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The Verve Pipe
About
With sales of three million albums worldwide and a reputation for spectacular live performances, the genesis of The Verve Pipe can be traced back to the early 90s, when lead singer Brian Vander Ark and drummer Donny Brown, members of two rival Michigan bands, joined forces. After the additions of lead guitarist AJ Dunning (later replaced) and keyboard/percussionist Doug Corella, The Verve Pipe released two independent albums, I’ve Suffered A Head Injury and Pop Smear. The group quickly garnered a regional following for its textured rock songs distinguished by inventive arrangements, soul-searching lyrics and layered vocals.
The success of both albums attracted the attention of RCA Records, which released their platinum major label debut Villains in 1996. The album included the #1 single ‘The Freshmen,’ one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997 and winner of an ASCAP Pop Award. Their follow-up release, the critically acclaimed self-titled LP The Verve Pipe, featured ‘Hero,’ a Top 15 hit at Modern Rock radio.
Their most recent album, Underneath, produced the singles ‘Happiness Is’ and ‘Never Let You Down,’ one of the most played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio that year. The album also included ‘Colorful,’ the emotive ballad featured in the film and soundtrack Rock Star, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston and also co-starring Brian Vander Ark in his first major film role.
In addition to their success on radio, TV and film, sold-out concert dates throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, features in Spin and Rolling Stone and videos on MTV and VH1, the band have made numerous television appearances, including ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno’ and ‘Late Night With David Letterman.’
In 2004, RCA/BMG released The Verve Pipe -Platinum & Gold Collection featuring the greatest hits from their three RCA releases. In 2009, the band was approached to submit a new song for a compilation album of children’s songs. That session inspired A Family Album, an original collection of songs intended for the entire family, with fun and inventive lyrics set to the memorable melodies the band is known for. Recording this album set the groundwork for a new rock LP, to be released in 2010. The Verve Pipe is currently on tour performing both old favorites as well as music from the new album.
