| My heart wasn't into it: Verve Pipe bassist quits John Serba, The Grand Rapids Press Sunday, April 15, 2001 |
| It may sound like a well-worn cliche, but "musical differences" have resulted in a lineup change for The Verve Pipe. Bassist Brad Vander Ark, younger brother of the band's singer, Brian Vander Ark, left the band several weeks ago, siting his lack of passion for the material on the group's new album - which is tentatively going to be released in August - as his main reason. "I started playing in bands with my brother 10 years ago becasue I liked his songwriting and I thought he had a great voice," Brad Vander Ark said, calling from his home in New York City. "But it became clear through pre-production and recording of the album that it wasn't an accurate representation of the band, in my opinion. "We were recording so many songs that Donny (Brown, drummer) wrote, and I'm just not a fan of his stuff," he said. "I didn't want to spend six months on the road supporting the album when my heart wasn't into it." Brown wrote about half the songs on the as-yet-untitled CD, while Brian Vander Ark wrote the other half. He composed most of the band's past material. "The record that we just made is a great collaborative effort with the band and the producer," Brown said from his home in Lansing. "I regret that Brad is not a part of it." The elder Vander Ark admitted that the new record is intentionally listener-friendly and commercial sounding and, hopefully, will compensate for disappointing sales of the band's last album, 1999's "The Verve Pipe." Its predecessor, 1996's "Villains," sold 1.5 million copies. "Donny wrote a lot of poppy songs with simple lyrics, and we used them so we could save this project," Brian Vander Ark said, calling from Los Angeles. "When it came right down to it, Donny's songs beat out my songs. "Now, Brad's playing with the guys from (New York indie-rock act) Shudder to Think, and he's happy with it, "he said. "He feels like he's being more artistic, and (the new Verve Pipe album) is not an artistic effort. It's a commercial album, and he didn't want anything to do with it." Brad Vander Ark also expressed his frustration with some of the decisions the band made in the past, including the three-year gap that separated "Villains" and "The Verve Pipe." "We came off a record that sold a million-and-a-half copies, and didn't capitalize on it - we just sat on our (butts) for a year," he said. "Then, after the massive failure of the last album, we sat around some more. I just don't want to sit around and wait anymore...When it came down to it, I was one voice out of five, and I was always in the minority." In recent months, Brad Vander Ark has been recording and gigging with Shudder to Think's Craig Wedren, who contributed backing vocals on "The Verve Pipe." Brad Vander Ark's departure did not delay work on the new album, his brother said. The record was originally penciled in for a spring release, but that was changed when it took longer to be mixed and mastered than planned. "It's a good thing that it's going to be released in August," Brown said. "It's a very summer-sounding album." Brian added that the band - rounded out by guitarist A.J. Dunning and keyboardist Doug Corella - hopes to recruit a new bassist from Michigan in an attempt to keep the band members somewhat local. "(Brad's leaving) hasn't had a really dramatic impact on anybody but the band and Brad," Brian Vander Ark said. "At this point, around the nation, the popularity of the band has waned to the point where I don't think anybody will remember who the bass player of The Verve Pipe was. Musically, it's unfortunate, because I think he's a great bass player. "Actually, I don't think people would notice if there's a new singer, as long as he sounds sort of the same," he added with a laugh. In the few months before the new record's release, Brian Vander Ark will continue to follow his acting muse. He landed a role in a stage production, "The Complete Works of Billy the Kid," which was written by Michael Ondaatje, who is best known as the author of the novel "The English Patient." Brian Vander Ark will be living in California from May to July; the play will run from June 15 to July 17 at the La Jolla Playhouse near San Diego. "It's not a huge role, but it's a major role for me, at this point," he said. "A lot of people have gotten their start at La Jolla...I need the stage experience." Verve Pipe fans will have to wait to see Brian Vander Ark's more high-profile role as a member of Donnie Wahlberg's cover band in "Rock Star," since the film's premiere has been bumped again. Originally slated for a winter 2000 release, the movie was moved to April 17, then delayed until September. Brian Vander Ark's acting endeavor in the indie film "Road Kill" will be released directly to video in August. He also will appear in a documentary titled "Crossover," which spotlights musicians who have tackled film acting, and will be shown on the Independent Film Channel starting in September. When Brian Vander Ark spoke to The Press, he was in L.A., hoping to land a role before the planned Screen Actors Guild strike begins on July 1. His theater role will allow him to keep working if film and TV actors strike. "It's fortunate that I can do the play during the SAG strike - that way I'm not a scab," he said with a laugh. |