The band formed in 1989 in College Part, Maryland, originally with Bridget Cross (now in Air Miami) on vocals. Cross later dropped out of the picture, and the four remaining guys - Riles, guitarist/singer Archie Moore, guitarist Brian Nelson, and drummer Jim Spellman - asked Sarah Shannon to join. The lineup has been the same since.

1993 saw the release of the band's first full-length, Copacetic , which many credit with expanding the perception of Sub Pop beyond "grunge." With 1994's !Simpatico! , a much cleaner and more thoroughly produced record, Velocity Girl were firmly entrenched as indie-pop heroes, decorating the covers of such rock bibles as Alternative Press , and making the kids swoon at shows 'round the globe. Now, in an attempt to take over the world, Velocity Girl have created Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts .

The first thing longtime fans will notice is the greater strength and confidence of Shannon's vocals. Her range has grown immensely, and along with each member's increased proficiency on their respective instruments, this has allowed Velocity Girl to extend their musical expectation. "The playing for all the members has risen to a great degree," says Riles. "Everyone's more confident on their instruments, there's more stuff we can do, and we can do it more purposefully."

Velocity Girl have always been known for their ability to write incredible hooks, and this record is no exception. One listen to the guitar-driven "Nothing," the jumpy and hyper "Go Coastal," the heavier "Finest Hour," or the toe-tapping "Formula 1 Throwaway," and you'll be humming enough sons to annoy the hell out of your roommate.

"Our point was, this time aroudn, we just wanted to write really solid, good pop songs, and have the productin be secondary," explains Shannon. "Not have the production be unimportant, but we wanted the songs to come through first. With our last record, it seemed like the songs evolved even more after we had been touring. So we tried to make an effor this time around to play some of our songs live before we recorded them."

The band recorded at Oz Recordings in Baltimore (where Spellman had previously recorded with his side project Piper Cub) with producer Clif Norrell. Norrell is best known for his engineering skills (REM's Automatic For The People ), though he is experienced as a producer as well. The band has used a different producer on all three albums. "I personally have felt for a long time that we wanted to do something different on each record, and using a different producer each time is a good step toward doing that," says Riles. "Everyone you work with has a little different way or different take."

Velocity Girl also spent a lot more time in the studio than they ever have before. Copacetic took ten days to record and !Simpatico! was completed in twenty, so it was quite a change of pace to spend seven weeks in the studio. "I can't imagine how we ever did it in less than a month," says Shannon. "This time we had time to experiment with things and make sure we got it right."

The band's base is Washington DC, but with an engagement and wedding date set, Shannon has recently moved to Seattle. Fortunately, the band doesn't see this as a problem, especially since they plan on spending the better part of 1996 on the road.

"I'm very proud of the new record," Riles readily admits. "If nothing else, when I'm in poverty and working at McDonald's, I'll have my copy of Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts ."