The members of Vega4 make this band a truly international effort.
Lead singer Johnny McDaid and bassist Gavin Fox are from Ireland, guitarist Bruce Gainsford is from New Zealand, and drummer Bryan McLellan hails from Canada.
"It makes for a very interesting mix," McDaid said by phone from the band's stop in Portland, Ore. "But we all make music and we've all got different musical tastes. In fact, being in this band has broadened our musical input. There are some bands that I wouldn't have heard if it weren't for the others and vice versa.
"We have a thing we call 'homework' where we will all get together and play music that will be new to the others in the band."
Vega4's style of music lies in the throw-back, new-wave pop sound. In fact, the band's current album, "You and Others," is up there with the Killers' album "Hot Fuss" sound.
However, said McDaid, Vega4's style just come out because the band wanted to play together. "Music is a way for all of us to get together. That's the only way we would have gotten together."
"You and Others" is the follow-up to the 2001 album "Satellites," which was initially released exclusively in Europe. "You and Others" has received some recognition because the song "Life Is Beautiful" was heard on the ABC hit series "Grey's Anatomy." "We had a lot of fun working on the new album. We worked with (producer) Jacknife Lee. He forced us to experiment and push ourselves in our music and inspirations."
One thing that McDaid said he always wanted to do was to keep the album honest. "I had a lot of songs and words and scenes stuck inside of me. So Jacknife encouraged me to bring them all out. So, in essence, 'You and Others' is my diary.
"It was scary at first, trying to get my secrets out. But it became like a confession. In the church in Ireland, when we confess, it's a huge relief. It's the act of telling someone something that has been building up inside. For me, that's what the writing was like. But it was also like a cork blowing out of a bottle. I'm really happy with the album."
If you go
What: Augustana, Vega4
Where: In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West
When: tonight, 6 p.m.
How much: $12
Phone: 467-8499 or 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com