Brenda White mentions coincidence and fate a good deal when talking about the birth of Chapter in Verse. The co-vocalist/guitarist of one of the most distinctive and lauded bands in Boston's music scene never envisioned life as a rock star until all the elements slowly began to fit seamlessly together.
"It wasn't something really planned," she said. "It just fell into place... we've been having a really fun time with it. It's interesting the way people fell into the band."
It's not a huge stretch to believe that Chapter in Verse first began as an acoustic duo. The band rocks hard and fast, but is complimented with pretty, harmonic vocals and a clean finish. "Rachel [Clayton - co-vocalist, guitarist, and percussionist] and I have been friends for quite a while. One day I was kind of hanging around playing the guitar... she picked up a guitar and started harmonizing, and I was like 'Wow, hmm, this sounds pretty good. We should do something with this.'"
Things weren't fervent in the beginning, because music was never at the forefront of White's ambition. "I took guitar lessons when I was younger, dropped it, and took it back up at 20. I got kind of hooked. My guitar teacher told me to write a song... it was all downhill after that," White said, laughing. "I was like, 'I can't write a song,' and then I realized I could..."
Instead of writing off this unearthed talent, the two found a drummer, and an occasional violin player. They then discovered a prime talent in a completely unexpected place. Richard Cramer, the band's lead guitarist, was originally the band's photographer. "We had met him and needed photos... so he came out to see us play a lot. One day he said 'I play the guitar.'...Then he totally started wailing on the guitar! We were like, 'Oh my god...You kept this from us the whole time!?'"
Bassist Pam Kerensky was a friend whom the band asked to audition after they noticed her talent. Drummer Shawn McLaughlin heard about the audition offhand from a friend who had already tried out. Shawn ended up getting the part.
"We just never really thought of forming a band. We're a very fate-driven band... people just happened to come to us out of the blue," White said.
Fate, however, has had nothing to do with the success that the band has garnered over the past few years. Like most local bands starting out, Chapter in Verse had the task of introducing itself to the Northeast by constant touring, which inevitably led to word of mouth, and then eventual small-time success. The band slowly built its fan base by playing at favorite venues like T.T. the Bear's and Irish Embassy Pub - Brenda's personal favorite - that most bands left untouched.
"We've been working it really hard... touring, touring, touring... playing, playing, playing. We've done everything so on our own for so long."
Lots of bands work this hard with no real results. The trait that has pushed Chapter in Verse into a higher level of respect is its no-hold-barred, high-energy stage style that draws in new fans, and keeps them close.
"We just like to play and have fun. Most of the time when I go to see a show, I like to be entertained - I like to see people as passionate about their music as they should be, that's the way I feel when I sing. We like to make everybody feel what we're feeling, to get all the joy out of it that we are...we just go out and play every show like it's the first time we've been playing. We give 120 percent."
The band has yet to embark on any major road trips yet, but that says nothing about the immense amount of stage-time it has put in. Last year saw the group playing approximately 12 to 13 times a month, "anywhere and everywhere," according to White. The five spent their days at work, and then Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights traipsing around Massachusetts and the Northeast, getting their names out to the public.
And it worked. The fruits of their energy could visibly be seen upon the 1999 self-released album Wicked Smile, which, thanks to an in-store promotional show, became the number-one selling disc at Tower Records in Boston after its first week of release. The album then went on to sell more than 4,000 copies, an immense amount virtually unheard of for a self-released CD.
Along with popular success has come critical acclaim. In 1999, the band was nominated for two Boston Music awards - Best New Rock Band and Best Live Show.
"We had been working so, so hard, especially in that past year, playing non-stop. I remember my mom calling me because she had read it in the paper. She was like, 'You were nominated for an award!' I ran outside to buy a newspaper... then I started calling everyone and going 'Oh my God!'"
Although all five members still have their day jobs, as the band gains popularity and as more and more opportunities arise, the members of Chapter and Verse have come to define themselves first and foremost as musicians. "All of us, we'll play anywhere, anytime... the band comes first. The ultimate goal for all of us is for the band to become our day job..." she laughed. "Actually, I don't consider it a job because it's something we actually enjoy doing. We're hoping good things are going to happen in the coming year. We really feel that we're reaching a new plateau in songwriting and playing as a band."
Latest projects have included The Rockrgrl Music Conference in Seattle this past November - which White remembers as "one of the greatest experiences we've ever had" - a headlining gig at the Songstreet Festival of Women Songwriters, and a Patriots' pre-game show
Presently, the band is concentrating on the release party - this Saturday at T.T. the Bear's Place - for its three-song EP. The current plan of action is to garner even more fans with this release, see what kind of reception the group receives, and possibly find backing with an independent label so that it can produce a full-length LP in the near future.
"We've been rehearsing really hard for it. You never know who's going to be climbing up on the rafters... anything can happen at a Chapter in Verse show. It's been proven.... It's going to be one heck of a good time."
Chapter in Verse will be performing with the Shelly Winters Project and Juniper's Daughter at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, at T.T. and the Bear's Place, 10 Brookline St., Cambridge (Central Square). Call 617-492-0082 for show information. Ticket price is $7. The show is 18+. Free CDs will be given to the first 100 through the door.
