VRSTY (pronounced “Varsity”) make music as energetic and richly diverse as the city that spawned them. Assembled by band leader Joey Varela, a Puerto Rican singer from New York City raised on R&B, pop, and Spanish music and equally inspired by metallic post-hardcore, VRSTY blend genres with fearless ambition and visceral enthusiasm. A handful of EPs preceded 2020’s debut album, Welcome Home, which was followed by a three-part series of sequel EPs solidifying the band’s reputation.  

VRSTY specializes in what Kerrang! described as “endless grooves and danceable parts, punctuated by breakdowns and completed with dark atmosphere.” Meanwhile, “Massive,” from 2020’s Cloud City EP, remained the most-played song on SiriusXM’s Octane channel for two consecutive weeks. In a 9/10 review, Outburn described Welcome Home as “effortless, fun, and above all genuine.” Blabbermouth raved, “While other bands may have introduced the concept of genre-bending, VRSTY have refined it.”

Levitate, the band’s sophomore set, was powered by spirited conviction and a commitment to follow their muse wherever it leads. Tyler co-produced Levitate with Justin Deblieck (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Lorna Shore, Fit For A King).

VRSTY commands the crowd anytime they perform, connecting with anyone who struggles with feelings of low self-worth, bad relationships, or generally feels like an outsider. It’s a feeling of shared community evident on the band’s tours with the likes of 10 Years and Nonpoint, among others.

Ultimately, VRSTY aim to encourage, provoke, and inspire listeners in the next era of their career — beginning with “Face Down” in 2026.

“This was the last song we wrote for the record and the first that everybody fell in love with. Oddly enough this was also the quickest song we wrote. We did it in about an hour but sometimes those songs just hit harder. There’s something special about just naturally vibing with a song and it all coming together on its own. At its core, this song is also just the most relatable to me. It’s about two people who simply cannot figure it out but chose to stay regardless because why not?” – Joey Varela / VRSTY