What do you get when you combine the sounds of soul, rock, funk, gospel and folk? The answer sounds a little like Spring Fling performer Virginia Coalition. After the band’s performance, The Hatchet caught up with bassist Jarrett Nicolay to find out more about the member’s roots in nearby Alexandria, Va.
The four band members met in junior high school band class. A few years after high school graduation, they reunited to form a group named after their hometown state. “When we started, we all lived in different parts of Virginia,” Nicolay said Saturday. “We all would kind of descend on the show from different areas and play.”
Now, most fans have nicknamed the band VACO. “We try to be cool and say we knew this, but VACO in Latin means ‘free of work’ or ‘free of the master,'” Nicolay said. “We actually like that a whole lot better.”
In 1998, VACO released its first album, The Colors of Sound. As VACO toured the country, opening for groups such as the Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R., and Guster, its fan base began to grow.
“Honestly, there are some places that don’t get what we’re doing and some places that really get it. To me it seems, the bigger the city, the more open-minded the crowd is to music that isn’t cookie-cutter or it doesn’t really fit into a specific radio station format,” Nicolay said.
The success of their 2000 album, Townburg, changed everything for the members of VACO. The guys quit their day jobs and brought their “soul-rock sound” to the road full time. “We commonly hated our jobs and decided to give the whole band thing a try,” Nicolay said. “We had some friends in colleges who would hook us up with frat parties or anything like that. Boston, Philly, Chicago, and D.C. are definitely more accepting of our style.”
The band’s fan base quickly spread from their local roots to up and down the East Coast and across the Midwest. Fans became addicted to the sound and energy exhibited at VACO’s live shows. Nicolay said fans have pleaded for a live record since the band’s inception.
In 2003, VACO received The Washington Post’s Reader’s Choice Award for best D.C. band. That year, the band also released Rock and Roll Party and played 250 cross-country shows. With plans to record a live record this fall, Nicolay explained, “Going into the studio is one thing, but bringing the studio to you is another. Now we’re on a label willing to help us out with the finances of it.”
After four albums and nearly a decade together, Nicolay said the band is never at a loss for new material. Every member in the band writes, sings and plays several different instruments, making the writing process easier.
“It’s kind of cathartic to write,” he said. “It’s like how people like to talk about what’s on their minds. We kind of channel whatever is moving us at the time and channel it into melodies and words that way and it just feels good.”
“We always have enough songs to record a new album of songs that we think are quality,” Nicolay continued. “But when Andy (Polakoff) writes a song, it’s always going to work because he’s the lead singer. When Paul (Ottiger) and I write a song, some stuff might not sound good with Andy.”
Nicolay said the band thrives off coming home. On Saturday, VACO played a set at Spring Fling and did an evening show at the 9:30 Club after performing the day before.
“It’s like auto-pilot energy when we’re home,” he said. “Getting in front of people that like your music, where you’re from, and are like you … mostly it’s just easy.”
