Vundabar

Vundabar emerged in 2013 as a Boston-based trio whose sound fuses jangly textures and fuzzy distortion with math-rock precision and surf-rock echoes, all infused by post-punk energy. The group first drew widespread attention in 2021 when their 2015 track “Alien Blues” unexpectedly surged into a streaming hit. Building on that momentum, they issued Devil for the Fire, their fifth studio album, the next year, followed by the singles “Sugar Pill” and “I Got Cracked.”

Brandon Hagen and Drew McDonald started the project while still attending high school, with Hagen handling vocals and guitar and McDonald on drums. Bassist Zack Abramo joined soon after, and the three began performing around town. Their late-2013 debut, Antics, showcased a melody-driven mix of intricate folk elements and loud-soft-loud indie rock reminiscent of Boston’s own Pixies. The follow-up, Gawk, adopted a rougher edge in 2015 by folding in grungy post-punk influences. Smell Smoke arrived in 2018 with a dense, cathartic approach packed with memorable hooks that felt both urgent and heartfelt. In 2020 the trio delivered the concise Either Light, their first effort recorded with outside producer Patrick Hyland, known for his work with Mitski.

Social-media clips of listeners belting out “Alien Blues” circulated widely in 2021, driving millions of streams for the track seven years after its release. Devil for the Fire, an album leaning into electronic textures, surfaced the following year. Also in 2022, Good Old gathered unreleased material cut between the Gawk and Smell Smoke sessions alongside several acoustic renditions of fan favorites. The band continued releasing music with “Digital Forest” and “Sugar Pill” in 2023, then unveiled the forceful single “I Got Cracked” in 2024.