I had just finished a remix for the new line up of Shiny Toy Guns and wanted to see what former member Carah Charnow was currently working on; which is how I found her new band Versant.

The band currently has two tracks out: “Out of Touch” — a great blend of pop electronica and rock, with a driving beat and melodic hooks — and “Push Away” — is a catchy ballad with an indie feel, that will definitely spawn many remixed versions of itself. Check out their MySpace to hear for yourself.

Wanting to know more, I contacted Versant‘s management and asked to interview the band. Here’s the scoop…

Who are the members of the band and how did they meet?
The members of the band are Carah Faye Charnow, Daniel Johansson, Johan Grettve, Richard Ankers, and Nicolas Oja. I met Daniel on the road with Shiny Toy Guns over three years ago. Daniel and Johan grew up together and have played in multiple bands together. Daniel met Richard while he was drumming for a band called Melody Club many years ago and Nicolas in LA through a mutual Swedish friend living there.

Where did the name for the band come from?
Well, in our search for a name that was simple and clean. We came across Versant and it just fit too well. It described us and how we look at the band. Each one of us mutually loved it.

How was the process of recording effected by traveling back and forth between the U.S. And Sweden?
With any creative venture, there is a natural break/rest that need to occur. My trips to and from America sort of allowed for that. Also, with Daniel and I always trying to write together, each time I’ve left it’s given us time to develop our separate ideas more thoroughly.

What made you decide to focus on Europe for touring, before the U.S.?
Well, that decision hasn’t entirely been made yet. It may be only natural to start here when the time comes. We’ll definitely be playing our first shows here in Sweden in a few months, so where we go from there is still in the air.

In a perfect world, who would you tour with on your first tour?
I think touring with any band that has their own sense of self would be perfect. Bands that have found a unique sound and unique way of doing what they do is very respectable to me. Specifically, Mew, Band of Horses, The Cardigans, Kent, and more.

Describe the idea around the band….the “vision”….
Basically, we just wanted to do it right. We’ve all been in bands before. We have learned from all of those experiences. We wanted to take what we always wanted and make it a reality in something we could all be proud of. We are not looking for a quick fix by any means. We will do whatever necessary to have things done the best way we know how. We are all perfectionists who hate settling.

What is the release date of the record?

We don’t have a release date yet. As anxious as we are, we went into this agreeing that we would be happy with everything. We are two or three songs away from an album that we are proud of. We hope to release as soon as possible.