interviews

V Shape Mind was formed in the late summer of 1995 from the demise of a half cover/half original band that played, in the central Illinois area for several years. The remaining members decided to start fresh with a new name, a new attitude and a more defined songwriting approach. The name V Shape Mind symbolizes balance. It's about transcending and using your mind.

Brad Hursh, guitar and lead vocals; Jeff Watts, guitar and vocals; Vic Zientara, bass guitar and vocals; and Dave Dixon, drums were determined to find fuel for the vehicle careening them through the soybean fields and labor disputes to a land of tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

When asked to classify their own musical style, the term "Heavy Mellow" is used to describe music that combines a heavy vibe with melodic nuances dynamically woven into a clusterfuck of sounds. With influences ranging from Prince to Korn and everything in between, V Shape Mind maintains a musical balance without having to choose sides or remain one-dimensional.

Later, Jeff Watts was replaced by Jeff McElyea and the band put together a 10 song CD in 1999 called Metric, and started traveling the Midwest  with a growing legion of fans and friends. V Shape Mind completed their existing lineup by replacing drummer Dave Dixon with Scott Parjani

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Late 2002, the band reached a management agreement with Anger Management, which handles Mudvayne and a number of other acts. A major label deal wasnt far off, and life began to change for the group. That's when world-famous producer David Bottrill (TOOL, King Crimson, Silverchair) signed V Shape Mind as the premiere act on his new Mainstation label. And they were off to Vancouver to record thier first MAJOR LABEL CD! The influence of Decatur on V Shape Mind may be found in the title of the bands new album. The title is definitely a direct influence, guitarist, singer and songwriter Brad Hursh says of Cul-De-Sac. It kind of seemed that way in Decatur. Its difficult for someone involved in art or music. Soon after its release the boyz hit the road with Mudvayne on a midwest tour and life was great. It was short lived though as Universal Records didnt promote the band as needed to get them into mainstream. The band decided to break up, and held a "final show" on May 6th,2004 for their hometown fans. The mayor of the city walked on stage that night and presented the band with a plack, and deemed it V-SHAPE MIND DAY!