Volcano Girls: A Career Deep Dive into Veruca Salt

Veruca Salt has stood the test of time as one of the most prolific female-fronted alternative rock bands that emerged from the nineteen nineties. But after releasing two commercially successful albums, they shocked audiences with the explosive split of their two frontwomen, Nina Gordan and Louise Post. With their music exploring the sisterly bonds of womanhood, who could’ve expected the eventual dissolution of such a girl power group? But with multiple reunions under their belt, the story of Veruca Salt proves that even through the most bitter breakups, riot-girls always come back stronger, better, and with even more to say.

Nina and Louise considered themselves feminists, so when they began thinking about starting a band, they wanted a female-fronted group. With sonic influences ranging from My Bloody Valentine to L7, they described their music as ‘dreamy grunge’ in interviews. The band’s name, a reference to the spoiled rich girl featured in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, seemed perfectly chosen to reflect the brat punk sensibilities of their music. Soon, a four-song demo tape was shared around the Chicago indie scene, and the buzz around the band began to grow. After playing only a few live shows, Veruca Salt signed to a small record label, making music with producer Brad Wood, who had previously worked with Liz Phair on her indie rock masterpiece Exile in Guyville.

Veruca Salt’s debut album, American Thighs, came out at a busy time for the band, who were touring with Hole during its release. Soon, almost every major rock label descended on the band as an intense bidding war ensued, with Geffen Records coming out as the victor. Following the deal, the band re-released American Thighs, which was ultimately certified gold, with the lead single ‘Seether’ becoming a hit on MTV. Written primarily by Nina, ‘Seether’ dwells on suppressed feminine rage, characterized as an alter ego by the lyricist. Although American Thighs received critical acclaim, the album’s positive reception was not enough to shield the band from criticism. American Thighs’s sludgy production was offputting to male listeners, who expected the sugary bubble-grunge sound of ‘Seether’ to engulf the entire record, leaving behind the confrontational feminism abundant throughout the album.

In 1997, Veruca Salt returned with their sophomore album, Eight Arms to Hold You. As a whole, Eight Arms moved toward a heavier rock sound, its producer, Bob Rock, being best known for his work with Metallica. Compared to American Thighs, Eight Arms is a more hopeful and high-spirited album in terms of sound and lyrics. With its captivating lyrics, high-mid production, and riot-grrrl sensibilities, Eight Arms to Hold You represents a winning streak in the band’s discography, one that would become offset by the turmoil soon to come.

While making Veruca Salt’s third album, Nina Gordan left the band to pursue a solo career. Although critics and fans loved their previous album, the sales numbers failed to meet set expectations, leaving Nina ready to seek new opportunities. Stacy Jones, the drummer, and Steve Lack, the bassist, departed soon after, leaving Veruca Salt a Louise Post solo project. After the split, Nina and Louise buried themselves in work, trying to sort out their anger and hurt through music. Louise couldn’t accept the band’s failure, so she kept the name, recruited new members, and signed with a new label, Beyond Records. 

Despite not communicating, Nina and Louise were producing albums in near synchronization with each other. They were attempting to process not only the band’s breakup but also the breakup of their friendship. Louise captured the fallout of these complex emotions in Veruca Salt’s third album, Resolver. With the quality of its album sequencing and sonic consistency, Resolver stands alone within the band’s catalog. A perfect balance of abrasive and sweet, the vulnerability of Louise’s lyrics was a welcome surprise to critics, who were prone to analyzing Resolver within the context of the band’s split. Resolver continued the downward spiral in sales numbers crucial to the band’s mythos, and after several smaller projects, Louise decided to step away from music.

After years of inactivity, Veruca Salt returned with 2015’s Ghost Notes. During the band’s original run, individuality was crucial, and any feedback came across as a personal attack. After some much-needed time apart, their collective wisdom and experience allowed the group to collaborate. But in Ghost Noise, Nina and Louise are finally a united front, turning each song’s climax into a soaring declaration of victory over forces that tore them apart for over a decade.

All in all, the story of Veruca Salt is one of forgiveness, friendship, and sisterhood through the ages. Through their music, women could see a path forward where they no longer had to reject feminist ideals or give up the female friendships that are so integral in the lives of girls everywhere. The reunion between Nina and Louise taught Veruca Salt fans that bitterness is temporary and invited them to rekindle their lost connections with those lost to time.