Rising nu metal stars Vended have announced their self-titled debut album. The band – featuring vocalist Griffin Taylor and Simon Crahan, sons of Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan – will self-release the record on September 20.
Vended have also announced a string of North American dates for the autumn, with support coming from Wristmeetrazor and Lie. The tour will follow the band’s US run with Slipknot and Knocked Loose in September.
Metal Hammer caught up with Vended while they were in the studio readying their first full-length statement. Read our interview with Griffin and Simon below. You can also find details about the Vended album and all the band’s planned tour dates underneath.
This is your first album after an EP [2021’s What Is It//Kill It] and a few singles – did you have to get in a different headspace to deliver it?
Simon: “Our EP was like a mini-Lego set, but the album was like one of those giant fucking castles that takes 30 hours to complete. We did the EP at my home. It was comfortable – I could take a nap if I wanted. For the album we were in a sketchy part of California. It was like, ‘Don’t go outside, you might get shot.’”
What was the vibe like in the studio?
Simon: “I’d say ‘brotherhood’ is the best way to explain it. We were all very connected, very into each other’s lives and it just felt right.”
It seems like Vended are more a military outfit than a group of lads dicking around…
Simon: “We want this to be our lives. You can have fun onstage, but there’s no fucking about in the studio. If you want to release something good, you take it seriously. We’re at the lowest point on the food chain, so we have to take it seriously in order to get to the top.”
Griffin: “We’re young, hungry, and we want to punch people in the balls. It’s pretty much, ‘Listen, motherfucker, you may think you know us, but we’re gonna drag you into our world and show you what the fuck is up.’”
What’s gone into the record, beyond the desire to punch us in the nuts?
Griffin: “A lot of rage. We’re discussing mental health, we’ve got philosophical viewpoints and there’s a hint of jaded, I’m-over-your-shit mentality.”
Simon: “We’ve got young fans who haven’t had their voices heard, and we know that’s a shitty feeling. I feel like this album is a good outlet for that.”
What do you think is going to surprise people when they hear the album?
Simon: “The live energy. It’s us in the room, slamming. Nothing is sat down, nothing is sampled. The drums are real, Griffin’s vocals are real, nothing’s fucked with.”
Griffin: “It’s all highly fucking raw and passionate.”
Have you surprised yourselves?
Simon: “Yeah, I mean… you are in that zone, everyone’s moving like a fucking train, then you listen back to it and you’re like, ‘We did that?!’”
Your dads made a serious splash when they dropped their debut album. Did they have any advice for you?
Simon: “My dad has this expression – it’s literally the word ‘on’. As in, when you hit the light switch, the lights go ‘boom’ immediately. So when we sat down to record there was no fucking about, it was just, ‘One, two, three, let’s fucking GO!’ But our parents know they need to stay out of it. They want us to fuck up on our own – they want us to go through the bullshit and figure it out.”
How close will this album take you on your quest for world domination?
Griffin: “Pretty damn fucking far.”
Simon: “I’m going to be cocky because I’m the number one cocky motherfucker, but I think this is going to send us to the top. If you’re not a fan, you can suck it. I know I’m going to get a couple of death threats in my Instagram for that, but…”
Griffin: “We use your fucking death threats for toilet paper!”
Simon: “It’s time to be cocky and full of ourselves. It’s middle fingers to the sky, so whoever’s not with us, fuck right off. Whoever is with us, come along for the ride.”
Vended is out on September 20.
Vended – Vended track listing:
1. Intro
2. Paint The Skin
3. The Far Side
4. Am I The Only One
5. Going Up
6. Nihilism
7. Pitiful
8. Serenity
9. Disparager
10. Where The Honesty Lies
11. Ones’…
12. Downfall
13. As We Know It
Vended North American 2024 tour dates:
Sep 01: Pryor Rocklahoma, OK
Sep 06: Vancouver The Pearl, BC
Supporting Slipknot and Knocked Loose:
Sep 07: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA
Sep 08: Ridgefield RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, WA
Sep 11: Nampa Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater, ID
Sep 13: Inglewood Intuit Dome, CA
Sep 14: Inglewood Intuit Dome, CA
Sep 15: Phoenix Talking Stick Resort, AZ
Sep 17: Austin Moody Center, TX
Sep 18: Dallas Dos Equis Pavilion, TX
Sep 21: Des Moines Knotfest, IA
Headlining:
Sep 22: Chicago Beat Kitchen, IL
Sep 23: Detroit El Club, MI
Sep 24: Pittsburgh Crafthouse, PA
Sep 26: New York Mercury Lounge, NY
Sep 27: Richmond Canal Club, VA
Sep 28: Greenville Radio Room, SC
Sep 29: Atlanta The Masquerade (Altar), GA
Sep 30: Nashville The End, TN
Oct 02: Houston Warehouse Live, TX
Oct 05: Los Angeles BMO Stadium, CA (supporting Korn)
Oct 06: Anaheim Chain Reaction, CA
Oct 07: San Diego Brick By Brick, CA
Oct 09: Santa Cruz The Atrium, CA
Oct 10: Reno Cypress, NV
Oct 11: Sacramento Aftershock, CA
Oct 14: Salt Lake City Metro Music Hall, UT
Oct 16: Denver Marquis, CO
