Jacob Vahey, 14, and Lila Bucci, 15, who form the duo group Rivalry, are the youngest musicians I’ve interviewed to date. Coincidentally, Vahey’s Mom, Laura, attends my music bingo at the Public House Pub in Quechee. Rivalry played the Public House on St Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo. They’ll return to play there on Aug. 25. Owner Andrew Schain said, “They’re great kids and are really trying hard to make it. They’re young but fun.”
Vahey (of Hartford) and Bucci (of Norwich) are high school freshmen who met back in 2023 at Tuck’s Rock Dojo in Etna, New Hampshire, which is similar to a School of Rock-type school. Tuck, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and his wife, Kata, run the school. Vahey and Bucci were placed in the same band because of their affinity for rock music, specifically The Foo Fighters. Later that year, they had their first gig, so to speak, an unofficial busking session in the Quechee Gorge parking lot on Columbus Day weekend. Bucci said their popularity grew from there.
I love how band names are formed. Rivalry is one of the best I’ve heard. Jacob is a Red Sox fan, and Lila is a New York Yankees fan; the two of them are Rivalry, just like their baseball teams (Go Sox!)
Rivalry performs their acoustic shows with Vahey on acoustic guitar and Bucci on vocals. They write and produce their music, mainly playing rock covers with an occasional Noah Kahan tune.
“We try and play well-known songs that a lot of people know,” Vahey said.
They’ll take a song like Alice in Chains’ “Rooster” and play it acoustic, an intriguing proposition for sure.
Vahey’s first and favorite instrument is the drums, which he has been playing since he was 3. His dad played a drum kit in their house, and Vahey would stand there and watch, then get up and play the beat his dad just played.
“He was a fast learner,” Bucci said.
When they play as a band, he’s usually on drums. Vahey is a multi-instrumentalist who is primarily self-taught, with some YouTube tutorials.
Bucci began singing at a very young age.
“I basically came out of my mom singing. I had a speech therapy issue when I was little; I wasn’t speaking. My mom said at age 2, I would walk around the house belting gibberish, but I was singing,”
Bucci comes from a musical family. Her mom was in a local band, her sister sings, and her dad played guitar and mandolin.
“I would pick up his mandolins, strum, and pretend to play a song, and sing along,” Bucci added. She started playing guitar and bass at the beginning of last year and currently plays guitar in the Tuck’s Rock Dojo band.
Through Tuck’s, Vahey and Bucci had huge gigs when they opened for Noah Kahan at the Bank of NH Pavilion in September 2023. Vahey picked up the guitar for that show because there was another drummer. Bucci said, “That was probably the best thing in our entire lives.” Kahan called them up to sing “Stick Season.” Kahan was also a student at Tuck’s when he was younger and kept the connection. Kahan was in one of Tuck’s Rock Dojo bands, just like Vahey and Bucci.
Rivalry’s self-titled, 10-track debut album comes out June 13. Vahey plays all the instruments, and Bucci sings. Vahey also produced the entire album in his home studio. They’ve previously released two singles, “Future” and “Falling Down.” The album will be released digitally on all major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, etc. I listened to those two on their YouTube channel, and they got me hooked. “Future,” track 4 on the album, is my favorite. It has an Evanescence feel to it. It’s a perfect blend of drums, guitar and vocals. There’s an instrumental part halfway through that has a great beat. I found myself rocking along to it, and then it goes right back to her vocals. “Falling Down” (Track 5) is an acoustic number that showcases Bucci’s incredible vocals. The lyrics are easy to follow along to.
The entire album contains a song for every mood. Bucci’s vocals are perfect on every tune but also a little different on each one. I’m impressed with the professionalism of the album. Each track is produced wonderfully, a credit to Vahey. You won’t think it’s been made in a home studio. The album gets off to a rocking start with “It’s Over,” featuring a one-minute instrumental intro. Track 6 “In The Dark”, has a Foo Fighters feel to it. The album ends acoustically with “I’ll Cry Too,” where Bucci’s vocals really shine. Two thumbs up, way up.
Vahey is starting a production company, Bliss Road Productions. In addition to producing songs for other budding artists, he hopes to help young local musicians, who might not otherwise have the money to record professionally, record at his home studio.
Rivalry has a plugged-in show at Ottauquechee Yacht Club on July 26, where Tuck and Jaden Stocking will join them on stage.
“It should be loud but fun. A big change from our normal acoustic set,” Bucci said.
Vahey and Bucci love music. Vahey hopes to make a career out of it.
“I want to do it for as long as I can,” Vahey said.
“I love music. It’s been there for me through hard times in my life. When I’m on stage, and I see people smiling at the song we’re playing, and I’m singing it well, that makes me happy. I’m glad I have an impact,” Bucci said.
For more information on Rivalry, visit Rivalry’s YouTube Channel (rivalry_band), Facebook page (Rivalry), and Instagram (rivalry_band).
