After building a devoted fanbase in their native Michigan in the early 90s, the Verve Pipe struck gold in 1996 when a song they'd been playing for years called "The Freshman" totally changed the game, catapulting their third album (first on a major label) Villains into platinum territory. The world was their oyster. Unfortunately, the follow-up tanked on an epic level and they never quite regained their footing. Since then their songcraft has only improved over the years, including 2017's excellent Parachute. Along the way, frontman Brian Vander Ark did his very best to stay afloat with solo albums and revolutionizing the house concert. In this chat we discuss all of it including working with producers like Jerry Harrison, Adam Schlesinger, and Bill Szymczyk, what he purchased when he finally hit it big and the impact of constantly being confused for UK band The Verve. Brian's about as down to earth as it gets and the Verve Pipe are currently on tour so catch them while you can!
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