PropertyOfZack was lucky enough to have the chance to do a quick interview with Sierra of VersaEmerge just last week. Sierra and I discussed their current Vultures Unite tour, reception to their debut album, and their future touring plans. Read up and enjoy!

For the record, could you state your name and role in VersaEmerge?
My name is Sierra Kusterbeck. I sing for VersaEmerge.

The band is currently out on their first headlining tour, which has appropriately been named the Vultures Unite Tour. How’s your first time being the last ones on the stage so far?
It’s pretty much amazing and unreal for our first time headlining. We didn’t know what to expect and now we do and it’s amazing. Kids have been really, really cool and they sing the words louder than we do. It’s awesome. I wouldn’t want anything different.

Were there any nerves in being a headliner for the first time?
Oh yeah, of course. We didn’t know how kids were going to react or if they were even going to come; it was hard to tell. When we started putting up the pre-sale tickets and they sold so quickly our hopes went back up and we were like, “Wow, we actually do have fans!”

What can fans that haven’t attended their shows yet expect to hear in terms of the set mix?
That is a secret because we can’t spoil that. They can expect tons of energy and it’s very personal.

You guys have Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer, and Conditions out with you. How are those dudes?
They’re awesome. All those guys are super funny and are really amazing bands. They’re nice to listen to and they’re great live and it’s all straight rock ‘n roll, which is what I really like about the bands, so I think this lineup is actually really, really cool.

Just a few days ago the band has a break-in in your trailer that resulted in stolen merch, instruments, and even passports. Has that effected the live show at all in terms of what instruments you use?
Well, we borrowed some stuff from the other bands, so the show didn’t have to change. Shit happens; it happens to every band at some point in their career. It could’ve been a lot worse, so we got to be lucky. We’re still fixing things up and getting some instruments and replacing things as we go, but the shows go on and the kids are still supportive. Even though it happened it doesn’t matter because the shows are worth it.

All this touring is of course due to your debut album, Fixed At Zero, which dropped in late June. How has the reception been four months later?
It’s surprisingly been really, really good. Kids all the time tell me that they just got it and they had never heard it before. We were on the MTV show, World Of Jenks, and because of that we’ve been selling a lot of records and a lot of people have been tweeting at us that they just heard it. I think the receptions doing really well. Kids seem to really connect with it.

Is it great to know that even that the album came out so many months ago that you’re still continuously getting all these new fans?
Yes, we are really lucky. It’s cool that kids are still getting into it.

There’s a lot more substance on the record than so much stuff out there today. How was the writing process for the album?
Thank you. Our process was an interesting one; we did it throughout the year while on the road and even in the studio. It’s our first full-length so we had time to kind of dive into each song and really, really work on them and figure them out. It was definitely an interesting process because we’ve never been in a studio for that long before. We really stepped into our own skin and we all have matured as people musically and I think that shows on the record.

The band has obviously lost a few members from the last EPs to this album, which definitely caused some concern among fans. Is it safe to say the band is stronger than ever?
The band is definitely stronger than ever. While people are going to say what they think is the truth of losing members, whether it’s our fault or because we want to change the music or because blah blah. There’s so many rumors out there, but not everything works out like you plan and some people don’t love to tour and some people just don’t agree with things, but we are much stronger than ever and we’re all on the same page and it’s been great.

Like you said, you appeared on MTV’s World Of Jenks just a few weeks ago. Can you talk about that experience a little?
Yeah, that was super interesting. When we agreed to do it we were kind of skeptical because it was MTV, so we would have to watch what we say because they edit things. Then when Andrew came out he was super cool and super down to earth and very, very chill. I really admire his passion for what he does. He’s all about it and he’s all business in what he’s doing and what he’s going after. He’s down to do anything. I was like, “Hey, I’m going to go do this” and it might be something he had never done before and he was like, “Alright.” I think that’s really cool of him and I think his show is completely awesome in that it’s going to open up a lot of eyes for different people and what they do. It was definitely weird having cameras in your face 24/7 [Laughs].

Is it awesome, regarding the side-effect it had with all these people that are now checking out the band?
Oh my gosh, yes. The exposure’s been amazing. So many people have been talking to us on the internet and telling us that they saw us on MTV and that they loved the episode and that they checked out our music and that they love the band. It’s definitely opened us up to a lot of people that would never get a chance to hear of us. It’s mostly good promotion.

You’ll be heading to the UK in early February with We The Kings. How stoked are you guys for those shows?
Oh my gosh, we are ecstatic and so ready to go back. We went last year for the first time and we didn’t know what to expect because we had never been there, but the shows were so, so cool. The kids there are really supportive. We eventually gained more fans and we hear from them all the time wanting us to come to the UK and we are now.

There is a short gap between the end of the Vultures tour and the UK one. Might we see a short run of dates somewhere in the middle?
Yes, you will. They’re going to be announced very soon.
POZ: Will those be more headlining or support?
Sierra: A bit of both.

Should we expect another single and music video to be released as well?
We’re taking things a little bit slow before we dive into that, but I’m pretty sure when we know you guys will know ASAP.

Will you guys just keep on touring all over after the UK stint?
Yes, absolutely. We’re figuring out exactly what we’re going to be doing in the spring and hopefully from the looks of it, we’ll be coming to a town near everybody.

Are any other countries, like Australia or anywhere else, in the mix?
Not in the works right now, but things get changed every single day, so I wouldn’t lose all hope, but we haven’t talked about anything.

Thanks so much for your time, is there anything you’d like to add?
That we love all of our Versa Vultures and thank you for the support.