Interview by Kit Burns
Vera Zero offers evidence to the contrary that pop-punk is an annoying, amateurish subgenre. Fronted by Rob Kerr, the Minnesota-based group seem to be direct descendants of old Green Day and Superdrag. Thankfully, the group rips through War & Peace EP without the childish tendencies of the inferior acts (who shall remain nameless) that those bands also inspired.
Kit Burns: Would you consider Vera Zero to be a band or just a one-man project?
Rob Kerr: I am a solo artist but the strength of Vera Zero lies within the great musicians I work with, both on stage and in the recording studio. People like Todd Bergren, Darron Markk, Eric Fenton, Jason Bradley, and Brian Powers did a great job bringing my songs to life.
Burns: How did you get started in the music business? Was it always this kind of sarcastic punk rock for you?
Kerr: I started out many moons ago with a single I recorded on Fraternity Records. It was the only thing I have done that I did not produce myself, and it was very bland. I don’t set out to be sarcastic but I like to play with words and maybe sarcasm comes with being kicked in the teeth long enough in this industry.
Burns: “The Heart of Midlothian” is a tender moment on the EP. Were you cautious about taking a less aggressive track on the record?
Kerr: To tell you the truth, “The Heart of Midlothian” is my favorite song on the EP. I think variety is very important for a songwriter. I would not want to do an album where every song is a thunderous rocker like the title track. I also wouldn’t want to do an entire album of songs like “Midlothian,” either. I love the way Paul McCartney can do “Yesterday” and then turn around and do “Helter Skelter.”
Burns: Superdrag. Harvey Danger. Blink-182. Were they influences on you?
Kerr: Nope. But I can’t speak for the other musicians who worked on the EP. I have no idea what influences they brought into the session and I gave them a lot of freedom when we recorded. I do know, for example, that guitarist Bergren wanted to bring a Green Day sound and that was his influence, not mine.
Burns: When can we expect a full-length album from you? Have you begun working on it? If so, what will it be like?
Kerr: That is a tough one because as a solo artist recording becomes expensive. I pay the musicians, pay the engineer, book the studio, and press the CDs all on my own dime. That doesn’t even include working with an artist on the graphic design of the CD and hiring a photographer as well. I do have plenty of material for two or three albums at this time, but ideally I would like to get label support before I record them. The next album would have a lot of the same dynamics as War and Peace as I plan on working with the same core group of guys. I think you could look for some deeper album tracks because with the EP there is pressure to keep everything very commercial and your not taking many risks musically because you want to attract a label. A future VZ album would have some deeper album tracks that are longer and probably include a song or two that are not my own compositions.
