THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vial are the people you don’t want to piss off, sick to their stomachs of churned-out, run-of-the-mill, ‘bratty, bitchy, money hungry’ punk bands, and are putting down what others’ won’t pick up. Their early single Violet glistens with indie curiosity, its love-story narrative turning into the hard-hitting reality of queer relationships and ‘disappointing my mumma for you.’ Contrasted with the kick-in-the-balls of Mr Fuck You and Planet Drool, Vial pack more than a few punches into their 12-track album, writing the music and penning the social-commentary they wanted to hear.
Inspired by the lack of musical substance from a night out in Minneapolis in 2019, vocalist and keytarist Taylor Kraemer recruited fellow after-school-musicians KT Branscom and Kate Kanfield to the fold, before finding Katie Fischer via a band Tinder account and adding them to complete the cause.
Loudmouth features a reworked version of the band’s origin story in the form of Vodka Lemonade, relaying the anxieties and awkwardness of starting out as a new band on the scene. Mr Fuck You takes relatability one step further and explores the hair-pulling, eye-rolling, hatred-inducing encounters with unwanted flirtatious attention and forced connections, all sang through gritted teeth and a fake smile before the inevitable outburst. Listen out too for the raucous carnival rock opener of Ego Death, or the soft and transcendent cloud ride of Thumb for the scope of vibes on offer. The band’s tenacity and expert sarcasm is nurtured by producer Henry Stoehr (Slow Pulp), who not only severs the chains but throws them into the furnace to be melted altogether — unleashing energy informed by guts, not necessarily genre.
After releasing their debut record Grow Up the same year they formed, Vial were awarded the title of Best New Band in their hometown’s City Pages, recently praised by Alternative Press as a key band coming through in the scene, and followed by a growing audience on TikTok hungry to hear more music from Vial’s punk attitudes. An album that takes the world-wide experienced anger, melancholy, and bite, Loudmouth utilizes its punk presence and retrospective relatability for an audience ready to jump on board.”
