If one can imagine such a thing as Oklahoma’s indie-rock royalty, then Allan Vest and Barb (Hendrickson) Vest would have to be the king and queen.
The former fronted Norman’s indie-pop darlings Starlight Mints from 1997 to 2009. Creations from that longstanding act have appeared in major motion pictures and television series, including Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, Malcolm in the Middle and Californication, among others. Further, Vest’s instrumental works have been featured in animated shorts from Disney as well as several independent films.
Meanwhile, Barb was making a name for herself in Oklahoma City’s music scene during the first decade of the new millennium as co-founder of OklahomaPunkScene.com (not to mention 16 years in local public radio). She also organized eight installments of the Rock ‘n Roll Garage Sale and Show, which were all-day mini-festivals featuring local and touring acts performing amid a mostly rock-themed flea market. Eventually she would provide backing vocals for El Paso Hot Button and Stellar Chromatic.
Fast-forward to 2012 when fate had pushed Allan and Barb together in the form of doubleVee, borne of complementary musical tastes and an ability to work well together in the studio. By October 2015, the duo had wed, and, today, doubleVee’s first
album drops.
doubleVee, The The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider
The video for the album’s single, Jack the Rider (posted above), features animation by Paul Solomons. The characters are based on original art by Salt Lake City-based artist Grant Fuhst. In it, a red-headed temptress with heterochromia leads the titular character into a narrow brush with death.
If it sounds weird, that’s on purpose: The Twilight Zone was often referenced in press materials regarding the narrative that unfolds across the album’s 10 tracks.
doubleVee
Formed: 2012
Personnel: Allan and Barb Vest
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify
“Jack took on a life of his own as the songs came together,” said Barb in a promotional video for the band.
Musically, the track features a sonic pastiche of flamenco-fused syncopations beneath urgently alternating acoustic-guitar chords. Orchestral strings strain and swell in the background as the Vests take turns offering male and female vocal accompaniments that correspond with characters in the song/video.
Much like Travis Linville’s recently released full-length album, doubleVee made its debut available for preorder on PledgeMusic.com, a crowdfunding platform for musicians. The band raised 107 percent of its pre-order goal and offered exclusive rewards for certain pledge amounts, including signed guitars used on the album, studio time and dinner with the couple.
CD release party today
doubleVee will host a CD release party for The Moonlit Fables of Jack the Rider. During the event, a new video premiere for the band’s Dangerous World track will be screened at 6:30, according to a Facebook event posted by the band. The party begins at 5:30 p.m. today at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., in Oklahoma City.
