From ‘The Freshman’ to CT: The Verve Pipe’s Brian Vander Ark Shares His Journey in I-95 Exclusive

90s rock superstars The Verve Pipe are headed to Connecticut for a big show, this Friday, May 17th 2024. The band will take the stage at the District Music Hall in Norwalk on Friday (5/17) at 8pm and you can get your tickets right now.

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We wanted to get Connecticut ready for this gig so we called our new pal, The Verve Pipe's Brian Vander Ark for a chat about life, radio, the 90s and reuniting with 3 Doors Down, Creed and Tonic.

Lou: Your tune "The Freshman" has been lodged in my mind since the 90s, how old were you when you wrote that? 

Brian: "I appreciate that, I had to be close to 30 by the time I wrote that and then it wasn't even a hit until Jesus, probably 35 then. It took way too long to get signed to RCA records. I mean, I was going to quit on my 30th birthday, quit music altogether and my girlfriend at the time, for my birthday she bought me a four-track recorder, what a great gift."

Lou: The song, The Freshman, what is it supposed to mean, what did it mean to you, when you wrote it?

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Lou: Let me see if I get this straight, you were in the Army, you formed the Verve Pipe, you were discovered by Willie Nelson and now I learn, you're in our business now, you're a radio guy? 

Brian: "Yeah, I do a radio show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on one of the classic rock stations that I grew up on, that I love. Yeah, I'm a bit of a radio personality too, I record on the road, I record voice tracks backstage at shows, it's a lot of fun. Plus, the great thing is, it's corporate so they pay my insurance so for the first time in my life, I've got insurance for my kids."

You can listen to our entire interview with Brian Vander Ark below. We learned more about how Brian was discovered by Willie Nelson, Brian's first massive gig, reuniting with the guys from Creed, 3 Doors Down, Tonic and what his radio show is all about.

Get your tickets now to see The Verve Pipe this Friday, May 17th at the District Music Hall in Norwalk, CT.

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify

The prep and execution of these interviews is pretty much the same across the board but how they make you feel is different each time. I was so excited for this interview that I kept listening to "The Freshman" over and over but I had to stop myself when I realized I would not be singing at any point during our chat. It was probably best to shelve the singing and learn more about Brian. He was a really cool guy and we appreciated him taking the time to check in with us.