Vera is a band that not only boasts some of Northern Ireland’s finest musicians but is the vehicle for the incredible vocals of Sarah Toner. The band project evolved from Sarah’s solo work. On returning to Northern Ireland after a successful musical theatre career in London, she began to develop her own songwriting with the help of her producer/manager Declan Legge (Jealous of the Birds, Atlantic Records).
In 2023 Sarah began to record her catalogue of original material at Analogue Catalogue Studios with Declan and new collaborator, producer/drummer Darragh Tibbs. These sessions quickly pulled in the talents of Matt Holland (keys/guitar) and David Dalzell (bass), both incredibly talented session musicians and artists in their own right who have performed with artists such as Dark Tropics, Chubby Cat, Fatmunk and more. Over 6 months in the studio the chemistry between the 4 musicians was incredible and the songs took unexpected sonic directions, evolving far from their early forms. We couldn’t avoid it, we had become a band… Vera was born.
Vera blends a modern Indie sound with elements of groove and soul, retro pop, and rock all underpinned by the raw and powerful vocal of Sarah Toner. Filled with style, drama and a healthy dose of sarcasm, Sarah’s lyrics cover every possible pitfall of modern love presenting a refreshingly cynical version of being a hopeless romantic.
“No Help From You is the letting go and moving on from someone. It’s the celebration of self validation and taking back control. It’s a middle finger up at anyone that’s ever hurt you. The song is about the end of grieving a failed relationship, about the moment where you see your growth and worth on your own… you never needed them anyway!“