Biography
Emerging in 2008, the five-piece Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band sparked online interest through its extended moniker and hidden origins. The Seattle-based musicians upheld the enigma by posting a string of comedic public-service announcements on MySpace ahead of any musical output. Only later that summer did a demo track surface, gradually revealing the group’s backstory. Bandleader Benjamin Verdoes (guitar, vocals) had formed the project alongside his 12-year-old adopted brother Marshall Verdoes, whose drumming prowess exceeded his years; friends Matthew Dammer (Moog, guitar) and Jared Price (bass) completed the core, together with Verdoes’ wife, multi-instrumentalist Traci Eggleston-Verdoes.
The family unit tracked the EP Weepy alongside engineer Scott Colburn, then used the growing anticipation to stage its first concert in July 2008. A West Coast run followed that autumn, and by November the act had secured a deal with indie imprint Dead Oceans. Several months afterward the self-titled Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band appeared, introducing the group’s full-length debut of lo-fi, jangly songcraft and eccentric atmosphere. In 2010 the band returned with its second album, Where the Messengers Meet.
The family unit tracked the EP Weepy alongside engineer Scott Colburn, then used the growing anticipation to stage its first concert in July 2008. A West Coast run followed that autumn, and by November the act had secured a deal with indie imprint Dead Oceans. Several months afterward the self-titled Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band appeared, introducing the group’s full-length debut of lo-fi, jangly songcraft and eccentric atmosphere. In 2010 the band returned with its second album, Where the Messengers Meet.
Albums
Singles
