On a crisp Tuesday evening in late April, The Bodega gradually filled with punters there to see Vona Vella, a band who have become East Midlands indie circuit royalty over the last five years. The Nottingham-based five-piece recently released their debut album Carnival, and marked a triumphant homecoming to end their Funhouse tour...
Back in Nottingham to round out the festivities, Vona Vella brought some friends with them to get the crowd in a celebratory mood. First up was Saffron, playing a half-hour set of original acoustic material. Though fairly new to releasing music, Saffron has already played at The Jazz Cafe and boasts a confident stage presence, with lyrics that capture the adolescent turmoil a less brave songwriter would want to forget.
When I grabbed a word after her set, she mentioned Corrine Bailey Rae and Ravyn Lenae as two of her biggest inspirations, which was notable in the airy coil of her vocal inflections.
Another five-piece, this time from Sheffield, took the second warm-up slot. Posturing were a last-minute addition when another band pulled out, but fit the bill well, performing songs from their debut EP Ephemera. Lead singer Laura Durdey possesses a truly exceptional voice which is paired immaculately with the band's American mid-west emo wall-of-noise instrumental sensibilities. Durdey must also be credited with the biggest surprise of the evening, pulling out and adeptly playing a trumpet during Better, and making a concertgoer near me amusingly exclaim “Oh my God, she’s got a trumpet!”
By 9:30 the opening acts had their turns, and it was time for the headliners to bring it home. The first thing you notice when Vona Vella step on stage is they have the confidence of musicians who’ve been doing this for a long time - I should know, considering Izzy Davis and I were in the same school choir. The second thing you notice is the instant rapport they have with the crowd. Beyond questions of age, genre and county loyalty, the audience simply likes them a lot. Vona Vella’s current lineup consists of co-vocalists Izzy Davis and Dan Cunningham, lead guitarist Ollie Thorpe, bassist Claud Melton and drummer Zach Thompson. Initially a duo composed of Davis and Cunningham, they have toured with Pete Doherty and recorded in his Margate studio, The Albion Rooms.
Vona Vella’s new album Carnival is a 13-track introduction to a sound several in the making. Davis and Cunningham are well-matched vocally - the former a light but soulful touch reminiscent of Magdalena Bay’s Mica Tenenbaum, the latter resembling former Black Country, New Road frontman Isaac Wood. Sonically, the band borrows from the upbeat melancholy of The Strokes (You Can Be So Ugly, Brand New Boy), the emotive pop-rock melodies of Beabadoobee, Alvvays and Angel Olsen (Come By, Over and Over) and the bright, jangly guitars of The Beautiful South (Selfish Dogs).
On stage, Vona Vella are focused but far from static. Izzy Davis switches from guitar to flute, adding a certain flavour of 60s psychedelia to the mixing pot. The vocalists share harmonies seamlessly, and the three guitarists of the group split their duties to good effect, regularly incorporating acoustic and electric elements within the same song. Drummer Zach Thompson leaves nothing barred on the kit and seems to relish every note he plays, while Claud Melton is a stoic, impenetrable presence on the bass. Between songs the band would occasionally share anecdotes about the album’s creation, but they generally fired from one song to another with eagerness rather than impatience.
Brand New Boy, a song exploring the what-could-go-wrong anxieties of a new love affair, was applauded by the audience, as was the encore of Bear Trap, which I could see becoming a radio-friendly indie hit of the summer. The short interlude of Exit Plan gave Davis a chance to perform solo, while other members tuned up and recharged. The music industry is fickle and often treats new acts like a child on Christmas day, playing with a new toy until they get bored of it and leave it broken at the bottom of the wrapping paper. Talented acts get overlooked all the time for no greater reason than the luck of the draw. That said, I’m surprised Vona Vella aren’t getting regular radio airplay or headlining bigger venues. A polished live band with a distinct sound like theirs deserves a moment in the sun, and Carnival is the kind of record that tells you who they are without giving the impression that it is all they could ever be.
The audience, generally in good spirits and matching the band’s energy, included everyone from a couple in their 70s to a family of four, and members of the opening acts themselves. The East Midlands music scene is something I’m very passionate about (you could probably figure that out by the fact I’m writing for LeftLion), and this concert was full of locals: I talked to people from Swandlincote, Coalville, Wilford and Loughborough, all united by their appreciation of a great East Midlands band. I’m glad nights like this can still happen and that Vona Vella are taking on such an active role in keeping our music scene thriving.
Vona Vella performed at The Bodega on 28th April 2026.
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