Post-punk act Veda Rays readies new LP ‘Crucial Fictions’

Post-punk act Veda Rays is ready to release their forthcoming full-length, “Crucial Fictions”, which is out on October 8th. It’s the band’s second album and the follow-up to “For The Rest To Rest”. Veda Rays is also featured on our recently released free download compilation “Post-Punk (Genesis)”, out now via Bandcamp, with the track “Rose Likes Leather”, the opening track for the new album.

The band consists of James Stark (vocals, guitar) and Maria Joanna Bohemia (synths/ electronics) and for the occasion they invited Jason Gates to play drums on the album as well.

The band as it exists today began in 2014 in Brooklyn, NY. There were previous iterations as ‘The Veda Rays’ as far back as 2011. Originally Veda Rays started out as a modern extension of traditional dream pop, indie and post punk. The group has since developed a unique sound adding analog synths, treated samples, and other varied electronic elements to add an atmospheric richness. All of their have been released through Alleged Records, the band’s own imprint. You can order their back catalogue directly from the band’s website.

We had a small chat with the band on their upcoming album.

SL: First of all, how did it all start for you?

James: No one in my family really played any instruments or anything, but there were a few acoustic guitars laying around. I think every person in my family had their own record collections. My dad got me my first electric guitar while I was still in elementary school. Later, my grandfather got me a Marshall stack. I was using two tape recorders to make primitive multi-track recordings for years before I got my first proper 4-track.

Maria: My grandmother on my father’s side had a really cool, old Wurlitzer organ called a “Funmaker.” As a little kid, I used to love fooling around on it because it had a bunch of colorful switches and built-in tempos, although I never learned anything on it beyond some Christmas carols.

SL: What can we expect from your upcoming full album?

James: I find it to be a pretty emotionally heavy record, vibe-wise. I hope a lot of people get to listen to the whole thing undistracted, on headphones or good speakers. I think it stirs up psychic sediment, rouses sleeping shadows.

You can check out the band’s material right below.