The V-Chords Singers stretch limits of vocal reality

by JK

The V-Chords are an up-and-coming Portland band with one obvious difference; between them, the six V-Chords play zero instruments! The V-Chords are an a cappella group, and all of the high-energy sound you hear at one of their concerts is coming from their mouths; and their mouths only.

These guys live for stretching the limits of vocal reality. They love to share it with audiences who have either never heard of a cappella, or think it's just doo-wop or (gasp!) barbershop. You won't get any Sweet Adeline-tags at a V-Chords concert; instead, you will be rocking out to songs by Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, Garth Brooks or maybe a comic original tune.

"Since a cappella is such an unknown genre, we have to work twice as hard to make sure we win an audience over right away with talent, humor and good songs," says V-Chords bassist Dave Edwards. "We make a serious effort to put on a show that people will remember."

To say the least, the V-Chords are an eclectic group of guys. "We are together all of the time, but if it weren't for the group, some of us might not even be friends," comments V-Chord Josh Killingsworth. "We come from such different backgrounds, but when we get on stage, we come together as one. It's amazing how music can bring people together like that."

The members of the group have definitely taken different routes on their way to being V-Chords. Edwards, who sings bass for the group, is a seemingly normal family man by day teaching music, eating healthy and discussing politics. But on stage, he turns into a rump-shaking, bass-note-rattling, dancing machine. His energy on stage sets the tone for the whole group and he has YouTube clips to prove it.

Chris Moore has held many titles; band member, college basketball player, part-time comedian, forklift operator, husband and ferret owner. Oh, and by the way, he is one of the best vocal percussionists on the west coast. "I think the most common question after one of our shows is, 'where do you guys keep your drum machine?' It is hard for people to believe that all of those sounds are coming out of Chris' mouth," says Killingsworth. "He is by far the best percussionist I have ever sung with."

That is quite a compliment, because V-Chords tenor Killingsworth has sung with a lot of people. A diverse vocalist, who can sing almost any style, Killingsworth has sung in 14 countries, recorded with some of LA's best studio musicians, attended the University of Arizona on both an opera and vocal jazz scholarship and sang in concerts with Linda Ronstadt. Throughout all of his musical experiences, one thing has remained constant; his love of a cappella music. "I have been fascinated by a cappella groups since I was in junior high. I love fusion, the mixing of two or more kinds of music, and to make a rock song, a jazz standard, or even a classical piece into an all-vocal composition makes my heart skip a beat."

Mike Telfer, the youngest member of the group, might also be the most dedicated. He sang in college with some of the members of the V-Chords in Pendleton several years ago and was asked to join the new group last July. While waiting for his job situation to sort out, Telfer commuted from Pendleton for rehearsals for about a month. "Going towards Portland was never a problem because I was excited to make music with the guys," Telfer remembers, "but the 3 a.m. trips back to Pendleton were brutal." Telfer is an award-winning tenor, but sings many different parts depending on the arrangement.

Bryan Podwys is a man of extremes. He loves extreme sports (he can be found at the local skate park amazing 13-year-olds before almost any V-Chords show); he has an extremely large family (they just welcomed their fourth child this year); and he sings extremely high (and not just for a man; his high 'F' is the same note that only the rare coloratura soprano dares to attempt in the famous Queen of the Night arias in Mozart's Magic Flute). Audiences are often wowed by Podwys' ventures into the vocal stratosphere and he loves to show his love of the high notes at every show.

It shouldn't really be a surprise that Jeremy Miller, the founder of the V-Chords and its predecessor Second Chance Singers, is involved with a cappella music. His dad Dave Miller was a choir director for almost 30 years. Jeremy's lifetime of exposure to vocal music has given him a great ear, and he is quickly able to pinpoint and fix any misplaced notes, making him an invaluable asset to the group.

The V-Chords have made their mark on the Portland music scene this summer, performing at festivals, malls, bars, street fairs, with a cappella super-group The Coats. They set a personal record one weekend by singing four gigs in three towns (Portland, Hillsboro and Gladstone) in 22 hours. "My voice is still tired from that one," Edwards groans. "We took this week off, but we will be ready to rock again next week."

The group plans a very aggressive concert schedule in the coming months, spreading their love of vocal music to as many people as possible. You can get more information on the V-Chords at www.vchords.com, www.myspace.com/vchords, or by e-mailing josh@vchords.com.