Vertical Scratchers

Following the 2007 dissolution of Enon, his experimental pop outfit, John Schmersal promptly pursued fresh musical projects. He joined Caribou’s touring lineup while simultaneously launching Crooks on Tape alongside former Enon colleague Rick Lee and forming Vertical Scratchers with Christian Beaulieu, himself a participant in Peace Creep and Anywhere. Vertical Scratchers, whose name references a favored feline scratching style, delivered abrasive, guitar-driven rock echoing the Kinks and Buzzcocks. Beaulieu and Schmersal captured their debut album in 2012 inside Los Angeles’ renowned venue, studio, and gallery The Smell. The pair devoted much of 2013 to west-coast dates before inking a deal with Merge Records and issuing Daughter of Everything in early 2014.