By Scout Nicholson / The Jambar
Youngstown-based band The Vindy’s has performed in the Mahoning Valley for over 10 years. The band recently released its third album titled “Trap Door” on April 10.
This nine-piece band is composed of:
- Lead vocalist and songwriter Jackie Popovec
- Lead guitarist John Anthony
- Rhythm guitarist Rick Deak
- Bassist Brendan Burke
- Keyboardist Nathan Anthony
- Drummer Jesse Delorenzo
- Saxophonist Garret Kuchmaner
- Trumpeter Kyle O’Donnell
- Trombonist Brian Mayle
The band first hit the Youngstown music scene in 2012, when Popovec met John Anthony at V2 Wine Bar and Trattoria, performing in a cover band.
“I remember like hopping in on some gigs and then just kind of taking off from there. We did a lot of cover stuff in the beginning. I mean, we were doing three, four hours, two to three nights a week [for] a couple summers,” Popovec said.
Popovec said Youngstown’s music scene had just started to take off when The Vindy’s first emerged and that The Vindy’s helped reignite the city’s passion for music.
“A lot of the bars and venues that once were in the ‘90s, they kind of just dissipated,” Popovec said. “There was just like this large cover band and tribute band thing going on in town. And so there was some sort of like resurgence of live and original music happening around 2012. So we kind of hopped on that and, you know, kind of built it up in the area.”
Popovec credited the band’s success to being open to every opportunity that came her way.
“It really was saying yes to every single opportunity, no matter how stupid it sounded. For example, playing in the back of a [Chevrolet] El Camino for the first Federal Frenzy that we ever did,” Popovec said. “I think that was maybe 2016 or [2017]. We were so excited to be a part of it, but we were also like, ‘What the hell are we doing on the back of this car?’”
The band’s recent release of “Trap Door” has a run-time of 41 minutes with 10 tracks. Popovec said this album has been in the works since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had not written these songs in a two-to-three hour, two-to-three week span like most people usually do. Instead, I was writing these one at a time, working on them maybe for months before I thought they were good,” Popvec said.
This time around, Popovec said she was very deliberate and focused on her songwriting because she had a lot of time.
“There’s a lot more deliberate guitars instead of just a wash of nine people playing everything at one time. You’re hearing dynamics, and you’re hearing things coming in and out like you really wouldn’t hear otherwise if it was on stage live. So very, very, very important to me that the sound was pristine,” Popovec said.
The Vindy’s will perform May 22 at A&R Music Bar in Columbus.
Those interested in “Trap Door” can check out The Vindy’s on Spotify and Apple Music, or visit its website at thevindys.com.
