Introducing…Irma Vep

Here at Bearded we aim to shed light on acts who don't necessarily have giant labels or muscley budgets waving banners behind them. This Introducing series will focus on artists who we think are great, regardless of how much hype surrounds them or where their origin story lays.

Bio
Name: Irma Vep
Location: Llanfairfechan, Wales/ Manchester, England
Genre: Psychedelia
Similar Artists: Thee Oh Sees, M. Ward
Contact: Facebook Bandcamp
Events: Currently finishing a tour with Kiran Leonard

Cheerfully describing themselves as “ruining your day, every day since 1987” Irma Vep have more dripped their way into the hearts of the gig going public, rather than punched them in the chest with music. With roughly six Eps released since their first in 2013, the psychedelic band are by no means slow in their recording process, but neither are they being thrust into the spotlight.

With a few appearances on the BBC and a recent and lengthy support set for experimental indie wunderkid Kiran Leonard, Irma Vep are not short on praise from on high. In fact, with heart crushing songs such as ‘Some Things Are Best Left Undone’ on freebie Deep Sea Fish it’s a wonder Irma Vep have not caught the imagination of more musical influencers.

However, we are where we are. And where Irma Vep currently are is on tour dishing out a mixture of sustained chugging, swirling and violin pushed psychedelic barks in ‘King Kong’ and softly breathed electronic hallucinations in ‘Tell People I’m Dying’. The effect, as it was with their support for Kiran Leonard, is a darkened psychedelia with moments of clarity from underneath the peak of Edwin Stevens’ trucker cap.



Irma Vep’s back catalogue seems to continue growing, and with it the width which the band have at their disposal. There are happier and more accessible songs within the selection, but most sounds are tinged with a sadness. For fans of M. Ward’s voice, Thee Oh Sees overdriven guitars and vocals and the intensity and thought of Thee Silver Mt. Zion this is a chance to enjoy. For fans of live music, this is one to see.