Veruca Salt
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
| Products | Alternative rock music, albums, singles, EPs |
Veruca Salt is a Chicago-based American alternative rock group established in 1992 by vocalists and guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post, alongside drummer Jim Shapiro and bassist Steve Lack. They first attracted attention with their debut single, "Seether", featured on the 1994 album American Thighs. Their sophomore album, Eight Arms to Hold You, followed in 1997. By 1998, Post remained the only founding member, continuing the band with fresh collaborators. Later releases include Resolver (2000) and IV (2006). After a break starting in 2012, the original members reunited and issued their fifth studio album, Ghost Notes, in 2015.
1992–1998: Formation and rise to prominence
Taking their name from the character Veruca Salt in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Veruca Salt was formed in Chicago in 1992 by Louise Post and Nina Gordon. Introduced through mutual acquaintance Lili Taylor, they spent over a year writing songs before bringing on Gordon's brother Jim Shapiro on drums and Steve Lack on bass. Although songwriting was shared, each lead singer typically wrote independently and performed her own material.
Following several live performances, Jim Powers of Minty Fresh Records signed them. Their debut single "Seether"/"All Hail Me" came out in 1994 and gained traction, leading to tours with Hole and the release of their first album American Thighs, which eventually achieved Gold status. The track "Seether" was later recognized as one of the top grunge songs by Paste magazine.
After securing a contract with Geffen Records, "Seether" became popular on MTV. However, when the video for their second single "Number One Blind" was withdrawn from MTV due to concerns from the band, Geffen ceased further promotion of American Thighs. In 1996, they released an EP titled Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt, recorded by Steve Albini.
Their follow-up album, Eight Arms to Hold You, produced by Bob Rock, was released in 1997. The lead single "Volcano Girls" gained exposure as the theme song for the movie Jawbreaker. That year, they appeared on Saturday Night Live, performing alongside Sting under unusual circumstances.
Soon after, drummer Jim Shapiro departed due to discomfort with public scrutiny regarding his evolving drumming skills. Stacy Jones of Letters to Cleo and American Hi-Fi replaced him for touring and appeared in videos for "Volcano Girls" and "Shutterbug". In 1997, Veruca Salt supported Bush on their North American tour.
1998–2012: Gordon's exit and band restructuring
In 1998, following disagreements with Post, Gordon left Veruca Salt to pursue a solo career; her debut solo album, Tonight and the Rest of My Life (2000), featured drummer Stacy Jones, a former member of Veruca Salt. This departure was viewed as a notable moment in rock history.
Bassist Lack also exited that year, leaving Post as the only original member. Post contributed the track "Somebody" to the Depeche Mode tribute compilation For the Masses before assembling a new lineup including guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick, drummer Jimmy Madla, and bassist Suzanne Sokol. After losing label backing due to the Universal/PolyGram merger, Post left Geffen Records, established Velveteen Records, and secured distribution via Beyond Music. This reformed group released Resolver in 2000, featuring the single and video "Born Entertainer."
By late 2000, Sokol had departed and was replaced by Gina Crosley. The band toured the United Kingdom in 2001. Post and Crosley briefly collaborated with Courtney Love of Hole on a supergroup project that quickly disbanded. Attention then returned to Veruca Salt, culminating in the release of the Officially Dead EP—primarily sold during their 2003 Australian tour—spurred by the title track’s success on Triple J radio charts.
By 2005, Madla had left to pursue a career in the restaurant industry while Crosley was dismissed. Studio musicians Solomon Snyder and Michael Miley joined for the independently released six-track EP Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things (LOSALT). Touring members included Post, Fitzpatrick, drummer Kellii Scott, and bassist Nicole Fiorentino. In September 2006, they released their fourth full-length album IV, closely timed with Nina Gordon’s solo release. Despite critical acclaim for the single "So Weird," commercial success was limited.
In 2007, Veruca Salt contributed a cover of Neil Young’s "Burned" to a breast cancer benefit compilation before entering an inactive phase. During this period, Post concentrated on family life; Fiorentino joined Smashing Pumpkins and The Cold and Lovely; Scott returned to Failure. On March 14, 2012, Veruca Salt announced an indefinite hiatus via their official website.
2013–present: Reunion of the original members
On March 15, 2013, Veruca Salt revealed through their official Facebook account that the founding members (Nina Gordon, Louise Post, Jim Shapiro, and Steve Lack) were reuniting, marking a new chapter for the band. This event represented Shapiro's return to drumming after his departure in 1997 and marked Lack's comeback following personal difficulties.
By September 29, 2013, the group had begun creating fresh material. Their initial release following the reunion was a 10-inch vinyl EP titled MMXIV, launched for Record Store Day 2014. It included two newly written tracks as well as a reissue of "Seether" to commemorate its 20th anniversary. They then embarked on a US tour and completed a fully booked nine-show tour across Australia.
On May 19, 2015, Veruca Salt announced their fifth studio album, Ghost Notes, which was released on July 10, 2015. This marked the first album featuring the original lineup since 1997’s Eight Arms to Hold You. In an August 2015 podcast, Post and Gordon disclosed that during the 1990s the band had been invited to host a comedy-variety show on Fox.
In March 2017, Veruca Salt reunited with Nicole Fiorentino for a charity event supporting Planned Parenthood; drummer Patty Schemel substituted for this performance. The band returned to headline shows in Australia in February 2018 and also took part in the mini-festival A Day on the Green, sharing the stage with prominent artists. For the 2018 US election, Veruca Salt partnered with Rock the Vote and released "Low Grade Fever," a track from the Ghost Notes recording sessions.
In June 2022, Louise Post unveiled But I Love You Without Mascara (Demos ’97–’98), a collection of previously unreleased demos from the transitional phase between Eight Arms to Hold You and Resolver. She followed this with her solo album Sleepwalker in June 2023.
Band members
Current members
- Louise Post – lead vocals, guitar (1992–2012, 2013–present), bass guitar (1998–1999, 2001–2006, 2008–2012)
- Nina Gordon – lead vocals, guitar (1992–1998, 2013–present)
- Steve Lack – bass guitar (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 guitar (2002–2006, 2008–2012)
- Jimmy Madla – drums (1999–2005)
- Suzanne Sokol – bass guitar, backing vocals (1999–2000)
- Gina Crosley – bass guitar, backing vocals (2000–2001)
- Kellii Scott – drums (2005–2012)
- Nicole Fiorentino – bass guitar, backing vocals (2006–2008; guest appearance in 2017)
Former touring musicians
- Bill Brabec – bass guitar (1997–1998)
- Eva Gardner – bass guitar (2005)
- Toby Lang – drums (2005)
Timeline
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Studio albums
| Album Title | Release information | Highest chart positions | Certifications (sales criteria) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Alternative | US Heatseekers | US Independent | US Rock | Australia | United Kingdom | Canada | |||
| American Thighs |
|
69 | — | 1 | - | — | 26 | 47 | 44 | |
| Eight Arms to Hold You | 55 | — | — | — | — | 69 | 95 | 40 |
| |
| Resolver |
|
171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| IV |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Ghost Notes |
|
159 | 15 | — | 7 | 15 | — | — | — | |
| "—" indicates the album did not chart or was not released in that region. | ||||||||||
Extended plays
| EP Name | Year of Release | Record Label | Highest Chart Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | |||
| Blow It Out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt | 1996 | DGC/Minty Fresh | 194 |
| Volcano Girls EP | Geffen Records | — | |
| Officially Dead | 2003 | Embryo Records | — |
| Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things | 2005 | Velveteen | — |
| MMXIV | 2014 | Minty Fresh | — |
Singles
| Track | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Active Rock |
US Mainstream Rock |
US Alternative Airplay |
Australia (ARIA) |
UK Singles Chart | |||
| "Seether" / "All Hail Me" | 1994 | — | — | 8 | 34 | 61 | rowspan=3 American Thighs |
| "Number One Blind" | rowspan=2 1995 | — | — | 20 | 106 | 68 | |
| "Victrola" | — | — | — | 127 | 88 | ||
| "Volcano Girls" | rowspan=4 1997 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 47 | 56 | rowspan=4 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 |
| "—" indicates tracks that did not chart or were unavailable in that region.
} Promotional singles
Music videos
See alsoExternal links |
- Articles with short description
- 1992 establishments in Illinois
- Alternative rock groups from Chicago
- Musical groups established in 1992
- Musical groups disestablished in 2012
- Musical groups reestablished in 2013
- Sympathy for the Record Industry artists
- Female-fronted musical groups
- Mixed-gender musical quartets