Nico Vega

Nico Vega emerged in 2005 as an indie rock band that fused edgy attitudes with accessible commercial appeal, pop leanings, and a flair for theatrical presentation. Singer and songwriter Aja Volkman, who grew up in Eugene, Oregon, established the outfit after moving to Valencia, California, to enroll in acting classes at the California Institute of the Arts. Within several months she chose to abandon her studies, having already composed songs throughout high school, and instead concentrated on building a career as a vocalist. Following a solo performance in Los Angeles, drummer Michael Pena, who also pursued occasional acting roles, introduced himself to Volkman and expressed admiration for her distinctive approach and abilities. Together with guitarist Rich Koehler, they assembled the initial lineup of Nico Vega. The resulting trio issued its debut EP, Chooseyourwordspoorly, in 2006, yet Pena departed within the following year once his acting opportunities expanded to include appearances in The Lincoln Lawyer, End of Watch, American Hustle, and Cesar Chavez. Dan Epand joined as the replacement drummer in 2007, after which the band put out two additional EPs that same year: Cocaine Cooked the Brain and No Child Left Behind. The latter became Nico Vega’s first release on MySpace Records, the early label created by the operators of the then-prominent social networking platform. MySpace issued the group’s self-titled debut full-length in 2009, recorded chiefly under Tim Edgar’s supervision except for three tracks helmed by songwriter Linda Perry. Despite extensive touring that included shared bills with the Manic Street Preachers, Metric, and Neon Trees, the album achieved only modest commercial results, prompting the band to remain out of the studio until 2011, when it independently released the EP Nico Vega Covers Nico Vega and Rod Stewart. Media placements later expanded the group’s reach: the song “Beast” accumulated five million online plays after featuring in promotional material for the 2013 video game Bioshock Infinite, while the band’s version of Sonny Bono’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” appeared in the 2013 television mini-series Bonnie & Clyde. Volkman encountered Dan Reynolds, frontman of the Las Vegas band Imagine Dragons, in 2010; the pair eventually married, and Imagine Dragons supported Nico Vega on several concerts. As Night Visions propelled Imagine Dragons up the charts, the arrangement of support slots reversed, though Reynolds contributed as co-writer and producer on the hook-driven track “I Believe (Get Over Yourself),” which appeared on Nico Vega’s second album, Lead to Light, issued by Five Seven Music in 2014.