About Deas Vail - New Album Available NOW!! Go buy it!
Meet Deas Vail
Wes | Vocals
Laura | Keys/Synth
Kelsey | Drums
Andy | Guitar
Justin | Bass
“Can you tell me that the page will turn itself and take us somewhere else?” Wes Blaylock sings on the latest Deas Vail album Birds & Cages.
The longing sentiment of this simple but open-ended line is at the heart of a dozen songs that take on Everest-sized questions about freedom, love, hope, fear, transformation and just what it means to become a better human being.
If that seems like a tall order for a modern rock album, Deas Vail make their soul-searching inquiries sound exhilarating, with swooning choruses, sparkly panoramic arrangements and lyrics that flirt with darkness but ultimately tilt towards optimism.
“The record definitely has a lot of question marks in it,” Blaylock says with a chuckle. “Iʼm a firm believer in asking big questions. I feel like sometimes people go through life and theyʼre timid or afraid to ask questions because they donʼt want to be judged. Iʼm trying to write as honestly and personally as I can, and itʼs kind of scary for me.”
The boldness of the questions resonated with Blaylockʼs four bandmates when they convened in their practice space in Russellville, Arkansas to write material for their fifth record. “As we were working on the songs, this theme of bondage versus freedom came up,” Blaylock recalls. “We called the record Birds & Cages because we felt like we were just stuck in these cages in life. Yet there was freedom there, just beyond. The songs are about the search for freedom and release from all the cages.”
Deas Vail write their songs together, and Blaylock is quick to praise his bandmates for what they bring to the table. “Kelsey is absolutely the backbone of the group. Iʼve never known a drummer more consistent. Justin our bass player definitely brings more of a rock element. It gives us a little more energy, and helps me from being overly dark. My wife Laura plays keyboards and helps a lot with melodies. Both she and our guitarist Andy are the best at being constructively critical. They always have a broader perspective on the songs. Thereʼs just a beautiful amount of grace and patience among the members of our band. We all help each other.”
The two songs that give the album its evocative title may be the most memorable the band has yet composed. Blaylock calls the anthemic “Cages” “the one heʼs most proud of on the record,”
while of “Birds” he says, “Over the last couple years, churches have come to look more like businesses to me than anything. So itʼs about finding truth amongst all of these complications. Or just finding yourself even in a corporate group of people who share the same beliefs. We as humans just complicate everything. Everything gets watered down or foggy. Thereʼs just so much sediment everywhere that we really canʼt see the goal or the big picture.”
There is indeed a feeling of emotional release in the sweeping contours of openers “The Things You Were,” “Growing Pains” and “Excuses,” with Blaylock pushing his skyscraping wonder of a voice up, over and around shining mists of guitars, pounding drums and dramatic strings. This elegant buoyancy is the sonic thread that runs throughout the record. Even when the mood shifts, from the autumnal chamber pop of “Dance In Perfect Time” through prog-influenced gear- shifter “The Great Physician” to the delicate music box pirouette of “Puzzles and Pieces,” there is a sense that, for all the uncertainty, the search for something more will be rewarded.
And helping the band on Birds & Cages is returning producer Mark Townsend (Relient K, House of Heroes), who infuses the tracks with pristine clarity and old school warmth. “Mark has a really clear head and a very focused vision,” says Blaylock, “and he knows how to capture what we want to capture in the songs. Just the little things he does make a huge difference - deciding what tempos to make songs so that they feel exactly in the pocket, keeping everything perfectly in tune and always getting the best performance out of us.”
When Deas Vail (which translates as “humble servant”) formed in 2003, Blaylock says the goal was to back his own acoustic singer-songwriter project, with no bigger picture in mind than friends having fun. “We didnʼt think weʼd be doing it professionally years later,” Blaylock says. But two albums, two EPs and a few member changes later, the band has matured into a formidably tight unit. “The rapport and chemistry has gotten deeper,” he says. “Weʼve gotten braver, and we felt like on this album, we werenʼt in any boxes and we could just do whatever we wanted. Be experimental and try different ideas, move forward and do new things. Weʼre still growing, still writing better songs.”
As Deas Vail looks ahead to a near-future of touring and more touring, Blaylock says he hopes that Birds & Cages might bring listeners “a sense of relief, a breath, a rejuvenation in their own lives.”
“I feel like thatʼs a whole lot to ask,” he admits, “but then weʼve gotten feedback from fans over the years, and they say, ʻI was going through a rough time in my life, and I listened to this song of yours and it really helped me get through.ʼ I canʼt even describe what an amazing feeling that is - that this little band from Arkansas can write these songs, put them out there, and then somebody can be encouraged or feel like itʼs little easier to get through life because of this music. It would be amazing if we could continue to help people in that way.”
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Deas Vail - New Album Available NOW!! Go buy it!'s Friend Space (Top 19)
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Saw you guys tonight at the Varsity, I have to say I was so impressed and your cd is amazing, I really hope you guys do well I can't wait until you come back down so I can see you play again. I was curious about the key on your arms forgot to ask :).
I saw you guys when you came to the Orlando House of Blues on the 5th and had never heard of you until then, but I loved you guys from the very second you started playing. Your song "Birds" is amazing. It lifts me up. I will definitely be looking forward to more of your incredible music. :)
hey, i saw you last night in athens, you guys were great! i love your unique sound and can tell you all are incredible musicians, and i especially love the vocals! enjoy the rest of the tour and i look forward to hearing more of you all in the future! =)
Haha i know it!
And im glad you all had a good time too. Yes, hopefully i can go to it. As long as theres nothing going on and my mom says yes ill be there for sure!!!!:D
Oh and i have a question; where did you guys come up with the name Deas Vail, does it stand for something?:)
Awsome show last night at house of blues; it was definitly worth going to. And im so glad I got all of your signatures on my shirt!!!:) Hope to see you guys live again sometime:)
hey, i saw you guys last night at the House Of Blues in Orlando and i just wanted to say i'm in love with your music lol you guys did a great job and i'm definitely a fan.(: keep up the good work.
hey guys! yall were beyond AMAZING tonight:D Ive never liked an opening act so much in my life:) not to mention you guys were soooo sweet to everyone you met!! great job tonight(: come to orlando soon<3