About

Vonn Ekselsi "Lex" Vermilon, known as Ekselsi, an etymological play on the words "excellent' and "sexy", is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, engineer and producer. His music has been described as gritty and edgy, mellifluent and transcendent, and of course, original.Known for his unique cross-genre style, Ekselsi admittedly relies on tastefully overdriven guitar accompanying his soothing baritone voice to produce music that is broadly Rock. He has said that he has no major influences and has always ended up sounding different from the majority. "I grew up listening to a lot of Rock 'n' Roll and some Pop. After I picked up the guitar for the first time, I started listening to Blues and Jazz artists. I suppose these reflect in my style, but if one were to say we are made up of our influences, it would be silly and not far from wrong in this instance. I don't think I could sound like the artists or bands above even if I tried." Regarded as an originator, Ekselsi calls it Broadland Rock, a term that acts like a conduit between his craft and all things West. "My music is rooted in Rock and there are elements of, say, Funk or Psychedelia. I think people might better understand my work if they consider me as someone pushing the boundaries of '70s New Wave, for example, or defining a new subgenre instead of viewing it through labels that are, you know, established or familiar. That said, I will not compromise on character and tone even as I experiment and evolve. No two albums will sound alike but they will all sound like myself."Ekselsi was unable to play the guitar or make any music for years while he searched for jobs and ways to leave his the then country of residence. "It wasn't a good headspace. Writing music and singing used to make me feel alive and calm, almost like a meditative process. Playing loud and rocking out used to electrify my soul, making me feed off that energy. The years without music created a void in me which I processed fully in hindsight. Learning an instrument is not very difficult while mastering it is. When I picked up my guitar after a decade, I felt disappointed with myself as I had lost time." His artistic vision led to a marvelous redemption. "Music that rings out of a guitar is a language. Like verbiage and bombast, virtuosity by itself had never impressed me. You know, I wasn't exactly trying to shred or play flashy passages. Very much akin to rich spoken language, what mattered to me were articulation, phrasing and how the guitar sounded to my ears. Luckily, I started achieving what I wanted in a fraction of the average time guitar players dedicated to arduous practicing to level up."On creativity and theory, Ekselsi sometimes shares his insight and wisdom with aspiring artists. "I am a self-taught musician with no formal training. Speaking in general and raw talent aside: If you know theory well but aren’t very creative, you might become an instructor. If you are very creative but don’t know any theory, you might become an amateur. If you are creative and know at least some theory, you might become a star." Currently with an Epiphone Les Paul and a Burns Marquee in his armory, Ekselsi is always searching for the perfect guitar and wishes to have a collection someday. "When I started, I could only afford or manage to find ill-constructed, inexpensive guitars. I kept going but wasn't happy and couldn't express well or make much progress. If I come across an instrument my spirit needs, I connect with it on an intimate level and it becomes an extension of myself."Meticulous in his approach and attentive to detail, Ekselsi is currently focusing both on studio albums and live performances. Since resuming his music career in 2023, he has actively sought out partnerships and will be putting out a record soon.


(Edited by Josh Rotter)

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NEWS

After multiple attempts at acquiring an US visa, Ekselsi is in talks with California based entertainment lawyer Tisha Morris to see if she is able to secure a recording contract for the artist. The lack of visa and mobility prevented him from producing any work which included plans of releasing singles or studio albums after bouncing back in 2023. — July 15, 2024.   Read ...

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As of July 2024, Ekselsi has announced that he is working with Tisha Morris, Esq. of Morris Entertainment Law, a California based law firm, in initiating and negotiating talks with major record labels. Originally from Nashville, TN, Tisha held two federal judicial clerkships in Nashville and has practiced law for over a decade. Prior to moving to LA as a self-help author and to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, Tisha obtained a fine arts degree in interior design and is a member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and California Lawyer for the Arts.In the period of 10 years (2013-2023) when Ekselsi struggled to leave Asia and looked for day jobs as a way to materialize his ambitions in the music industry and to obtain permanent residence in the UK or the USA, efforts that led to nothing and resulted in him being isolated in a remote region with no social contact, there were intermittent interests from some LA residents to see if Columbia or Warner was willing to offer a handsome deal to the phenomenal unsigned artist.The hopes of securing a record deal had not led to fruition due to lack of sufficient impetus from people in the USA, although unsolicited kits containing old recordings and promotional materials did go to NY and CA in 2021, and some emails were exchanged with Bob Leone, who, reportedly instrumental in launching the careers of Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey, had suggested him to go indie, which Ekselsi did not accede to. His experience from many years ago of contacting people in A&R in London, mainly Polydor and Parlophone, was not good as he hadn't even gotten a response and times following which were rough."It’s a trend nowadays for labels to sign people who are already famous. If I have to market my stuff and amass millions of followers all by myself, I can very well go on and do the rest without signing a binding contract. However, I do believe that achieving mainstream credibility without a label is still a myth. I don’t think there’s enough motivation for me to produce genre-defining work unless I’m backed by one or more distinctive or reputed label(s).", Ekselsi commented.Very recently, counsels from Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP in New York have been in contact with him for discussing the Extraordinary Ability O-1 and EB-1A visas. Because of his domicile status, there is high anxiety with regard to the outcome of his applications, as time is running out and he is approaching forty. More optimistic than cynical, Ekselsi is confident of eventually finding like-minded veterans in the music business, an industry which in these times carries a reputation for being uncongenial to artists while executives get paid in millions, whose thoughts will likely align with his. He already has started gathering a cult following and just wishes there were at times more helping hands or people who knew about his actual situation.Ekselsi looks forward to productive discussions with Tisha in the coming months and hopes to work in close liaison with immigration lawyers as well. "If the contract amounts to a fairly large sum in advance, with or without a bidding war, I’d think that's decent. If something doesn’t look right in the contracts, one has the freedom to ask the lawyer to negotiate and it’s not unusual for 360 deals to be structured to suit all parties if exclusive deals are not offered. The labels may take a chunk of the additional revenue streams and I suppose that’s business, but they should agree upfront to provide various kinds of support and help that traditional deals do not offer.", Ekselsi has said.

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