Mike Vecchio is the songwriting mastermind behind Vekstar's folk-inflected pop/rock. Initially a sound engineer by trade, Vecchio soon grew tired of watching the music-making process from the sidelines. He launched a solo career and played shows around the Los Angeles area. A friend from college, pianist Nichole Catalano-Miller, was simultaneously pursuing a songwriting career, and the two joined forces in 2006. While playing a show as the Rainbow Bar and Grill, the duo attracted the attention of club booker Mike Rofé, who promptly joined Vekstar as the band's drummer. Everybody's High on Complication introduced Vekstar's mournful, manicured sound in 2005, and the Monday Mourning EP followed two years later. ~ Andrew Leahey