Verma

Conjuring forceful, evocative clouds of sound that drift over fields of insistent rhythm, Verma are a Chicago-based ensemble who've taken inspiration from classic prog rock, Krautrock, and psychedelic acts and fashioned a sound of their own that's by turns coolly languid and powerfully physical. Verma features Johnny Caluya on guitar and keyboards; Zach Corn on drums; Rob Goerke on bass; Whitney Johnson on vocals, keyboards, and viola; and TJ Tambellini on keyboards, guitar, and vocals. The group first made a name for themselves in 2010, when they self-released a pair of cassettes that caught the ears of discerning listeners, Verma and Salted Earth. A collection of improvised pieces, Verma II, was issued in the fall of 2011, and the group's first proper album, EXU, was issued on vinyl and digitally in October 2012. The magazine and website Vice commissioned Verma to compose music for a documentary, The Vice Guide to the Congo, and two extended pieces from their score were issued in June 2013 on the album Coltan, which was released by the Chicago-based indie pop label Trouble in Mind. In May 2014, Verma and Trouble in Mind joined forces again to release their album Sunrunner; by this time, Tambellini's involvement with the group was limited by his relocation to California, but he remained committed to Verma and the Chicago music scene. When not busy with Verma, Goerke and Tambellini perform in a side project called Wetlands (they also produce solo material), Johnson works with a band called E+ and has a solo project titled Matchless, Corn drums with Get Off the Cross the Wood Is Needed, and Caluya plays with Quarter Mile Thunder and Robbie Hamilton.