Virgo Rising Emerge from Their Vampyre Year, Ready to Haunt the Road
Virgo Rising. Photo By Sean Henderson.
Winnipeg’s Virgo Rising cast a spell with their ethereal blend of indie rock and chamber-pop. Across their EP Vampyre Year, the band brings together swirling violins, the pluck of banjo strings, and the hum of a tape deck. Pulling from a string of mythological influences, the album is a lush and expansive entry in the quartet’s discography.
Now, as the band sets to embark on their first Canadian tour, REVERIE wrote to Virgo Rising to talk about star signs, their upcoming tour, and what’s next for the band.
REVERIE: The title Vampyre Year carries certain connotations of dealing with darkness. What does the phrase mean to you?
Jenna: For us, it originally came from a misheard lyric in an early demo of Nail Biter. That phantom lyric stuck with us as the EP took shape, over a year longer than we’d first expected. We found ourselves doing a lot of introspection and reflection, and would refer to this time as our “Vampyre Year,” a period of isolation and looking inward before we headed back into the studio with a fresh headspace to finish recording.
REVERIE: When you were writing Vampyre Year, what was the dynamic among the band? The Bandcamp notes say each member has veto power, how did that affect songwriting, arrangements, or aesthetic?
Jenna: While working on Vampyre Year, we definitely felt a lot of pressure and found ourselves chasing perfection, which led to some tensions between us during the recording process. Since we write in a very collaborative way, we had agreed early on that nothing would be finalized unless everyone was fully onboard. We share similar sensibilities and work together really well, but the pressure of wanting to release something we all felt really good about left us questioning ourselves and second guessing things, which took some time to work through.
REVERIE: The instrumentation varies across the album, with guitar, violins, banjos and synth. Are there particular sounds or textures the band is drawn to?
Jenna: We’re always really drawn to natural and analog sounds - acoustic guitar, tape hiss and static, noisy violin textures and layering and blending these elements with a more traditional indie rock sound. We also enjoy recording to tape and we value releasing our music in a physical format, whether that be cassette, CD, or vinyl.
REVERIE: Medieval imagery often appears across your work, what shaped the band’s aesthetic?
Jenna: With Vampyre Year, we were especially drawn to medieval imagery. On the EP, we explored themes like identity, growth, and transformation, and found a strong connection between these ideas and the feelings and motifs of medieval art — haunting and ornate visuals, rich jewel tones, and symbols like crests and strange hybrid creatures. As a band, we’ve often drawn inspiration from moments and aesthetics in history that resonate with the themes in our music. Beyond medieval imagery, we’ve also been drawn to stories from Greek mythology and the opulence of the Victorian era.
REVERIE: This is your first tour! How are you preparing? And what are you looking forward to?
Jenna: Having spent the summer in the studio working on our next record, we’ve been fully immersed in Virgo Rising for a few months now. We’ve been playing and practicing a ton and are really looking forward to sharing our music beyond Winnipeg. We planned the tour independently — from booking venues and bands, to handling publicity and ads, to designing and making our own merch and posters. We have a strong DIY ethos and we appreciate building these new connections ourselves.
We’re also excited for the little things on the road — trying out new diners and truck stops, and of course meeting the supporting acts and audiences in each city!
REVERIE: How did you choose your local support? Any bands you’re particularly excited to play with?
Jenna: We were able to gather a list of local support contacts pretty quickly, mostly through friends who’ve toured before and a bit of research on our part. All the bands we reached out to feel like they’re in a similar musical realm, while still bringing their own unique qualities.
We’re especially excited to play with Jian & Kitten Co. when we’re in Vancouver — we’ve been fans of her Q-Chord cover videos on Instagram for a while now and were so excited to have her join our bill!
REVERIE: Your sound shifted a fair amount from Sixteenth Sapphire to Vampyre Year, how do you see your sound growing or evolving?
Jenna: We’ve been continually gaining new confidence in all aspects of our music, especially in trusting our instincts when it comes to our sound and recordings. Sixteenth Sapphire leaned more toward shiny, dreamy bedroom pop with hints of indie rock, but we’ve since shifted toward a fuller indie rock sound, with more guitars, distortion, and noise. Lately, we’ve been approaching our performances in a less polished, more live and natural way. While making our new record, we tracked most of it live off the floor, without a click, which was a lot of fun and gave the recordings a feel we really loved. Finding our preferences in the studio as we gain experience has been really helpful in honing in on our sound.
REVERIE: Your social media has been hinting at new music, is there anything you can share about what might be coming next?
Jenna: We’ve just wrapped up recording our first album! We’ve been in and out of the studio all summer — it’s been a very involved process, but we’re feeling really good about what we've done and are very excited to share it. Keep an eye out in 2026.
REVERIE: In astrology, Virgo Risings are often meticulous and analytical. If you had to describe the band with an astrological sign (or sun, moon, rising combo!) what would it be?
Jenna: We’d say that the band would be a Pisces Sun, Virgo Rising, and Aquarius Moon. The sun sign represents the essence of who you are, and Pisces are known to be mystical, romantic, imaginative, artistic, and intuitive. A Virgo Rising speaks for itself — as the rising sign, it embodies the impression you give off to the world. We think we can come across as reserved, detail oriented, and organized — all traits pointing back to Virgo. It’s been noted by collaborators that we often have thorough lists and neatly labelled gear! The moon sign is a reflection of your inner world and emotions. Like an Aquarius Moon, we feel a strong need for independence and freedom; we often prefer to approach things with a DIY attitude. As well, we connect with Aquarius’ creativity and individuality through our strong aesthetic as a band.
Virgo Rising are playing the Palomino Smokehouse with Bluffing & O.D. Beresford on October 2. Tickets are available on Showpass. Their tour continues with stops in Salmon Arm, Vancouver, Edmonton and Winnipeg.