Getting chummy with Vy!

The contemporary rock band inspired by Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Tool, Simon and Garfunkel includes Vy on vocals and guitar, Asi on bass and vocals and Dj on drums. Here's what you should know about Vy!

You guys go as Vy, Asi and Dj. What are your real names in case someone needs to track you down?

Vidhu Jayawardene, Asitha Jayawardana and Darren Johnson. We are traceable on iTunes and Facebook Twitter SoundCloud and Revebnation.

So what does the name Vy signify? What crazy story lies behind the symbol of Vy?

The symbol was something that I sketched out. It reminds me of expression and the union and dependency of human being and art. Any form of art whether it's music, writing, dance or theatre enables us to express how we feel. It also looks like a smiley-face.

How did you three decide upon forming a band? Was it intentional?

Alright history recap. Asi And Dj were originally from the rock band Five Minutes Apart. Five Minutes Apart rocked TNL Onstage with Sheaam(lead vocalist) and also took home the award for Best Band of the Year. I was the talent coach for the artists in that year and got to jam with the bands and solo artistes in the studios. The chemistry was immediate as we shared the same love for music.

I was composing and singing for BreathSpace at that time. We were a studio band that was releasing original tracks on YouTube and Facebook. The rest of the band members wanted to pursue other avenues of their lives and Breathspace just sort of faded away. Coincidentally Breathspace had won the Rolling Stone Annual Award for Best Band in Sri Lanka right after the ‘Fade Away’ and were invited to perform at the Hard Rock Café in India (Pune). I made attempts to regroup the band together but they seemed futile. So Asi and Dj and Sheaam stepped in to perform for the Rolling Stone gig. I dug into my savings to purchase recording equipment to build my home studio for voice overs and audio production and record my music of course.

Apart from being talented musicians Asi and Dj are downright awesome. So currently the Vy lineup is Asi, Darren and myself. But we are looking to add another rhythm guitarist.

Your debut single "Save Me" is quite depressing when considering its lyrics. What is the story behind these words coming to life?

That’s an interesting view. Ironically the basic idea behind the song is that someone does not need to be saved from anything. It comes with the premise of wanting a little space to gain a little perspective. The music video was practically shot with the help of some family and friends who really love and support the music.

What was the response you received from your target audience? Was it overwhelming?

The online response has been absolutely amazing and supportive. We go through all our fan and support messages and respond to all of that we can. It always is overwhelming when someone connects with you on an emotional level and shares their feelings about how the song relate to them.

You guys made it through the Global Rockstar 2014 National Preliminaries. Isn't that pretty huge? Tell us more about it.

Yes. We are so happy and privileged to have made it through to round 2 of the Global Rockstar competition. Well over a thousand bands took part in the competition and just being in this round is pretty awesome. 'Save Me' is currently #12 out of the top 140 countries on the Global Charts. The second round like the first is an online voting round. The globalrockstar website randomly pairs two artists together and you (the listener) have to choose your favourite out of the two.

This round ends on the 28th of November as they announce the TOP 64 countries that advance to round 3. The winners of the competition receive a plethora of rewards. Single distribution on a major record label, a chance to perform at the live event in Austria. And of course a cash prize of USD 25,000. Christof Straub and Ronny Steibl are the co-founders of the world's largest online music contest. This is the second season for Global Rockstar. They along with proud sponsors like AKG are reaching out to original artists around the world to provide a platform for their music to be heard and support them.

We hope that this would provide a stepping stone for future Sri Lankan artists and bands to be invited for this  competition as Sri Lanka has some amazing unseen and unheard of talent that belong on a global stage.

Photo courtesy Aki Peiris Photography

What and who inspires you to write your music?

Silence inspires me to create. Like a blank paper to a writer and a canvas to a painter. I just write how I feel and about the experiences in my life. Music is my form of therapy.

What does the future hold for Vy? Will we get hold of an album soon?

We have been evaluating a few restaurants and bars around Colombo with the right ambience and will make an announcement of it soon. Looking forward to release ‘Old Man’ a new single by the end of the month. There are 3 singles already on iTunes. All proceeds of the downloads go towards funding the next track. We are hoping to release a compilation album in a few months.

What has been the biggest challenge for your crew so far?

Keeping the neighbours from complaining about the loud noises coming from our houses. On a serious note, staying committed to maintaining a healthy balance of work and play.

What does Vy believe in as a band which is necessary to move forward in the ever-changing music industry?

Constantly pushing yourself to stay committed to the discipline of music and surrounding yourself with those who share this value.  

By Eshani Seneviratne