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Songwriter Vernam Cipher has an affinity for American music in all its glorious variety: rock ‘n’ roll, honky tonk, soul, string bands, and more. A particular obsession for Vernam is the intersection of technology and inspiration (divine or otherwise), and hence the nom de guerre. His original songs combine irreverent lyrics with memorable tunes that are informed but never constrained by traditional music. "Older music is endlessly fascinating to me, but I’m not one to romanticize the past," he says. "I’d rather be alive today than just about any other time, despite it all. I’m just as ambivalent as the next person about what technology is doing for and to us. You just take the good with the bad and try to keep your bearings, no matter how much the altimeter spins."
Vernam's influences include the Davies, the Louvins, Wilco, Waits, the Elvises, the Kings, Marvin Gaye, Charlie Rich, Nick Lowe, various new or old Dylans, and many more. Click here for a PDF press kit. For bookings, contact 630-667-4434 or
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 The six-song SWEET SCIENCE CD kicks off with "Robert Ryan," inspired by the Chicago-born actor whose dark, ambiguous presence elevated films such as Crossfire, Billy Budd, and The Wild Bunch. On "If You Hadn't Told Me, I Never Would've Guessed," Vernam poses and occasionally dares to answer rhetorical questions like: What's it take to get used to being taken for granted? Is there any truth, or just consequences? And did you ever feel like some debutante in reverse? Finally, if "Pigeon Toed Girl" is unabashedly gleeful, it's also too lustful to be just a kids' ditty. All lyrics are included on the CD insert. As a bonus, the CD Baby version of the disk includes three live tracks: "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by Ray Davies of the Kinks, "Pigeon Toed Girl" by Vernam his own self, and "There Goes My Heart" by Kostas and the Mavericks' Raul Malo.
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