Vero

After issuing a pair of early EPs that veered between abrasive alt-pop and shadowy post-punk textures, the Stockholm trio VERO abandoned synthesizers in favor of a leaner, immediate indie-rock approach built around heavily distorted guitars and driving live drums. This direction aligned closely with the visceral energy of Pixies and Elastica from the 1990s and early 2000s, and it defined their first full-length release, Unsoothing Interior, which appeared in 2022.

Fronted by vocalist and bassist Julia Boman—who started performing in groups at age 14 in her hometown of Västerås, outside Stockholm—the lineup was completed by guitarists Clara Gyökeres and Amanda Eddestål, the latter having first collaborated with Boman at 16. The group came together in the late 2010s and issued its initial EP, Saxophones and Danger Zones, in 2019 amid ongoing stylistic exploration aimed at crystallizing a signature identity. That identity emerged during the final stages of their follow-up EP, Heaven on Earth, which arrived in April 2020. Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic halted live performances, VERO supported the London post-punk revivalists Shame at a Stockholm show. During the ensuing period without concerts, they recorded a version of Shame’s “Concrete” for their debut physical release, the January 2022 7-inch “BEG!” b/w “Concrete,” issued by PNKSLM Recordings. The A-side appeared again on the band’s debut album, Unsoothing Interior, which PNKSLM brought out that May. In contrast to the earlier EPs, the LP embraced articulate alt-rock rooted in the 1990s and early 2000s, echoing the styles of Elastica and Garbage.