! Of course, it would be rad to play the festival again, but there are many other great local bands that should get a chance on the pedestal!

.Would you have any advice to give a novice Band and/or Artist wanting to be a part of Kaaboo Del Mar?

Practice, Practice, Practice, make sure your gear is in good shape and if there are any upgrades that need to happen, make it work! Overall, focus on creating original music and showcasing it in a way that feels good! As your playing around the music scene, don't be an asshole and treat the people around you with respect and kindness, even when they may be difficult to deal with.

.What have the Verigolds been up to lately?

We have been working on a new collection of music which will be released at the end of April and performed on Saturday, April 28 at The Music Box in San Diego (https://www.facebook.com/events/537392896645293/). After 4 years, our sound continues to evolve and we can't wait for everyone to hear the new vibes!

Also, we are performing at our 2nd major music festival called Lightning in a Bottle on Memorial Day weekend. We have been going to this festival as fans for years and it is a total dream to be an artist in the lineup.