Modern Speed are out to “chase that dragon.” The SLC band’s frontman, Tyler Vella, got hooked in 2019, watching Unknown Mortal Orchestra turn catchy little pop songs into something massive in a tiny Pittsburgh club, and the band has been after that rush ever since. Their own description is “psych rock with pop sensibilities”: hooks that “get stuck in your head like a little earworm,” then fuzzed-out jams that knock you flat! Think King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard with a sweet tooth for melody. Their newest lineup came together through a cold-call tryout and a friend-of-a-friend at the Natural History Museum, and it’s become “one of the most magical collaborations” of the frontman’s life. They recorded, mixed and mastered May’s Love & Destroy in their own Bountiful studio, and a new album is already on the way for 2027. With this crew, “a vibe quickly becomes a song,” and they’re only picking up speed — Modern Speed, you might even say.
