The new name on the block is Money On Verema– the solo project from Vance Joy’s touring bassist and ex-Kashmere Club band member, Jono Colliver. This indie pop-rock project from the talented local musician is already making waves around town with his debut single Hook Line And Sinker.
We chat to Jono about Vance Joy, the new single and what’s next for Money On Verema.

Money On Verema are a pretty fresh onto the scene, tell us a little bit about who you are and where you come from.
I’m Jono Colliver, I’m originally from Portland in South-West Victoria. I moved to Melbourne a few years ago and have been based in the South-Side ever since. My brother Joel plays guitar and he is a Portlander, as is the drummer Josh Eales. He lives in Sunshine so I never go and visit him. 

What is the origin on the bands name?
I remember hearing about the horse ‘Verema’ that had to be put down after the last Melbourne Cup race due to a broken leg. I’d never call myself an animal activist really, but something really rubbed me up the wrong way with that incident. I was pissed off that this animal had the pressure of this world she had no choice of being involved in and it eventually caused her death. I also liked that people who had bet money on Verema subsequently lost. ‘Well that’s something at least’ I thought. Verema could be a metaphor for the artist.

Jono, many may know you for your work with Kashmere Club, Thnkr and of course, Vance Joy. How important have these bands been in lifting Money On Verema off the ground?
They’ve all been vital, but mainly just on a personal level. I’ve learned a lot from all of the experiences. Each of those mentioned had/are songwriters who influence me, or inspire me. I think too without those projects I wouldn’t have learned the motivation skills to get something new off the ground.

Can we expect any collaboration with any of the above? Or this is entirely your ‘baby’?
Never say never but I’ve not got any plans for collaborations. It may be my baby, but I’m happy for it to grow up and make friends and hang out with other babies. It’s the best way for babies to develop. But currently I’m still getting to know it.

Has Money On Verema been a project that youve been working since before your work with the aforementioned outfits?
No, it’s all pretty new actually. Some ideas for songs were floating around a few years ago but had no place in any of the projects I was working with at the time. I think once I had a few of these ideas forming a ‘sound’ I felt like a separate project was the right thing to get them out.

 For those that are yet to listen to Money On Verema, how would best describe your sound?
Maybe like an indie Crowded House. They’re pop songs that have usually started on an acoustic guitar so naturally evolve from strumming or finger picking. I guess that gives it a ‘Singer-Songwriter’ vibe. I like subversive pop, and I like stuff with a bit of a bite, so whilst there is a pop sensibility to the presentation, the content is a little off in parts or might have some unusually to it. I’m a big Ween fan. I love that a pop song can be totally accessible yet there is hidden messages or twists which are almost anti-pop in nature.

For a bit of fun, if you could curate your own music festival, who would be the three Aussie bands youd bill alongside you?
Courtney Barnett, The Drones & Ball Park Music. I’d probably pull out and chuck Fraser A. Gorman on that lineup too just so I could be a punter.

Hook, Line & Sinker is a great track thats gaining some well-warranted buzz, are they any more tracks or even an EP of sorts in the pipeline?
There’s a ‘companion’ track of sorts for Hook, Line & Sinker which will probably see the light of day soon. I’d like to release the 2 together on a 7” for extra indie-cred.  There’s some other songs in the pipeline which will probably form a more substantial release around tax time. A tax themed concept EP perhaps.

Can we expect any live performances from Money On Verema in the distant future?
Totally. I’ll probably do some solo sets in April with full band stuff later in the year. Vance has a busy year on his plate so Money on Verema has to work amongst a pretty intense tour schedule.

What else is in store for Money On Verema for 2014?
All of the above. I just want to get my head down and try to write some great songs, release an EP, and play some shows at whatever Melbourne venues are left by mid-year. There’s also this business of the festival, I’ll need to start organising felafel vendors and porta-loos ASAP.

The Single Hook Line And Sinker is out now. For more info visit Money On Verema’s Facebook page.

<iframe style=”border: 0; width: 100%; height: 42px;” src=”http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3119050873/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/” seamless><a href=”http://moneyonverema.bandcamp.com/track/hook-line-sinker”>Hook, Line &amp; Sinker by Money On Verema</a></iframe>

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