Five Questions with Vegan Llamas
July 27, 2017
We asked Nick Henretty, lead singer of Vegan Llamas, a few questions about the band and where they came from. We can’t wait to see this group bring rock and roll to the Block Party stage!
Who are your band members and where are you guys from?
Our band members are:
Nick Henretty, (lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter) from Mechanicsville, VA, right outside of Richmond
Jacob Tallent, (lead guitar, banjo, BGV) from Midland, NC, a stone’s throw outside of Charlotte
Connor Denton, (keys, piano, keytar, BGV) from Spotsylvania, VA, next to nothing in the boonies
Noah Felten, (bass guitar, BGV) from Phenix City, AL, just across the river from Columbus, GA
Alex Kenny, aka THE [pronounced “thee”] Alex Kenny, (drums, all things percussion) from Franklin TN, just south of Nashville
How did you all meet?
We were/are all students of Liberty University’s School of Music in one way or another. Four of us are music majors (and graduated), one is a music minor (with one year left). We had all played together in different respects before the band officially formed, but Coffeehouse is what brought the original crew together as the Llamas. At first it wasn’t really anything serious; we just wanted to have an outlet to rock out onstage. But as more and more people told us they really liked our stuff, we decided we should keep it going after school. I say “original crew” because Alex is the newest addition and just came on with us this past semester, but we’ve known him for so long that the transition was very smooth.
Where did the “Vegan Llamas” name come from?
Ok, so we actually came up with this really elaborate story about how it stemmed from a rallying cry Noah’s great uncle used in one of the world wars, but since you guys are friends, we’ll tell you the truth, which is far less entertaining. Back in February of 2015, there was a Convo speaker (cannot remember who for the life of me) who brought up distractions as part of his talk. As he was mentioning things that could be distractions, he shouts “vegan llama!” as an option. We have no idea why, and neither did he. But later that semester when Coffeehouse auditions were coming up, we thought “that sounds like a band name.” Two and a half years later, here we are.
What has been your best moment as a band so far?
Coffeehouse was always a big highlight for us in years past (especially when we covered “The Grinch”), and there’s still really no comparison to that high you get when you gel as a band in front of that big a crowd. But as we’ve grown, we’ve discovered there are different kinds of “best moments.” We had a best moment when we got to headline our own SA show last semester; we had a best moment when we recorded our EP in Michigan; and we anticipate many more best moments to come (this upcoming Block Party hopefully one of them!).
Where can we find your music?
We are on most digital platforms. iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google, and SoundCloud. We will also have physical copies available at the show!
Check out Vegan Llamas music here, and follow them on Instagram at “veganllamas_band”!