Vains of Jenna
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Vains of Jenna was a sleaze rock group originating from Falkenberg, Sweden, established in 2005. The band later moved their base to Los Angeles, though the majority of its members have since returned to Sweden. In January 2012, they publicly announced their decision to part ways on friendly terms.
History
Created by four young Swedish musicians, two of whom were only 18 at the time, Vains of Jenna quickly attracted notice after their performance at Crüe Fest Hollywood in January 2005, despite having only a four-song demo available. Their song "Heartbreak Suicide" emerged as their most recognized track.
Stevie Rachelle, lead vocalist of Tuff and proprietor of the hard rock platform Metal Sludge, discovered the band during their debut US gig at the Whisky a Go Go. Within two days, he extended an offer for a demo deal and management. Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, they recorded at Redrum Studios with Gilby Clarke, former guitarist of Guns N' Roses, serving as producer.
Following a winter spent back in Sweden, the band embarked on a UK tour in spring 2006, often staying in guitarist Nicki’s car between shows. By May that year, they relocated permanently to California and began touring extensively throughout the US, frequently performing despite being underage for many venues. During an East Coast tour in 2006, they were signed by Bam Margera's Filthy Note Records. Margera directed their video for "No One's Gonna Do It for You" and selected their track "Don't Give a Damn" as the theme song for his MTV series Bam's Unholy Union. The band also appeared in two episodes of the show.
They received coverage in leading music publications such as Spin, Metal Edge, Revolver, and Blender. Additionally, they featured on MTV’s Jackass Number Two and LA Ink, which starred Kat Von D.
Their first album, Lit Up/Let Down, was released on 24 October 2006. Early in 2007, manager Stevie Rachelle secured them a slot on Poison bassist Bobby Dall’s summer tour supporting Ratt. When White Lion withdrew due to legal complications, Vains of Jenna stepped up to headline the main stage for the entire North American tour. Later that year, they participated in the US Viva La Bands Tour alongside acts such as Cradle of Filth, Gwar, and CKY.
Between late 2008 and early 2009, the band toured Europe—including stops in the UK, Italy, Scotland, Denmark, and Sweden—and performed at the Sweden Rock Festival in June 2009. Upon returning to the US, they recorded their sophomore album with producer Brent Woods (Wildside), which included a rendition of Tom Petty’s "Refugee". The single "Get It On" was released via iTunes in July 2009. Their second album, The Art of Telling Lies, was launched on 15 September 2009 with accompanying videos directed by Noah Shulman.
In March 2010, lead vocalist Lizzy DeVine departed and was swiftly replaced by Jesse Forte from Cast of Kings within one week. That August saw the release of an EP featuring new material alongside reimagined tracks. The band toured both South America and North America later that year.
In November 2010, under producer Adam Hamilton for Deadline Cleopatra Records, they recorded a covers album titled Reverse Tripped, which was released on 5 April 2011. Its lead single was a cover of Cee Lo Green’s "Fuck You", presented as a radio-friendly edit called "Forget You". Following this release, they undertook extensive tours across North America and Europe.
On 21 January 2012, Jesse Forte joined Lynch Mob, although shortly thereafter the original frontman returned to that group. Within days, Vains of Jenna announced their dissolution via social media: "Vains Of Jenna calls it quits. After 7 years, we have amicably and mutually decided to end Vains Of Jenna. There's no drama behind the decision. We simply feel like it is time to move on in our lives and close this chapter. It has been a truly amazing journey for us over the years and we are grateful for the opportunity to do what we've done with this band. A huge thanks to everyone involved, all of our supporters, and of course all of our fans from around the world. We love you. 1,2,3,4 THE END!!! Nicki, Jacki, JP and Jesse."
Former members
- Jimmy Johansson / Lizzy DeVine – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2005–2010)
- Hans Joakim Petersson / JP White – bass guitar, backing vocals (2005–2012)
- Niklas Lundahl / Nicki Kin – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals (2005–2012)
- Emil Petersson / Jacki Stone – drums, percussion (2005–2012)
- Jesse Forte – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, percussion (2010–2012)
- Anton Sevholt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2009–2011)
Touring musicians
- Joel Eliasson – rhythm guitar (Europe/US) – 2012
- Bruce Matis / Roxy Vayn – rhythm guitar (US) – 2010
Studio albums
| Album | Release Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Demos (4-track EP) | May 2005 | Raw Noise Records |
| Lit Up/Let Down | June 2006 | RLS/Raw Noise Records |
| The Demos (full-length) | September 2006 | Reissued by RLS/Raw Noise Records |
| Lit Up/Let Down | November 2006 | Reissued through Filthy Note/Fontana/Universal |
| The Art of Telling Lies | September 2009 | RLS/Raw Noise Records |
| Reverse Tripped | April 2011 | Deadline Cleopatra Records |
EPs
| EP Title | Year Released |
|---|---|
| No One's Gonna Do It for You | 2005 Raw Noise Records |
| Baby's Got a Secret | 2005 Raw Noise Records |
| We Can Never Die | 2010 RLS/Raw Noise Records |
Singles
| Release Date | Track Title | Album Appearance | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2006 | "No One's Gonna Do It for You" | Lit Up/Let Down | 3:12 |
| September 2007 | "Enemy in Me" | Viva la Bands, Volume 2 | 3:55 |
| August 2009 | "Get It On" | The Art of Telling Lies | 2:56 |
| January 2010 | "Mind Pollution" | The Art of Telling Lies | 3:12 |
| August 2010 | "Everybody Loves You When You're Dead-2010 Mix" | We Can Never Die | 3:35 |
| March 2011 | "Fuck You" – "Forget You" (radio edit) | Reverse Tripped | 3:03 |
Music videos
| Year | Song Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "No One's Gonna Do It for You" (official video) | Bam Margera |
| 2007 | "Enemy in Me" (live footage) | Daryl Rota |
| 2008 | "Enemy in Me" (official video) | Sean Thomas for Cla$ick Los Angeles |
| 2009 | "Get It On" (official video) | R. Florio/D. Kuhlmann |
| 2010 | "Mind Pollution" (official video) | Noah Shulman |
| 2010 | "Everybody Loves You When You're Dead-2010 Mix" (official video) | Eric Sernrot & JP White |