VAVÁ

VAVÁ is Vanessa Wheeler, formerly of the band LeoLeo. On tour winter 2017 as support for The Dear Hunter, this music is made of up of subconscious, micro-references to Vanessa's major influences (Brazilian, Black American, pop, rock, and progressive musical genres), which are then filtered through her guitaristic, composer/songwriter brain. Often called "difficult to categorize", VAVÁ's music floats somewhere between the ground and the clouds while aspiring to occupy them both. Her new EP is due out October 26, 2017.

With LeoLeo, Vanessa released an EP in 2014, and subsequently 4 singles. She has been on tour as support for Chadwick Stokes, playing venues like The Bowery Ballroom in NYC, The Hamilton in Washington D.C., and Boot & Saddle in Philadelphia. With LeoLeo she also performed in venues like the Sinclair, Great Scott, and the Middle East Upstairs. Prior to LeoLeo, Vanessa took a break from songwriting to study composition at the New England Conservatory, where she attained her Masters degree in composition, working with the avant-garde group, Nonce Ensemble. (She once wrote a piece for Tuba and fuzz pedal that has, oddly, been performed by more than one tubist.)

Vanessa is also an avid gear nut and guitar nerd. She has reviewed gear for She Shreds Magazine and Guitar Center, and for the love of it on Instagram. She is on the artist roster of Earthquaker Devices, Strymon, iZotope (Spire), Foxpedal, The Gabriel Tenorio String Company, Supro, Pigtronix, Lincoln Guitars in Austin , TX, and Island Instruments in Montreal, Canada.