Quite a bit has happened in the eight years since The Vondrukes last released an album, but their latest album, Too Many Monsters, released on November 9, feels as relevant as ever.
The Vondrukes started in 2010, when the band Ten High broke up. Guitarist/vocalist Bob McKee, bassist/vocalist Jeff Griswold, and guitarist Jason Kettler decided they still wanted to play together, and The Vondrukes were born. Over nearly 15 years and some lineup changes, they eventually pulled in college friend Justin Ellis on trumpet, keys, and vocals, and, in 2020, Justin Fulbright on drums. McKee notes that, just as Fulbright was coming aboard, they had some material they were getting ready to record; then the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans.
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“We weren’t playing out, but we were still writing a little bit and getting together when we could,” McKee says. “After COVID, we started getting together more often and wrapping up these songs that were works in progress.”
While the delay might seem like a setback on the surface, Ellis saw it as a silver lining to further focus in, refine their parts, and get to know these songs even better before they got into the studio.
Sonically, The Vondrukes have always more or less defied any easy genre classification. While their earlier work hewed more to a cowpunk, alt-country sound, they eventually found themselves experimenting with prog rock, Latin music, and bluegrass. Too Many Monsters feels like a showcase of how well they can navigate between these different musical forms.
“As we went, we just kept playing what came to us,” Griswold says. “We never really pigeonholed ourselves into one genre. We still have some twang in our new songs, but we also have some riff rock and hard rock, and we all love prog rock too.”
Too Many Monsters features songs digging into issues such as gun control and women’s rights, among other politically charged topics. McKee even wrote the song “Looking Glass” from the point of view of the Constitution.
The Vondrukes went into the studio to record in February 2024, with Griswold behind the boards producing. In an effort to capture the energy of their shows, they opted to record the songs live in the studio together.
“We want the record to reflect what you’re going to see at a live show,” Griswold says. “And I think we did that pretty well.”
Fans can find out just how well they captured that energy at the band’s release show at Off Broadway on November 15. The show, which is sponsored by 4 Hands Brewing Co., features support from the shoegaze/dream-pop band Seashine and Britpop-inflected post-rockers Aquitaine. Playing alongside their friends, The Vondrukes promise a high-energy, rollicking live show that will have a bit of extra emotion following the recent presidential election.
“My hope is that when people come to our show they stand back and say, ‘Holy shit, this is more than a garage band and are really putting in the work,’” Ellis says. “That’s what we really want people to experience and walk out of that room thinking, That was a badass show with high energy and really good tunes.”
For tickets and more information about The Vondrukes’ upcoming performance at Off Broadway, visit offbroadwaystl.com.
