Biography
Since the 1990s, Louise Post has remained central to alternative rock as both Veruca Salt co-founder and independent artist, delivering candid lyrics through her songwriting and singing while reshaping personal influences into an energetic, memorable style. Veruca Salt achieved early success with the popular single "Seether" and the gold-certified 1994 debut American Thighs, converting the rough textures of Nirvana, Pixies, and the Breeders into an inviting, riff-centered power pop approach that incorporated elements from Cheap Trick and similar acts, before leaning harder into their hard rock preferences on 1997's Eight Arms to Hold You. After the original lineup dissolved following that release, including co-lead singer and songwriter Nina Gordon, Post maintained the band through intense and emotionally exposed records such as 2006's IV until she and Gordon rejoined forces for 2015's Ghost Notes. Post broadened her range on the 2023 solo debut Sleepwalker, matching straightforward writing to textures that stretch from gritty rock to light electronic pop.
Post entered the world in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 7, 1967, spending her early years in the Midwest before relocating to New York City for studies at Barnard College, where she earned a BA in English. She later settled in Chicago, crossing paths there with fellow singer and songwriter Nina Gordon, who had resided in Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin, until her family established themselves in Chicago during her teenage years. Mutual friend Lili Taylor brought them together, leading the pair to begin performing music in 1992 and to select the name of the entitled character from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for their endeavor. They first performed on the local folk circuit, completing more than a year of duo shows before adding musicians to complete Veruca Salt. Although they initially sought an all-female rhythm section through advertisements, Gordon and Post ultimately formed the group with bassist Steve Lack and Gordon's brother Jim Shapiro handling drums.
Minty Fresh Records signed the band, sending them into the studio with producer Brad Wood—who had also helmed Liz Phair's acclaimed 1993 album Exile in Guyville—in January 1994 to cut their first single, March's "Seether/All Hail Me." The track blended alternative rock's gritty guitar work and dynamic contrasts with pop hooks, spreading rapidly via word of mouth on alternative and college radio. The band reunited with Wood for the full-length American Thighs, whose title drew from a line in AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long"; Minty Fresh issued it that September, followed by a November reissue on Geffen after the major-label signing. The album appeared on charts in the U.K., Australia, and the U.S., where it reached number 69 on the Billboard 200, eventually earning gold certification in both the U.S. and Canada. "Seether" gained heavy MTV rotation and climbed to number eight on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart, while follow-up singles "All Hail Me" and "Number One Blind" registered on charts in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Also in 1994, Post joined Chicago band Loud Lucy for a cover of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" on the Tom Petty tribute You Got Lucky.
After supporting American Thighs with tours alongside Hole, Live, and PJ Harvey, Veruca Salt issued the April 1996 EP Blow It out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt, produced by Steve Albini and foregrounding the group's hard rock leanings. Their admiration for 1980s metal and hard rock grew clearer when they enlisted Bob Rock for the second album, February 1997's Eight Arms to Hold You. Titled after the Beatles' working name for their 1965 film Help!, the heavier record received mixed reviews yet delivered a hit with lead single "Volcano Girls," which reached the Top Ten of the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart (with "Shutterbug" and "Straight" also charting there). Certified gold in Canada, the album peaked at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard 200—the band's best placement at the time—and registered on U.K. and Australian charts.
Shapiro exited Veruca Salt soon after Eight Arms to Hold You wrapped. Former Letters to Cleo drummer Stacy Jones stepped in, playing shows that included opening slots on Bush's 1997 North American tour. That year Post collaborated with then-partner Dave Grohl on two songs for the Touch soundtrack. Lineup shifts persisted into early 1998 when Gordon departed for a solo path; Lack and Jones also left, leaving Post as the sole original member. While rebuilding Veruca Salt, she contributed to Ashtar Command's "Solve My Problems" for The Avengers soundtrack, supplied her take on "Somebody" for the Depeche Mode tribute For the Masses, and appeared on Frogpond's 1999 album Safe Ride Home. With guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick, bassist Suzanne Sokol, and drummer Jimmy Madla aboard, Veruca Salt departed Geffen for Post's Velveteen Records imprint, distributed by Beyond. The label released May 2000's Resolver, whose title nodded to the Beatles' Revolver and whose songs addressed Gordon's exit and the close of Post and Grohl's relationship. Produced by Brian Liesegang, the album drew praise for its steady songcraft and reached number 171 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Sokol departed late in 2000, with Gina Crosley joining as bassist for the mid-2001 U.K. tour. Post added vocals to Firetrucs' 2002 album Hovercraft. In 2003 Veruca Salt toured Australia for Resolver's local release and issued the Officially Dead EP, which reached number 13 on the Triple J Top 100. Further changes arrived on November 2004's Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things EP, featuring Post alongside Fitzpatrick, bassist Solomon Snyder, and drummer Michael Miley. Early 2005 brought another Australian run with Fitzpatrick, drummer Kellii Scott, and bassist Nicole Fiorentino rounding out the lineup. This configuration recorded September 2006's IV, released by Sympathy for the Record Industry; several tracks originated on Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things, and reviewers hailed it as the band's most cohesive effort since Eight Arms to Hold You. In 2008 Post placed two tracks on Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity—one with Veruca Salt ("Burned") and one solo ("Sugar Mountain"). She then paused to start a family while Scott rejoined Failure and Fiorentino played with the Cold and Lovely and Smashing Pumpkins. Post appeared on Ashtar Command's 2011 album American Sunshine, Vol. 1.
Mazzy Star's 2012 reunion prompted Post and Gordon to restore Veruca Salt's original lineup in 2013. They prepared fresh material, beginning with April 2014's Record Store Day EP MMXIV. Produced by Wood and issued by Minty Fresh, the EP included two new songs plus a reissue of "Seether" marking its twentieth anniversary. After U.S. and Australian dates, the band delivered their fifth album, July 2015's Ghost Notes, on El Camino. Again produced by Wood, the record's pointed reflections on Post and Gordon's relationship earned strong notices. Ghost Notes topped the U.S. Independent Albums chart and registered on the Heatseekers, Alternative Albums, and Billboard 200 charts, landing at number 159. The group followed with 2017's New Trick, a collaborative EP with Skating Polly, and a Planned Parenthood benefit concert where Fiorentino returned on bass and Patty Schemel played drums. In 2018 Veruca Salt performed Australian shows and released the Ghost Notes outtake "Low Grade Fever" via Rock the Vote to encourage voter turnout for the U.S. elections.
Post resurfaced in June 2022 with But I Love You Without Mascara (Demos '97-'98), a set of previously unheard songs written between Eight Arms to Hold You and Resolver. A year later she released her solo debut Sleepwalker on El Camino. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and deemed too personal for Veruca Salt, the album moved between 1990s-style rock and electronic ballads shaped by 2020s pop.
Post entered the world in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 7, 1967, spending her early years in the Midwest before relocating to New York City for studies at Barnard College, where she earned a BA in English. She later settled in Chicago, crossing paths there with fellow singer and songwriter Nina Gordon, who had resided in Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin, until her family established themselves in Chicago during her teenage years. Mutual friend Lili Taylor brought them together, leading the pair to begin performing music in 1992 and to select the name of the entitled character from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for their endeavor. They first performed on the local folk circuit, completing more than a year of duo shows before adding musicians to complete Veruca Salt. Although they initially sought an all-female rhythm section through advertisements, Gordon and Post ultimately formed the group with bassist Steve Lack and Gordon's brother Jim Shapiro handling drums.
Minty Fresh Records signed the band, sending them into the studio with producer Brad Wood—who had also helmed Liz Phair's acclaimed 1993 album Exile in Guyville—in January 1994 to cut their first single, March's "Seether/All Hail Me." The track blended alternative rock's gritty guitar work and dynamic contrasts with pop hooks, spreading rapidly via word of mouth on alternative and college radio. The band reunited with Wood for the full-length American Thighs, whose title drew from a line in AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long"; Minty Fresh issued it that September, followed by a November reissue on Geffen after the major-label signing. The album appeared on charts in the U.K., Australia, and the U.S., where it reached number 69 on the Billboard 200, eventually earning gold certification in both the U.S. and Canada. "Seether" gained heavy MTV rotation and climbed to number eight on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart, while follow-up singles "All Hail Me" and "Number One Blind" registered on charts in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Also in 1994, Post joined Chicago band Loud Lucy for a cover of "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" on the Tom Petty tribute You Got Lucky.
After supporting American Thighs with tours alongside Hole, Live, and PJ Harvey, Veruca Salt issued the April 1996 EP Blow It out Your Ass It's Veruca Salt, produced by Steve Albini and foregrounding the group's hard rock leanings. Their admiration for 1980s metal and hard rock grew clearer when they enlisted Bob Rock for the second album, February 1997's Eight Arms to Hold You. Titled after the Beatles' working name for their 1965 film Help!, the heavier record received mixed reviews yet delivered a hit with lead single "Volcano Girls," which reached the Top Ten of the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart (with "Shutterbug" and "Straight" also charting there). Certified gold in Canada, the album peaked at number 55 on the U.S. Billboard 200—the band's best placement at the time—and registered on U.K. and Australian charts.
Shapiro exited Veruca Salt soon after Eight Arms to Hold You wrapped. Former Letters to Cleo drummer Stacy Jones stepped in, playing shows that included opening slots on Bush's 1997 North American tour. That year Post collaborated with then-partner Dave Grohl on two songs for the Touch soundtrack. Lineup shifts persisted into early 1998 when Gordon departed for a solo path; Lack and Jones also left, leaving Post as the sole original member. While rebuilding Veruca Salt, she contributed to Ashtar Command's "Solve My Problems" for The Avengers soundtrack, supplied her take on "Somebody" for the Depeche Mode tribute For the Masses, and appeared on Frogpond's 1999 album Safe Ride Home. With guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick, bassist Suzanne Sokol, and drummer Jimmy Madla aboard, Veruca Salt departed Geffen for Post's Velveteen Records imprint, distributed by Beyond. The label released May 2000's Resolver, whose title nodded to the Beatles' Revolver and whose songs addressed Gordon's exit and the close of Post and Grohl's relationship. Produced by Brian Liesegang, the album drew praise for its steady songcraft and reached number 171 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Sokol departed late in 2000, with Gina Crosley joining as bassist for the mid-2001 U.K. tour. Post added vocals to Firetrucs' 2002 album Hovercraft. In 2003 Veruca Salt toured Australia for Resolver's local release and issued the Officially Dead EP, which reached number 13 on the Triple J Top 100. Further changes arrived on November 2004's Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things EP, featuring Post alongside Fitzpatrick, bassist Solomon Snyder, and drummer Michael Miley. Early 2005 brought another Australian run with Fitzpatrick, drummer Kellii Scott, and bassist Nicole Fiorentino rounding out the lineup. This configuration recorded September 2006's IV, released by Sympathy for the Record Industry; several tracks originated on Lords of Sounds and Lesser Things, and reviewers hailed it as the band's most cohesive effort since Eight Arms to Hold You. In 2008 Post placed two tracks on Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity—one with Veruca Salt ("Burned") and one solo ("Sugar Mountain"). She then paused to start a family while Scott rejoined Failure and Fiorentino played with the Cold and Lovely and Smashing Pumpkins. Post appeared on Ashtar Command's 2011 album American Sunshine, Vol. 1.
Mazzy Star's 2012 reunion prompted Post and Gordon to restore Veruca Salt's original lineup in 2013. They prepared fresh material, beginning with April 2014's Record Store Day EP MMXIV. Produced by Wood and issued by Minty Fresh, the EP included two new songs plus a reissue of "Seether" marking its twentieth anniversary. After U.S. and Australian dates, the band delivered their fifth album, July 2015's Ghost Notes, on El Camino. Again produced by Wood, the record's pointed reflections on Post and Gordon's relationship earned strong notices. Ghost Notes topped the U.S. Independent Albums chart and registered on the Heatseekers, Alternative Albums, and Billboard 200 charts, landing at number 159. The group followed with 2017's New Trick, a collaborative EP with Skating Polly, and a Planned Parenthood benefit concert where Fiorentino returned on bass and Patty Schemel played drums. In 2018 Veruca Salt performed Australian shows and released the Ghost Notes outtake "Low Grade Fever" via Rock the Vote to encourage voter turnout for the U.S. elections.
Post resurfaced in June 2022 with But I Love You Without Mascara (Demos '97-'98), a set of previously unheard songs written between Eight Arms to Hold You and Resolver. A year later she released her solo debut Sleepwalker on El Camino. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and deemed too personal for Veruca Salt, the album moved between 1990s-style rock and electronic ballads shaped by 2020s pop.
Albums
Singles
