Veruca Saltis an Americanalternative rockband founded inChicagoin 1992 by vocalist-guitaristsNina GordonandLouise Post,drummer Jim Shapiro, and bassist Steve Lack.[2]They are best known for their first single, "Seether",which was released on the 1994 albumAmerican Thighs.That success was followed up with 1997'sEight Arms to Hold You.By 1998, Post was the only original member still in the band and continued on with other musicians. Veruca Salt released the albumResolverin 2000 and the albumIVin 2006. After a hiatus in 2012, the band reformed with its original lineup. Their fifth studio album,Ghost Notes,was released in 2015.
Veruca Salt | |
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 Veruca Salt at Lincoln Hall, Chicago, in 2014 | |
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| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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History
edit1992–1998: Formation and mainstream success
editNamed afterVeruca Salt,the spoiled rotten rich girl from the 1964 children's bookCharlie and the Chocolate FactorybyRoald Dahl,Veruca Salt was formed in Chicago in 1992 byLouise Post(guitar and vocals) andNina Gordon(guitar and vocals).[3]Post and Gordon were introduced through mutual friendLili Taylor,and began playing music together. They wrote songs for a year and a half before placing an ad in theChicago Sun-Timesfor an all-female rhythm section.[4]Instead the band was joined by Gordon's brotherJim Shapiroon drums and Steve Lack on bass.[3]Songwriting was shared between Gordon and Post, though the two seldom collaborated. Rather, each would typically submit a complete song to the group and sing the lead vocals on that song, while the other would record backing vocals.
The band had performed a handful of shows when Jim Powers ofMinty Fresh Recordsasked them to sign.[5]The band's first release was the single "Seether"/" All Hail Me "on Minty Fresh Records, in 1994.[3]The single was a success and Veruca Salt accompaniedHoleon a tour, before releasing their first full-length album,American Thighs.The album which included "Seether" and "All Hail Me", eventually reachedGold status.In a 2014 retrospective,music magazinePastelisted "Seether" as number 10 and "All Hail Me" as number 39 on their list of the 50 greatest grunge songs of all time.[1]
After signing toGeffen Records,the band quickly gained in popularity as "Seether" became anMTVhit. A second single, "Number One Blind"was released along with a music video directed bySteve Hanft.The band was unsure about the video and pulled it from MTV in a panic. As a result, Geffen ceased any further marketing forAmerican Thighs.[6]
A stop-gap EP which was recorded bySteve Albini,Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt,was released in 1996.[3]In 1996, Veruca Salt appeared asPavement's replacement band in their video "Painted Soldiers".
Veruca Salt's second album,Eight Arms to Hold You,was produced byBob Rockand released in 1997. Lead single "Volcano Girls"gained exposure as the opening theme to the teen comedy filmJawbreaker.
Veruca Salt performed another single, "Shutterbug", onSaturday Night Live;instead of the featured musical group performing two songs as had been a tradition, the musical performances were split betweenStingand Veruca Salt. This change was announced at the last minute between the dress rehearsal and the live show, at the behest of Sting to producerLorne Michaels.[7]
Shapiro left the band soon after the release ofEight Arms,due to unease with having to learn how to play drums – an instrument he had only started playing when asked to join the band – while under public scrutiny.[8]Shapiro was replaced byStacy Jones(ofLetters to CleoandAmerican Hi-Fi).[3]Jones toured with the band on theEight Armstour and appeared in the music videos for "Volcano Girls" and "Shutterbug".[9]In 1997, Veruca Salt opened for the bandBushin a North American tour.[10]
1998–2012: Gordon's departure and reformation
editGordon and Post started working together on Veruca Salt's third album. However, after an argument between the two, Gordon left the band to pursue a solo career in 1998. (Gordon's first album,Tonight and the Rest of My Life,was released in 2000 and featured drumming by Stacy Jones, who had also left Veruca Salt and was in a relationship with Gordon).[8][11]The dispute between Gordon and Post has been described as "one of the greatest rock soap operas sinceFleetwood MacorHüsker Dü."[12]
Post, as the only remaining band member, contributed the song "Somebody"to theDepeche Modetribute albumFor the Massesbefore recruiting a new lineup. Guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick joined and went on to become one of Post's principal songwriting partners during the next decade. Jimmy Madla and Suzanne Sokol joined on drums and bass guitar, respectively. Most of the band's record label support had been fired during theUniversal/PolyGrammerger, so Post leftGeffen Records,formed her own Velveteen Records label, and signed a distribution deal withBeyond Music.The reformed band released the albumResolver,which spawned both a single and video for "Born Entertainer"in May 2000.[13]
Sokol left the band at the end of 2000 and was replaced by Post's friend Gina Crosley. The band continued to tour through the summer of 2001 in the UK. Post and Crosley also attempted to form a supergroup withCourtney LoveofHoleand others but the project soon imploded.[14]This allowed the pair to focus on new material for Veruca Salt which eventually yielded theOfficially DeadEP that was primarily distributed during the band's 2003 tour of Australia. That tour was precipitated by the title track (which had been released on the Resolver LP three years prior) charting on the Triple J Top 100, peaking at #13.
By 2005, Madla left to enter the restaurant business and Crosley was also dismissed. They were replaced in the studio by Solomon Snyder and Michael Miley, respectively. Veruca Salt began 2005 by touring Australia, undertaking both headline festival appearances and club shows. This session resulted in theLords of Sounds and Lesser Things(LOSALT).The band went on tour with Post, Fitzpatrick, drummer Kellii Scott, and bassistNicole Fiorentino.LOSALTwas released independently by the band and included six new songs. The EP's title is an extract fromZora Neale Hurston'sTheir Eyes Were Watching God.This lineup then recorded a full-length album,IV,and released it in September 2006 (likeResolverbefore it, this album was released a month apart from a Nina Gordon solo album). The band then went on what would prove to be the last tour of Louise Post's solo incarnation of the band. A single, "So Weird", was released to radio at the end of October 2006, but despite being critically well-received,[15]neither the song nor the album did well commercially.
In 2007, the band recorded a cover ofNeil Young's song "Burned" for a 2007 breast cancer benefit album and then went almost entirely dormant. Post took time to have a child while Fiorentino went on to play bass with theSmashing Pumpkinsand The Cold and Lovely. Kellii Scott returned to his original band,Failure.On March 14, 2012, the band announced on their official website that they were on an indefinite hiatus.
2013–present: Original lineup reunion
editOn March 15, 2013, Veruca Salt announced the reunion of its original line-up (Nina Gordon,Louise Post,Jim Shapiro,and Steve Lack) with a message on the band's official Facebook page which read, "for now let's just say this: hatchets buried, axes exhumed." The band also mentioned that they might be open to adding material from their time apart into their sets at some point.[16]The reunion marked the first time Shapiro would play drums since leaving the band in 1997. It had also been years since Lack played bass, with his time out of the band spent on overcoming drug and alcohol abuse and pursuing surfing.[8]
On September 29, 2013, the band announced via social media that they were working on new material. Their first release since reforming came in the form of a release forRecord Store Day2014. The band released a 10-inch vinyl EP,MMXIV,which contained two new songs, "It's Holy" and "The Museum of Broken Relationships", on one side and a 20th-anniversary re-release of "Seether"on the other. The band then toured both the United States and a nine-date sold-out tour of Australia.
On May 19, 2015, the band announced the release of their fifth album,Ghost Notes.The album, released on July 10, 2015, was the first to feature the band's original lineup since 1997'sEight Arms to Hold You.[17]Post and Gordon appeared onKen Reid's TV Guidance Counselor Podcast on August 7, 2015, and revealed that Veruca Salt were approached to host a Fox comedy variety show in the 1990s.[7]
In March 2017, the band reunited with Nicole Fiorentino for a one-off performance at a Planned Parenthood charity event; Patty Schemel, formerly of Hole, filled in on drums.[18]The band returned to Australia in February 2018 for a series of headline shows, as well as being part of the mini-festivalA Day on the GreenalongsideThe Fauves,Tumbleweed,The Lemonheads,SpiderbaitandThe Living End.Veruca Salt teamed up withRock the Votefor the 2018 American election, releasing a track titled "Low Grade Fever" from theGhost Notesrecording sessions.
In June 2022, Louise Post releasedBut I Love You Without Mascara (Demos ’97-’98)which featured several unreleased demos from the transitional period betweenEight Arms to Hold YouandResolver.She also released a solo album in June 2023 called Sleepwalker.[19]
Band members
editCurrent members
- Louise Post– lead vocals, guitar (1992–2012, 2013–present), bass (1998–1999, 2001–2006, 2008–2012)
- Nina Gordon– lead vocals, guitar (1992–1998, 2013–present)
- Steve Lack – bass (1992–1998, 2013–present)
- Jim Shapiro – drums, backing vocals (1992–1997, 2013–present)
Former members
- Stacy Jones– drums (1997–1998)
- Stephen Fitzpatrick – guitar (1999–2012), bass (2002–2006, 2008–2012)
- Jimmy Madla – drums (1999–2005)
- Suzanne Sokol – bass, backing vocals (1999–2000)
- Gina Crosley – bass, backing vocals (2000–2001)
- Kellii Scott – drums (2005–2012)
- Nicole Fiorentino– bass, backing vocals (2006–2008; one-off in 2017)
Former touring musicians
- Bill Brabec – bass (1997–1998)
- Eva Gardner– bass (2005)
- Toby Lang – drums (2005)
Former session musicians
- Mareea Paterson – bass (2003, 2005)
- Solomon Snyder – bass (2004)
- Michael Miley – drums (2004–2005)
Timeline
edit
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [20] |
US Alt [21] |
US Heat [22] |
US Indie [23] |
US Rock [24] |
AUS [25] |
UK [26] | |||
| American Thighs |
|
69 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 47 | |
| Eight Arms to Hold You | 55 | — | — | — | — | 69 | 95 |
| |
| Resolver |
|
171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| IV |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Ghost Notes |
|
159 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 7 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Extended plays
edit| EP Title | Year | Label | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [25] | ||||
| Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt | 1996 | DGC/Minty Fresh | 194 | |
| Volcano GirlsEP | Geffen Records | — | ||
| Officially Dead | 2003 | Embryo Records | — | |
| Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things | 2005 | Velveteen | — | |
| MMXIV | 2014 | Minty Fresh | — | |
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Active Rock [29] |
US Main [30] |
US Mod [31] |
AUS [25] |
UK [26] | |||
| "Seether"/" All Hail Me " | 1994 | — | — | 8 | 34 | 61 | American Thighs |
| "Number One Blind" | 1995 | — | — | 20 | 106 | 68 | |
| "Victrola" | — | — | — | 127 | 88 | ||
| "Volcano Girls" | 1997 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 47 | 56 | Eight Arms to Hold You |
| "Shutterbug" | 26 | 39 | — | 114 | — | ||
| "Benjamin" | — | — | — | — | 75 | ||
| "Straight" | 28 | 38 | — | — | — | ||
| "Born Entertainer" | 2000 | — | — | — | — | 192 | Resolver |
| "So Weird" | 2006 | — | — | — | — | — | IV |
| "The Museum of Broken Relationships" / "It's Holy" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | MMXIV |
| "Laughing in the Sugar Bowl" | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | Ghost Notes |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Promo singles
edit| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "The Morning Sad" | Eight Arms to Hold You |
| 2000 | "Only You Know" | Resolver |
| 2003 | "Officially Dead" | |
| "Yeah Man" |
Music videos
edit| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Seether" | Jeff Economy[32] |
| "All Hail Me" | Tamra Davis[33] | |
| 1995 | "Number One Blind" | Steve Hanft[34] |
| 1997 | "Volcano Girls" | |
| "Shutterbug" | ||
| 2014 | "The Museum of Broken Relationships" | Gary Kordan[35][36] |
| "It's Holy" | ||
| 2015 | "Laughing in the Sugar Bowl" | Tim Rutili[37] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abc"The 50 Best Grunge Songs".Paste.August 4, 2014.RetrievedMay 15,2016.
- ^"Veruca Salt (Official)".Facebook.March 21, 2013.RetrievedMarch 21,2013.
- ^abcdeColin Larkin,ed. (1997).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music(Concise ed.).Virgin Books.p. 1218.ISBN1-85227-745-9.
- ^"Veruca Salt – The Ingenue Magazine".RetrievedOctober 11,2020.
- ^"YouTube".YouTubem. Archived fromthe originalon December 16, 2013.
- ^"Story of The Sound: Veruca Salt".January 10, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ab"TV Guidance Counselor Episode 95.5: Nina Gordon and Louise Post of Veruca Salt".YouTube.June 11, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021.
- ^abcCaro, Mark (July 3, 2014)."Veruca Salt reunites years after explosive breakup".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedMay 22,2019.
- ^Kaufman, Gil (July 30, 1998)."Ex-Veruca Salt Leaders Branch Out with New LPs".MTV. Archived fromthe originalon September 7, 2018.RetrievedMay 23,2019.
- ^"Veruca Salt North American Tour with Bush Schedule".Chrispy.net. July 29, 1997. Archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2017.RetrievedJuly 12,2015.
- ^Woodlief, Mark (June 30, 2000)."Nina Gordon Enjoys Life After Veruca Salt".MTV.RetrievedMay 23,2019.[dead link]
- ^Stephen Thomas Erlewine(May 16, 2000)."Resolver – Veruca Salt | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards".AllMusic.RetrievedJuly 12,2015.
- ^Hay, Carla (April 22, 2000)."Veruca Salt Returns On Velveteen/Beyond".Billboard.RetrievedJuly 17,2017.
- ^Saidman, Sorelle (August 31, 2001)."Courtney's Bandmates Bail".Rollingstone.com.RetrievedJuly 12,2015.
- ^"Veruca Salt - Veruca Salt IV Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic".AllMusic.
- ^Culpan, Troy (September 19, 2014)."Louise Post of Veruca Salt".maytherockbewithyou.com.May The Rock Be With You.RetrievedSeptember 23,2014.
- ^Geslani, Michelle (May 19, 2015)."Veruca Salt announces reunion album, Ghost Notes, premieres" Laughing in the Sugar Bowl "".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedMay 19,2015.
- ^"Veruca Salt (Nina & Louise,Patty Schemel & Nicole Fiorentino) Volcano Girls ( El Rey, L.A 3/4/17)".YouTube. March 5, 2017.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021.
- ^"Sleepwalker".June 29, 2023.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Billboard 200".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Alternative Albums".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Heatseekers Albums".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Independent Albums".Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Top Rock Albums".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^abcAustralian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
- Top 50 peaks:"australian-charts.com > Discography Veruca Salt".Hung Medien.RetrievedOctober 9,2015.
- Top 100 peaks:Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010(PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 294.
- "Number One Blind" and "Shutterbug":"Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2015-07-15".Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2015.RetrievedOctober 9,2015– viaImgur.
- All peaks to June 14, 2024:"Veruca Salt chart history, received from ARIA on June 14, 2024".Imgur.RetrievedJune 14,2024.N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column indicates the release's title on the national chart.
- ^abUK chart peaks:
- Top 100 peaks:"Veruca Salt Chart History".Official Charts Company.RetrievedOctober 9,2015.
- Top 200 peaks to December 2010:"Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > V–Vybe".zobbel.de.RetrievedJune 16,2024.N.B. This site displays peaks from the uncompressed chart (no exclusions below number 75), so peaks between 76–200 differ from those displayed on the Official Charts site, which contains peaks from the compressed chart.
- ^"Gold & Platinum".Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ab"Gold/Platinum".Music Canada.May 29, 1997.RetrievedOctober 3,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Active Rock".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Mainstream Rock Airplay".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt Chart History Alternative Airplay".Billboard.Eldridge Industries.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt: Seether (Music Video 1994)".IMDb.
- ^"Veruca Salt: All Hail Me (Music Video 1995)".IMDb.
- ^"Veruca Salt Number One Blind (Music Video 1995)".IMDb.
- ^"Veruca Salt - The Museum of Broken Relationships".YouTube. April 23, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt - It's Holy".YouTube. June 24, 2014.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
- ^"Veruca Salt - Laughing In The Sugar Bowl".YouTube. June 11, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2021.RetrievedMarch 10,2021.
External links
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