Venice, a Southern California band known for its four-part vocal harmonies, released its second CD last year after playing the Los Angeles area for more than 10 years.

"Born and Raised" reflects the band's approach through a delicate mix of acoustic guitars, classic rock and a touch of pop, reminiscent of the Crosby, Stills & Nash sound.

Venice, fronted by Kipp and Michael Lennon and backed by brothers Pat and Mark, recorded the album in Vista.

"We love it there," Michael Lennon said.  "We have a house in Gopher Canyon.  We're working on our third CD, which we will record in Vista.  We were able to avoid the traditional big studio, and instead we set up a state-of-the-art studio in the back hills of Vista."

Lennon said Venice is going back to its rock 'n' roll roots, to a less mellow sound.

"The new record will have more attitude to it and a little more live urgency and punch," Lennon said.  "It's a little more aggressive and a little more in your face, more like a live performance, more energy."

Venice is well known for its live performances, and the band has a loyal following in Southern California.  It has had its share of ups and downs, but through family and followers has kept the group together.

"We've been sticking it out.  We've been through some hard times personally and as a band," Lennon said.  "We come from a big family, more than 300 cousins.  With all the joy and happiness, there is bound to be tragedy, too.  We get through trouble in our lives by writing about it, and with the support of our familyand followers, we are able to stick together."

Honesty has been a constant in the lyrics.

"We draw from our own experiences, and really we talk from the heart," Lennon said.  "It's a lot easier when you write about what you are feeling.  Sometimes we twist it a little bit, the topic, so it has a broader spectrum, so it's more universal.

"But when we talk about our personal lives, those are our stronger songs, people react to them the most.  We have a song about homecoming because that's exactly how we felt when we came home to our wives and kids.  A lot of people can relate to that."

The band has been touring throughout the country.

"We've been touring the last two years through the U.S., about 80,000 miles in our van," Lennon said.  "We're not kidding around anymore."

The number of band followers has been growing.  Lennon said having a web site has been an incredible resource for the band.

"We have more and more fans," Lennon said.  "Our web site has the whole history of the band and some interesting stuff. We have an e-mail address where you can sign up for our mailing list."

(E-mail Venice at venice@aol.com or visit the band's Web site at www.vanguardrecords.com/venicepacificnet/~egoman/venice.)