Just the beginning for Virginia to Vegas

‘Volume 1’ EP review

By Cheryl Minns, Arts Editor

Virginia to Vegas’ (VIIV) debut EP Volume 1 is full of catchy pop tunes and danceable club beats, closing with the standout ballad “Beautiful You Are.” From start to finish, Volume 1 is a musical journey that’s sure to put a smile on your face.

Derik Baker, 24, who performs as VIIV, spoke with the Other Press on November 11, the day his six-track EP was released.

“They’re all love songs in one way or another and they all come from very real moments,” he said. “I wanted it to have a certain feeling to it.”

The second track on the album is VIIV’s first single, “We Are Stars” featuring Alyssa Reid, which was released in January and became a certified Gold single. The song has an uplifting pop sound filled with insightful lyrics such as “Pretending to be who you’re not/Is a waste of what you got” and “Life is impossible/So believe that you’re unstoppable.”

When Baker first heard “We Are Stars” on the radio, he described the moment as “crazy because that’s the moment that you don’t think is real and you don’t really ever expect it to happen, but when it did happen, it was remarkable.”

Baker and Reid are currently on Reid’s Time Bomb Tour, which concludes in Ontario on November 21.

“It’s a small tour, but we played a bunch of different cities. It’s cool because, scattered in with the tour, I have a bunch of my own shows, which has been awesome,” he said.

“Working with Alyssa is super easy and fun, and we work together a lot anyways because we’re on the same label so we write together. The tour’s been good, the band is all awesome guys, and meeting all the fans has been a great experience,” Baker said.

He hopes fans enjoy Volume I and can connect to it in their own way.

“I have records that I’ve listened to that I’ll play and I’ll always think of that one moment that I lived with that record,” he said. “Hopefully everyone loves it and it becomes a part of their life. And if it does, I’m humbled and think it’s really amazing. So thanks for listening.”

When asked about future projects, Baker said, “I’m actually staring at the computer, working on music right now. I’m planning on having a new album come out very soon.”

Volume 1 is the first release of VIIV’s two-part album project, with Volume 2 to follow.