By Veronica Young
Photo by Alicia Rose

 

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you how they learned about their favorite band: by word of mouth. Remember hearing a new band for the first time and absolutely falling head over heels in love? The very first chance you’d get you would make a mix tape of favorite songs — perhaps even waiting to record a song off the radio — then play your masterpiece to all your closest friends so that they too could share in your new-found joy. To simply name-drop the band would instantly elevate your hip status, for most often these artists were flying dangerously close to the radar, just about to become “the next big thing.” Viva Voce — Italian for the phrase “word of mouth” — truly live up to their name. One spin of the recently released Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, and you’ll be filled with joy-fully grim determination to spread the word on this up-and-coming duo.

Husband and wife Kevin and Anita Robinson strut their “us against the world” attitude on every one of the twelve devilishly delicious tracks from their third full-length album. Both grew up in small yet musically rich towns in Alabama, and grew to know and support each other through the local music scene. Loaded with musical experience, Kevin started playing drums in junior high, and Anita starting playing guitar in a classic rock cover band with her older brother. In response to the mutual lack of creativity they felt while playing in other people’s bands, Anita and Kevin began to collaborate and record their own material on a 4-track.

Feeling an itch of restlessness, the pair decided to take a risk and move across the country to Portland. “We based this decision on our impressions of Portland while on tour,” says Anita. “We only knew a handful of people when we moved here four years ago, but we were really accepted as a Portland band and feel right at home.” While boasting the passport stamps and airplane tags of both national and international tours, the duo manages to remain active in the local Portland music scene. “All of our friends are in like four other bands. People don’t just talk about doing stuff here — they actually do it. We know we can’t half-ass it here; it keeps us on our toes,” says Anita.
While the husband and wife thing may seem reminiscent of another rock duo, don’t be quick to dismiss Viva Voce as a minimal-sounding two-piece outfit. Viva Voce’s sound is lush and multi-layered, full of clever arrangements and compositions. Instrument-wise, having Anita on lead guitar makes the band unique as well. Anita is quick to point out positive aspects of being a part of a duo: “Having two people really simplifies things. Decisions go super quick, and you can maintain a low overhead. Tours can be so expensive, but they are very, very important — having two people just makes stuff like that easier.”

What started as a simple 4-track recording has evolved into a memorable homage to the sounds of classic rock, as heard in Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. In describing the album’s sound, Anita says, “I really tried to stretch myself, guitar-wise, for this album and kick it up a notch. I’m very heavy-handed when it comes to editing lyrics. I’m not wordy — I try to keep the lyrics simple and melodic. For this album, I was really in the mood to be more chaotic and aggressive, and come up with parts on the guitar that are memorable.” While successfully pulling off complicated tracks, the band strives to also capture spontaneity in their album. “It’s really very natural, what we do. I try not to over-think and just go with my gut instinct — stick with what feels good.”

The band wrote most of the material on Get Yr Blood Sucked Out while on tour. Anita carried around a mini-cassette recorder to capture bursts of creativity. “I had all these little unmarked tapes at the end. I had to make sure Kevin wasn’t around so I wouldn’t bug him, and I listened to them one by one, saying, ‘Oh yeah, I remember that song,’“ Anita recalls. She continues, “I always write the lyrics last and very fast. This has just always worked for me.” Anita’s method of songwriting starts with guitar and melody — she plans out how many syllables the lyrics for each part will have, but doesn’t actually choose the words until the very end. This duo typically shares songwriting duties, interpreting and expanding on each other’s work. They keep things interesting by alternating lead vocals equally throughout. The result is an intense and empowering collection of songs speaking of the struggle to maintain a sense of innocence in a society teeming with vampires.

“As far as recording and playing live go, the first track, ‘Believer,’ is the most fun to play,” says Anita. “It was the dueling thing with Kevin playing harmonica over my guitar. ‘So Many Miles’ is also really fun. It’s this chaotic, never-ending journey.” Having created a monstrous amount of material while on tour, the floodgates were set to break when they went to record Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. “I love the recording process, so I definitely try to take time to savor it,” explains Anita. “For this album, we recorded at a furious pace to keep up the momentum, but also enjoyed it. We do everything ourselves, right down to the art, engineering, recording and production — hopefully people can hear that our skills are sharpening.” Recording the album at home, they used up every inch of space in the house — every single electrical outlet had a full power strip. Power outages proved to be the greatest challenge. Anita recalls, “It was still the rainy season when we recorded. In a way though, this was very conducive to the process. It’s the right season to hole up in hibernation.”

While Viva Voce takes on a true DIY attitude, they have had some independent support from Barsuk Records. “This is our first record with Barsuk, but we’ve known them for quite a while. We’ve had a very good working relationship with them. They are smart, not pretentious, are great with communication and they really know what’s going on. Really, what else can you ask for?” says Anita. While being on an independent label has worked really well for Anita and Kevin, the duo gives a nod to some of their favorite major label bands such as The Flaming Lips and Built to Spill, who make the major thing work for them by doing things their way.

Now that Get Yr Blood Sucked Out has been completed, Viva Voce once again set their focus on touring. “I feel very at home while on tour, and often find myself feeling homesick for certain stretches of road,” says Anita. As for what to expect at a Viva Voce show, “We’re at that place now where we feel good about bringing a friend in for part of the set,” Anita explains. For the U.S. portion of their upcoming fall tour, Kim Baxter from All Girl Summer Fun Band (K Records) will be joining Viva Voce onstage for part of their set. “She totally gets it, and can jump right in with the melodies,” says Anita. Viva Voce set off on tour with Silversun Pickups in late September, and will depart to the U.K. in early November. Before the end of the year, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out will be released in Japan, and Anita and Kevin will follow in support, touring Japan for the first time. In testament to their name, Viva Voce proves that word of mouth sure spreads fast.

www.vivavoce.com