Progressive/post-rock ensemble Versa are thrilled to present A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2 – the beautifully sophisticated and resonant follow-up to 2022’s extraordinary A Voyage / A Destination
The greatest music goes beyond merely entertaining us; instead, it conjures deep and varied emotions by evoking the universal hopes, fears, and experiences of humanity. Few modern artists embody that sentiment as wonderfully as Canadian progressive/post-rock troupe Versa. Founded in 2007, the group has spent over 15 years perfecting their superb chemistry of serene vocals; eloquent songwriting; and majestically ornate, diverse, and engrossing instrumentation across their first four collections (2007’s Versa, 2010’s The Decline & Fall of…, 2012’s Common Things EP, and 2022’s A Voyage / A Destination).
The latter album, in particular, did a phenomenal job of melding all of Versa’s strengths into an awe-inspiring journey reminiscent of stylistic heavyweights such as The Autumn Chorus, The Dear Hunter, Neal Morse, Gazpacho, Sufjan Stevens and even classic (‘70s) Genesis and Gentle Giant! Unsurprisingly, they’ve outdone themselves once again on their latest LP: A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2. Expanding upon everything that made its direct predecessor so remarkable, it finds Versa reaching new heights of creativity, unity, introspection, and life affirming poignancy.
Versa consists of founders Matthew Dolmage and Hollas Longton, and long-time drummer Jesse Bell. Just as their last venture was complemented by top-tier guests such as Jim Grey (Caligula’s Horse), Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, ex-Spock’s Beard), Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Wobbler), and Marjana Semkina (Iamthemorning), so too is A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2 thanks to the invaluable contributions of genre superstars such as Ross Jennings (Haken), Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse), Michael Trew (Moon Letters) and Kelly Nordstrom (eMolecule, Sound of Contact).
Touching upon why there was such a lengthy gap between the releases of Common Things and A Voyage / A Destination, Dolmage explains that it was due to numerous lineup and life changes (which ultimately led Versa to go on hiatus between 2014 and 2020). For instance, several members pursued new careers and/or furthered their education, as Dolmage elucidates: “We started recording A Voyage / A Destination – initially conceived as a double album – in 2014, but it never really went anywhere because we were all invested in more personal pursuits. We were all in our 30s at that point and I figured things were pretty much done for us.”
Specifically, Dolmage was enrolled in law school, and relocated to Dawson Creek in northern British Columbia to begin his legal career. It was near the end of his time there that he discovered a newfound passion for his own artistic endeavors.
“I’d discovered the music of Neal Morse. I had been a fan of classic prog, particularly Jethro Tull and Genesis, for most of my life; however, it was only then that I started exploring modern progressive music more. I was also highly influenced by Morse’s personal story of being a struggling musician who couldn’t catch a break in his 20s, pivoted to progressive music, and finally found success in his mid-30s. I was listening to a lot of Ninja Sex Party at the time, too, and they have a similar kind of backstory,” Dolmage reflects.
By early 2020, Dolmage and wife Julia (who provides lead and backing vocals on A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2) moved back to Victoria, B.C., and he decided to get the band back together in the hopes of reworking older tunes amidst writing fresh compositions. He clarifies:
The idea behind Versa had always been to combine elements of post rock, progressive rock, and indie rock music, but I pushed us to pursue a stronger progressive direction in the music with the A Voyage / A Destination duology. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I basically ended up taking all the bits and pieces we’d written together and arranging them by myself, and writing some new pieces as well. We started recording things separately, siloed in our own spaces.
Expectedly, having Jim Grey and Nick D’Virgilio help with the first half of the saga meant the world to Versa. “They were so enthusiastic about the project, and having such amazing players really pushed us to elevate our performances and polish our arrangements as much as possible. Naturally, those connections drove me to reach out to other people, eventually getting Marjana Semkina, Lars Fredrik Frøislie, and Eric Gilette on board, too. All of them were equally keen, and did amazing work,” Dolmage rejoices.
Obviously, Dolmage relished any and all chances to get more progressive/art rock royalty on the record. Luckily, attending the lauded Cruise to the Edge nautical festival in 2022 provided the ideal opportunity to network and increase A Voyage / A Destination’s esteemed cast of extra talent.
He describes:
It was my and Julia’s first time at CTTE, and honestly, it was the best week of my life! The entire experience was exhilarating and stimulating. I got to meet Nick D’Virgilio in person, as well as Neal Morse, Riverside, Haken, and so many other amazing musicians. Plus, I got to know countless progressive rock and metal fans who were incredibly positive. I saw Moon Safari for the first time, too, and watched The Martin Barre Band perform Thick as a Brick (during which Alan Parsons sat next to me – a surreal experience!)
It was a downright life-changing week, and when we got home, I was so motivated by the trip that I took bits and pieces of the music Hollas Longton and I had been kicking around, wrote about 10 minutes of additional music, and arranged the whole thing into the epic penultimate track on A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2: “Artemis.”
In particular, Moon Safari inspired me to do something with more prominent complex vocal arrangements, and I had all of it written and arranged in about 10 days. Ross Jennings and I had discussed doing something together, so I actually wrote the primary vocal melody of “Artemis” with him in mind. Unfortunately, because of his commitments to Haken, Novena, and D’Virgilio, Morse & Jennings, he wasn’t able to commit to doing vocals on an multifaceted 18-minute song. So, he graciously offered to sing on another track, “Flew the Coop,” which he absolutely knocked out of the park. However, this left us in a bit of a bind because I wrote “Artemis” well out of my own vocal register. Happily, though, Michael Trew of the Seattle-based prog band Moon Letters stepped in and saved the day!
Around this time, our bassist (Anthony Theocharis), pianist (Janelle Wrona), and guitarist (Ben Rancourt) made the decision to step away from the band. All three have young families and career commitments that limited their ability to write and record on the new album.
Jesse Bell, Kelly Nordstrom, and I handled the responsibility of getting the bass finished. The final bass on Artemis is all Kelly Nordstrom. I connected with Sam Vallen (Caligula’s Horse) through Jim Grey as well, and he did some absolutely incredible lead guitar work (and about 80% of all the other electric guitar parts) on “Artemis.”
Stephanie Boutet, a wonderful pianist, flutist, and vocalist based in Montreal, who also sang the part of the naiad on “Pool of the Naiads” from the first part of A Voyage / A Destination, shared piano duties, while Ben was able to record most of the acoustic guitar parts on the album, with Jesse and I filling in the gaps, with aforementioned contributions from Sam Vallen.
Clearly, the fact that A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2 surpasses its predecessor in every way is a testament to Versa’s extraordinary talent and tenacity.
Regarding the decision to split A Voyage / A Destination into two parts (and two releases), it came in April 2022. Although “the bulk of the material was recorded at the same time,” Dolmage confesses, “ ultimately, we knew that it’d take a while to finish the remaining songs. As difficult as it was, we knew that delaying the second part would prove to be the right choice for us and our listeners.”
Indeed, the album is truly a tour-de-force of everything Versa has achieved thus far. From the Big Big Train-like symphonic warmth of “Breaking and Entering” and dramatic complexity of “The Seething Bay,” to the Devin Townsend and Decemberists-esque acoustic contemplation of “Bury Me at Sea” (inspired by the 1992 burial of Dolmage’s grandfather), the sequence is breathtakingly exploratory, touching, ambitious, and impactful.
That it ends with both a robust prog rock epic (“Artemis,” which Dolmage sees as “Jethro Tull meets Moon Safari… in space!”) and a stirring “medley/summary of everything Versa has been thus far” (closer “Destination”) is only further proof of why A Voyage / A Destination, Part 2 is a musically, thematically, and spiritually rich journey listeners will never forget. – Jordan Blum, 2024
A Voyage / A Destination Part 2 will be available on streaming and digital download platforms on October 4, 2024.
A physical double-album release compiling A Voyage / A Destination Part 1 and Part 2, the “Round Trip Edition”, will be available to order from the band through Bandcamp on October 4, 2024 as well.
Lead single “Flew the Coop”, featuring Haken vocalist Ross Jennings, will be released on YouTube and streaming platforms on September 27.
