Versus Machine | Interview | New Album, ‘II’
Exclusive track premiere of ‘Seafoam’ by Versus Machine taken from their upcoming album, ‘II,’ slated for release in February 2025.
Versus Machine is Stephen Tilley (vocals/guitar), Michael James Stipe (bass), and Brian Doherty (drums)—a powerhouse trio blending post-grunge, alternative rock, and psychedelia. Tilley and Doherty reconnected in 2021 after nearly a decade apart, reigniting their creative spark. With Stipe joining soon after, the band quickly found its name and sound.
Their self-titled debut, recorded in 2022 with Mike Bardzik, was fueled by raw energy. Now, with a second album dropping February 2025, they’re pushing even further into bold, boundary-busting rock. Meanwhile, Tilley’s collabs with Failure’s Kellii Scott and Stipe/Doherty’s work with Babel Map and Northern Gloom only fuel the fire. Versus Machine is charging ahead, ready to take over.
Pre-order your copy of ‘II’ here or here.
“We set out with the goal of writing and recording a heavy record”
The shift from your debut album to the new one feels like it could be a pretty big jump. How do you think this new record reflects where you are now, both as musicians and as individuals? And how has the chemistry between you all evolved since that first album?
Steve: The first album, for me, was a collection of compositional ideas, riffs, and emotions I had been sorting through for many years. After not really playing music for over a decade, with any regularity or purpose, it was stylistically sort of a melting pot of different things. Some of the lyrics had meaning, some didn’t as much. But I love how it came out. It was recorded in a couple of days and captures a moment in time for me.
The new album is much more dialed in. Me as an individual and a musician. All of us as musicians. We’ve explored new textures (lower tunings) and cadences (weirder time signatures). The lyrics are more abstract. And the songs aren’t meant to fit ANY type of common/commercial mold, although I think a few of them were ‘accidentally’ catchy singles. I feel more emotionally moved when I perform the new songs live.
How much of the new album is shaped by where you’ve been, and how much of it feels like a fresh start?
Brian: This record is a really good representation of how we have grown as musicians. I don’t think this record is an extension of the first, but rather it showcases how comfortable we are in our sound and songwriting process. A lot of the sounds of ‘VM:1’ were shaped by us getting to know each other, what we wanted to sound like—almost kind of setting an imaginary boundary or checklist of “do’s and don’ts.” For ‘VM:2,’ we were really able to consider those but see how far we could push them, and, at times, completely eliminate them.
You’ve got a long history together, especially you two, Stephen and Brian. When you first reconnected after nearly a decade apart, what was that initial spark like? Was it clear from the start that the chemistry was still there, or did it take time to reignite that fire?
Steve: I think, for me, it was clear the chemistry was still there. Brian and I met just about 20 years ago at this point. But over the years, I’ve become much more of an introvert and am a totally different person (for the better) than I was back then. So it was fun to get to know each other again, but still be able to reminisce and laugh about the past and acknowledge the ongoing friendship. I don’t really talk to TOO many people regularly from that season of my life, like I do with Brian.
Brian: It was almost like picking up where we left off years ago, but with more maturity in musicianship and life! For me, Steve was such a formative musician when I was learning how to play in a band, and that musical connection and appreciation were still just as strong. I have always valued Steve’s musical tastes. I know when we first started playing together, Steve would always suggest bands for me to listen to, and now I find myself asking him what he’s listening to or for new music suggestions.
Mike Bardzik’s been a key collaborator for you in shaping your sound. How did his influence come through on this new album? Did you approach the recording process differently this time around, or was it more about refining the energy from your debut?
Michael: Mike Bardzik has been so influential to the music scene in Pennsylvania. Bardzik is amazing to work with at Noisy Little Critter Studios. You walk into that place and feel like you’re in The Beatles or something because it’s such a massive and beautiful setting to record a record. There are sleeping quarters and outdoor areas where Mike has chickens running around. NLC is an oasis, and Bardzik is the best at constructive criticism. When you just finished a take and you look up and Mike is smiling, you know you gotta do another take! Lol, he definitely was instrumental in shaping the sound of this record, but in particular, he really gave us some good suggestions on the song “Blanket” that made that song work. I could say way more about Mike, but I will save my love letter for another time.
Brian and I worked with Kurt Ballou on the new Babel Map record, and it was really neat to talk to Kurt about Mike. Kurt has worked with Mike and has a massive amount of respect for him. I really felt a sense of pride hearing Kurt compliment Mike, seeing as how Kurt is one of the most important people in all of heavy music today.
Brian: Bardzik is an amazing person to work with. Anyone who has worked with him will tell you the exact same thing. One of his greatest attributes is that he is 100% invested in the song that is in front of him. He really cares about getting the best out of you, whether that is getting another take, a vocal performance, or a song structure. You know that when the song is finished, it is the best version of yourself at that moment.
As for our approach, we toyed around with tracking the record individually but ended up recording everything live over 4 days in February 2024. This is how we did our debut album ‘VM: I,’ but I think this time we were much more prepared for how we wanted everything orchestrated, sounds, etc.
There’s always a fine line between power and emotional depth in your music. How do you manage that balance? Do you consciously try to find that equilibrium?
Brian: I don’t think we consciously think about those two aspects when we begin writing a song. We’re never like, “Oh, there’s too much of this. We need more of that.” For us, this evolves more from listening to where the music is and where the music needs to go, especially at climactic points.
I also think that texture is a very important aspect that we consider in our music. I know that our bass player and I both experience synesthesia, so we do spend a good bit talking about what color a song feels like. I know that might sound kind of abstract, but trying to bring that quality into your playing can help in expressing emotion and raw power at times.
The name ‘Versus Machine’ carries a certain kind of aggression. Do you still feel like the name fits the band’s journey today, especially with this new material? Has the meaning behind the name shifted at all for you as the band’s grown?
Michael: The meaning behind Versus Machine is actually not like a “Rage Against The Machine” sort of name. It’s not us versus “the machine” of systems of control; rather, it’s humanity versus the machine of the human body and mind. Emotion, addiction, sickness, joy… all of the things that make you human are constantly at war with each other internally, whether they reach surface level or not. The meaning behind that has been punctuated with our new record as it is a raw expression of feeling. There is not one second of music on our new record that isn’t filled with intense emotion.
You’ve all been involved in other projects—Stephen with Kellii Scott, and Michael and Brian with Babel Map, for example. How does that work outside of Versus Machine influence what you bring to this band? Do you ever find yourselves bringing things from those projects into this one, or do you try to keep them separate?
Michael: I can definitely say that my work with Babel Map has influenced the way I play in this band as well as the effects I used. Thick octave distortion and funky grooves behind massive riffs define Versus Machine. In our other groups, whether it be Northern Gloom, Steve and Kellii, Babel Map, Clawdust, Le Ghast, or Mdnght Dsco, there are always influences taken from our other projects. We were told years ago by a label executive to put all of our eggs into one basket—aka play in only one band. We think that’s a stupid mindset because we each like to express ourselves in a number of ways. I think all the bands we play in benefit from us working on multiple projects at once. We keep many eggs in many baskets for good reason, haha.
With the new album dropping in 2025, what can fans expect in terms of the feel of the record? Are you experimenting more this time around? What direction does this one take that might surprise people who loved your debut?
Michael: I think the low tuning is a big factor on this record. That, combined with Brian’s gigantic drums and the experimental bass work, made for a beautifully distorted sound. This record has all my favorite things about a rock ‘n’ roll record: great riffs, beautiful melody, and deadly rhythms. Our debut album is great, but this one was more of a deep collaboration. For instance, the song Red Queen took about 3 months of weekly rehearsals to get just right.
Beyond how it’s received, what do you want to prove to yourselves with this record?
Brian: We don’t think there’s anything we need to prove to ourselves. We set out with the goal of writing and recording a heavy record, and we’ve already proven to ourselves we can do that. Value is inherent, and we are really proud of this record. We believe this is an excellent complement to our first record, ‘VM: I.’
And finally, what does the name “Versus Machine” mean to you now, especially as you prepare for the release of your second record? Is it still just about the conflict between man and machine, or has it evolved into something more meaningful for you?
Michael: Again, Versus Machine is the struggle between consciousness and the human machine. With each song we write, the band name becomes more special to us. This new album is fantastic, and we’re so excited for people to hear us at our best yet.
Klemen Breznikar
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