On April 20, 2013, Saints of Valory will hit the Live @ Veishea stage with such acts as B.O.B, The Maine and Grouplove. Before they hit the stage, though, here are some facts to know about this band.

-Saints of Valory consists of: Gavin Jasper (lead vocals, bass), Stephen Buckle (keyboards, background vocals), Godfrey Thomas (Guitar, background vocals) and Gerard Labou (drums, background vocals).

-All four members come from different countries: Brazil (Jasper), Canada (Buckle), France (Labou) and the United States (Thomas).

-Jasper and Thomas met as kids, both sons of missionaries. Jasper would also meet Buckle, whose parents are also missionaries.

-Favorite bands of the group include: The Killers, early U2, Coldplay, Sigur Ros, Kings Of Leon, Muse, Phoenix

-Although the group started in Rio de Janeiro, they had hoped to launch their career in the United Kingdom.

-The first name they went by was “Diana” after an Afghan hound that would show up in the studio the group practiced in.

-They gained attention from a Florida record label, prompting the band to concentrate on the United States.

-They moved to Austin, Texas after attending South By Southwest Music Festival in 2010 and becoming a figure in the local music scene.

-Saints of Valory played their first gig at a friend’s bar in Austin. The show was plagued with technical and power issues.

-After playing in the Austin area for six months, the band was recognized in the Austin Chronicle’s 2011 Music Award’s for several categories.

-In 2011 alone, they played South By Southwest, CMJ Music Marathon and DeLuna Fest.

-Their debut EP, “Bright Lights” was tracked in eight days.

-The band scored a Top 50 hit on the AAA chart with “Providence” from their EP.

-In March 2012, the Saints of Valory were selected by Billboard as one of the top six unsigned bands nationwide.

-That same year, they were a finalist on Billboard’s Battle of the Bands. The winning band went on to perform at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards.

-Saints of Valory opened for Mumford and Sons at Jazz Aspen Snowmass in 2012 on Labor Day. 

-Their sophomore EP “Kids” charted on the top 200 rock albums on iTunes.

-The band is currently signed to Atlantic Records as of Nov. 29, 2012.

-Their tour will bring them to several other colleges, including Shawnee State, Notre Dame and Fordham Universities. 

To learn more about Saints of Valory, check out their website at http://saintsofvalory.com, their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/saintsofvalory), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/saintsofvalory).