Since Vandaveer is no ordinary band, it is enlightening to get a glimpse of the "man behind the curtain." Vandaveer is a musical project headed by man of mystery, Mark Charles Heidinger. The Ohio-born singer-songwriter was raised in Kentucky, where he set off on his musical career playing in clubs. He also played in the band The Apparitions. Then In 2006, Heidinger moved to Washington D.C. to pursue his own solo side project - Vandaveer. Heidinger is the group's songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and occasional pianist who also plays most other instruments in the studio. He added co-vocalist Rose Guerin as a permanent part of the project, with other rotating band members appearing to play other instruments onstage.
Vandaveer’s debut album, Grace and Speed, was released in 2007, and the latest album, Dig Down Deep, came out in 2011, with other releases and many tour dates in-between. The indie-folk stylings of Vandaveer have been compared to Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver (both of which the musical duo has toured with), but Vandaveer maintains its originality and persistent uniqueness. This may not be more apparent than with Vandaveer's upcoming release, an album of murder ballads called Oh Willie Please, that will include early 20th century public domain songs written about true events.