Verst

Verst is an indie/space rock trio from San Francisco, California. Bass player John Parsons first discovered guitarist John Dickey’s music in the mid-90s via a random purchase of Pie’s “gone” EP in a Greenwich Village record store. Dickey was the mastermind behind Pie, a Boston-based band that opened for Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo before imploding. Parsons led San Francisco alt-rockers, Rule of Thumb, through four albums (and opening slots for The Gourds, Chuck Prophet, and Richmond Fontaine, among others) before dissolving the band.
In 2002, Parsons, determined to find more Pie music, discovered that Dickey had relocated to San Francisco and formed a new band, Richard Bitch. A decade later, the two Johns joined forces in Verst along with drummer Brandon Hemley (also from Rule of Thumb). The music incorporates a wide variety of influences: everything from Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement to Judas Priest and King Crimson, layered with the “A.M. Gold” sensibilities of America and Bread. And yet, it is distinctively and unmistakably original. Starship Crash, the debut album released in 2015, was deemed a “noise-pop masterpiece” by Pandora and received numerous accolades in the press. David Slain, the band’s second album, was released on November 14, 2017.

John Dickey / guitar
John Parsons / bass
Brandon Hemley / drums