ABOUT
BIO
VETALEJ (pronounced vee-tá-li) is a singer/songwriter & producer currently based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Born in eastern European country of Belarus, raised in Massachusetts, where he began playing music at an early age at his local church. In 2007 a band from Portland OR, called “SONSOFDAY” came across videos of Vetalej drumming on YouTube, and they invited him on tour, where his live performance skills were sharpened, and most importantly : Vetalej saw a glimpse of America, the open road, and a diverse deep musical culture which was calling his name. Shortly after tours were over, Vetalej was eager to create his own band, reaching for a unique vision, an unpaved road, a way to channel the mood and emotions of a young 20 year old, coming of age in America.
In 2011 “Polar Jet” was born : a four piece rock band, where Vetalej found himself the lead singer, transition from the drum kit to a singer with a rebellious attitude, kicking down the door with a wink, who was trying to get a point across, no matter what the cost. Polar Jet first EP came out the following year, and the boys moved to Boston, to continue playing gigs, throughout summer. Just a the name of the band implies, the flight was short, and before 2012 was over, the guys decided to put music on pause, and went on a hiatus.
Vetalej found himself a bit heartbroken, and out of an occupation, knowing that working on records was his only salvation, a process that to this day, is therapeutic, engaging, and the place where he as an artist feels most at home with himself. In 2013 Vetalej dove into the recording process, of what became his 1st EP under his own name : The 8 song “Barista Scientista” came out later that year. A couple hundred Vinyls were pressed, which were distributed to friends, and local boutique record stores. The alternative / indie record was a lyrical departure from a rock & roller attitude, to introspective and nostalgic reflections on time, search for meaning, and philosophical lyricism, with occasional “I don’t care enough to be serious” riff as well such as “Gimme” Last track from the EP finishes with “Born Into A Dream”, which haunts with its stripped bare acoustic performance, with the last lines of the album “It’s ok if it just doesn’t feel right, it shouldn’t be the end I swear, cause I’m not even there anymore, I’m not even there”
And it wasn’t the end, far from it. On a road trip to Europe, the following year, while walking the ancient streets of Rome, he had an epiphany : His hard drive was full of old music. 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s were his favorite musicians, and bands, which he drew so much inspiration from on his musical journey so far, however, something was calling him in a different direction. What was the new frontier? Electronic music. Stuff made on computers, manipulated other-worldly sounds, and unique sonic textures. Not to mention the beats. Vetalej decided to purchase Ableton Live, and Ableton Push controller, figuring, maybe to experiment a little, and create a fresh sound using a different approach. Little did he realize, that this journey will take him to interesting places, with detours to Berlin, and Los Angeles, endless nights experimenting with plugins, sonic techniques, and left of the center genres.
2015 seemed like a good time to change it up, so Vetalej decided to move from Boston no New York, spending the summer in Brooklyn, producing beats, and long boarding around town, before going to Europe again, to check out what was happening in local music venues in Berlin. Eventually he found himself living in Los Angeles, being interested in the world of House Music with artists such as Daft Punk, Bonobo, and Skrillex. He started a side project “Kookla” which focuses on electronic music and DJ’ing, putting out his DJ sets on YouTube, and sharpening his skills as a producer.
In 2019 he moved back to his hometown in Massachusetts, where everything felt so familiar, but not quite home anymore. He actually felt challenged to ask himself a question : is this it? Does the music stop here, or should he package the songs and ideas that were written in LA and just throw it up on the internet? He decided that sharing is essential to the creative process, and he finished producing a handful of songs, and named the project “Satoshi” tipping the hat to Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of bitcoin. The electronic / alternative album came out in June, and featured computer beats, materialistic lyrics, and braggadocios attitude. Also that year seemed to be a very fruitful year for music videos, which saw Vetalej uploading something to YouTube on a monthly basis, with clips for songs like “Tesla” “Doge” and “Constellation” pushing the stylistic boundaries, and playing with different concepts of artistic expression. There was 6 music videos made, and as the year wrapped up, the search continued, because It still felt as if thought something essential was missing, and there was an authentic self somewhere deep below the layers of ideas, and experiences. Who was Vetalej and what does he sound like, really?
The answer came when he randomly stopped by a local Guitar Center, and picked out a Gibson J-45 accosting guitar. The very same style guitar that he uses to write songs about 10-12 years ago. He immediately sensed a connection. That’s what was missing - a simple instrument that you know intimately, and writing the kind of songs that can be played on the acoustic guitar at midnight in the kitchen, using the table as the drum kit. With that insight, Vetalej decided to go back to his songwriting roots, and pen an album which he called “Because We Were Young” The album explores themes of love, breakup, search for meaning, loneliness. Invigorated by this newfound sense of satisfaction of writing heartfelt songs, and recording real instruments, Vetalej is already recording his next EP in his home studio in Fort Lauderdale.
Listen to the newest album “Because We Were Young” now.
