‘Take It All Off is a raw and unapologetic anthem about reclaiming control and indulging in the messy contradictions of life and love. Vera paint a vivid picture of a complicated relationship, one that’s tangled up in desire, self deprecation, and a sense of freedom. It’s about being unapologetically bold in the pursuit of pleasure and connection.
In the chorus Vera portray a defiant and seductive call to strip away the barriers, both literally and emotionally, finding release in the heat of the moment. With a driving, infectious beat and sharp, cheeky lyrics, the song captures a spirit of rebellion. It’s messy, it’s fun, and it’s all about the push and pull of being drawn to someone you know might not be good for you, but you can’t help yourself.’
VERA was born in the recording studio, when Sarah’s producer Declan Legge, enlisted Darragh, Dave and Matt as session players for her solo work. They were all already overworked and juggling too many projects but were drawn in by Sarah’s songwriting. During these sessions they all became slightly obsessed with each other (as musicians and people) and worked through to the middle of the night every night writing together, playing together and becoming mates. By the end of these sessions VERA the band had been formed.
Having formed in the studio, recording has remained and incredibly important part of the process, bringing out a dopamine-addicted silliness in all of them as they collaborate and obsess over every sound on every song. As individuals they come from a range of musical backgrounds and areas of interest; covering R&B and musical theatre, metal and ultra-pop, riot girl and alternative rock. They all feel liberated within this group to explore and incorporate all of this into their song writing process in the studio. They are motivated by each other’s strengths and musical flair, and it feels like each of their strongest work so far has been in VERA.
They spent a year, on and off, recording all of the material they had, perfecting the sounds and vibes that they felt most stimulated by and which represented how they are as people. They then moved on to developing their live show, armed with around 15 songs.
Photo credit – Anna Burnett