The Voxys' Career

The Voxys formed only two years ago, in 2008, but are already beginning to build a strong following in the New York area, where they play most of their shows. The band consists of three Irish and an American, yet they managed to set aside their cultural differences to produce music that they like - and, apparently, that others like, as well.

They didn’t meet all at once. Julian and Trevor, the guitarists and vocalists of the group, met at a show. Realizing that they both hated the performing group’s music, they decided that they should make music that they liked. A little while later, they met William, a bassist. They invited William to a rehearsal.

According to William, the group drew him by their style. The first thing he noticed was they did not bother tuning their guitars at all. They disregarded even the most basic of rules for musicians. That was precisely what he wanted as a musician - a group which didn’t care what the establishment cared about.

But it was only six months later they met their last member: Chad, the drummer.

The Irish members came up with the band’s name. They borrowed the name from an Irish football (soccer for the American fans) gang involved in violent acts. While the group quickly maintains that they refuse to be associated with violence, they want to keep the same passion for music that the original Voxys gang kept for football.

Still, each member brings something different to the group. While they all love rock-and-roll, they have many influences outside classic rock artists like Led Zepellin. One likes reggae and party music; another one likes an English ska band called The Specials. A few like English alternative rock bands; one likes mainstream American rock groups. Chad even lists one of his influences as Johnny Cash, a singer-songwriter most known for his country music. This brings a unique sound to the group’s music.

In addition to those they list as their influences, they also listen to others, including rappers like Ludacris.

The group started by playing clubs throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. On October 28, 2008, the group played its first non-American show in Dublin. At this show, they played an opening for The Mighty Stef, a large Irish indie band.

The Voxys would open again for The Mighty Stef on December 30, 2008.

The band then played at CLUB NME on January 5, 2009, a club famous for laughing the careers of many now-famous groups.

But January 5, 2009 also marked another milestone for the band: they released their first EP, which received good reviews from the independent music blogger Lucid Culture. They also released it on iTunes for download.

After an eventful January, the group had one last show before a four month break. They played during the 11th annual CRAIC festival.

Their last show so far was on July 30, 2009 at the CLUB NME. This was also their first main-billing show, billed as a comeback. During this show, the band played for 30 minutes straight, and debuted many new songs.

However, they have not had any shows since.