August 17, 2014 by David K. Sutton
Insomniac Edition: Veruca Salt – It’s Holy (2014)
Since the activity around these parts has picked up recently, I decided it was time for another Insomniac Edition post. Up this time is a new song from the band Veruca Salt.
For the uninitiated, Veruca Salt entered the music scene in 1994, taking their name from the spoiled rich girl character in the 1964 Roald Dahl novel, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Veruca Salt’s first album, 1994’s “American Thighs,” is lifted from an AC/DC lyric from the song “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies
Knocking me out with those American thighs
Veruca Salt, fronted by Nina Gordon and Louise Post, had a pretty big hit and an MTV darling video for the song “Seether.” They followed up American Thighs, which for my money is one of the better albums from the early to mid 90s, with 1997’s “Eight Arms To Hold You,” which was the original name of The Beatles film “Help!”. Veruca Salt scored another fairly big hit with the song “Volcano Girls” and a modest hit with “Shutterbug.” And then in 1998, Nina Gordon left the band and, well, most fans left too. Louise Post would continue releasing material under the “Veruca Salt” banner, with 2000’s Resolver (which is an excellent fucking album that I’ve listened to more times than I care to mention), and 2006’s “IV,” which I’ve only recently started listening to, but also a good album.
Now, in 2014, the original lineup is back together. Not only has Nina Gordon returned, mending her friendship with Lousie Post after 16 years apart, but original drummer Jim Shapiro (Nina’s brother) and bassist Steve Lack are also on board. I saw the newly reunited band perform live at The Theater of Living Arts (TLA) in Philadelphia in July and they were fucking awesome.
Veruca Salt will be releasing a new album for the first time in 17 years this fall, but for now, we have two new songs that were released on Record Store Day back in April of this year. Both of these songs will be on the new album. The first song is “It’s Holy,” which lyrically is all about the unique and special chemistry Nina and Lousie have, and this time around they aren’t going to take it for granted.
Next up is another new song called “The Museum Of Broken Relationships.”
Both of these new songs are really good, and while it sounds cliche, these songs are so good you would never know nearly two decades has passed since the original band performed together.
And now for a Veruca Salt classic.
