The Outer Vibe grooves, grinds and grows

Everyone multitasks, but not everyone multitasks like the members of the popular band, The Outer Vibe.

The band, which was formed while Sean Vee and Nick Hosford were sophomores in high school 14 years ago, has existed in many different forms over the years through different member lineups. But from Vee's perspective, the group is more like two years old. "Though the band name has been around a while, we often like to say that we are about two years old. This is because, as of two years ago, we landed on the most solid lineup of committed individuals who are prepared to take this project to a new level," Vee says.

The current lineup that has Vee pumped includes Vee (vocals), Nick Hosford (guitar), Lisa Kacos (trumpet/keys), Andrew 'Wonder' Dornoff (bass) and Noah Snyder (drums).


And this is where the multitasking comes in. Vee outlines the day jobs required while building a full-time business as musicians: "We commit full-time hours into The Outer Vibe," he says. "But we all have side work at this point. Nick Hosford and Lisa Kacos are adjunct faculty at GRCC's music department. I am a freelance graphic designer, our bass player Andrew Dornoff runs our commercial studio (Pharaoh's House Recording), and our drummer Noah is a student/tutor at GRCC."

Vee says the music scene is good in Grand Rapids but has a long way to go to get to a place where musicians are able to focus solely on their music. "West Michigan is a great place to get your start. There is a lot of talent here," he says. "The thing that is missing is the mentorship and hustle of the music industry. It's rare to see someone supporting themselves fully from their music. In NYC, Nashville, LA, it's common. There is an aura in Grand Rapids that forces musicians to believe that music is just a hobby. This is because, in reality, most musicians in Grand Rapids are hobbyists."

A significant step that The Outer Vibe is taking to help them reach another level with their music is their acceptance into a music and business incubator in San Francisco starting April 21. "We were accepted among hundreds of applicants to be a part of a strategy planning/recording residency in San Francisco," says Vee. "The program is called Zoo Labs. We will be spending nearly three weeks eating, sleeping, and breathing music. We will also be working with industry professionals on creating a more focused strategy for our business."

In the meantime, The Outer Vibe continues to do what many other West Michigan bands do: work, tour and stay creative. "Artistically, we stay creative by gaining experience. We often seek it out by touring or taking pilgrimages to new locations," Vee says. "We currently play about a hundred shows a year -- though we're looking to play about 250 a year. Currently we tour in about 15 states but we're looking to expand to new territories this year."

To learn more about The Outer Vibe you can view their site here or their new video here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor.