by Mark Deming At once aggressive, atmospheric, and emotionally forceful, Vedera are a four-piece indie rock band from Kansas City, MO, who have made a name for themselves through a pair of small-label recordings and plenty of touring. Vocalist and guitarist Kristen May and lead guitarist Brian Little first worked together in a band called Red Authentic, and when that group disbanded in the spring of 2004, they joined forces with bassist Jason Douglas and drummer Drew Little (Brian's younger brother, who was in high school when the band first formed and had to sit out some early tours due to school commitments). The group was named Veda, in part for "Vedha," a Hindu word meaning "sacred writings" and in part for Vada, the character played by Anna Chulmsky in the 1991 film My Girl. The new band quickly went into the studio and released its first EP, This Broken City, though Second Nature Recordings, a Kansas City-based independent label. The band landed tours opening for Mute Math and Owen while also sharing stages with the likes of Underoath, Thrice, and Communiqué. In 2006, the group released its first full-length album, The Weight of an Empty Room, but shortly afterward the band changed its name from Veda to Vedera to avoid legal action after learning another act was using the same name. Vedera wasted little time establishing the new moniker, re-releasing The Weight of an Empty Room and logging more road work, co-headlining a tour with Dear and the Headlights. Vedera announced plans in early 2007 to return to the studio in the summer for work on their second album.