Formed in 1992, Veruca Salt were a young band led by talented singer-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post. Together they would break into an already strong Alternative Rock scene with hits including the 1994 single “Seether.” Recording a list of albums as Veruca Salt, including 2015’s Ghost Notes, in 2023 Post has surprised many with the release of her debut solo album, Sleepwalker. Released back on June 2nd, Post’s solo debut is a separate entity from Veruca Salt, but no less engaging. An album which finds this songwriter using other tools other than a guitar to write and record, it is full of emotion that was just begging to burst into the atmosphere.
Very much a new chapter in Post’s life, the songstress recently sat down for a thought-provoking look into her songs, the bittersweet feeling of working outside Veruca Salt, plus much more.
Cryptic Rock – You have been in music professionally for three decades. Accomplishing a lot with Vercua Salt, you have recently gone on to release solo material. How would you describe your journey as a musician?
Louise Post – That amount of time is always pretty shocking to me; because it doesn’t feel like that many years or that I’ve even been alive that long. (Laughs) I started my band in ’93, we played our first show that year, and it’s been a wild ride. There have been so many peaks and valleys. A lot of the reason it doesn’t feel that long is because I’ve taken such extended breaks from music. It’s something I keep returning to, but I haven’t stayed in it steadily making records and building a career throughout that time.
That’s just what has happened naturally for me and my trajectory. Any band you can think of that never stopped making records… that has not been my story. I’ve had long stretches where I’ve not made music, nor even necessarily wanted to. I keep being drawn back to it because it seems to be something I’m called to do. I feel like – who am I to say no to a power greater than myself, if you will, that is guiding me in this direction.
In this case in particular I really wasn’t looking to make an album and it found me. Once I started writing and realizing it was a record I was over the moon. I was ecstatic because I believe in these songs so much and I felt that they were important to release at this time; for me, my fanbase, and whoever wanted to listen. It just felt like a timely album and the only move in my life that wasn’t a question mark. It was the feeling – this is happening… so follow the music so to speak.
Cryptic Rock – Well it is great that you keep coming back to music. What do you think inspires you to keep coming back?
Louise Post – Since I was seven years old, I’ve been writing poetry. I’ve written more songs than I’ve written poems, but there have been stretches where I have expressed myself through poetry. Then when I found a guitar, I realized that I could do it through songwriting. I have that innate need to make sense of life through artistic expression. In my case, music has always been a huge part of my life. Singing in harmony with my mom and dad has always been something I’ve done. It has just turned out to be a central focus of my existence.
The part that I keep returning to is this inherent need to make it. It’s definitely not the money grub, we’re past that, it’s really more that this is important to do. I’m literally dreaming of these songs. I never really believed there was any money inherently involved in music in the first place. I just made music for the sake of music. When it became my career, I was shocked. I didn’t imagine anyone beyond my family, my boyfriend, and best friends would hear the music. Then Veruca Salt became extremely successful sort of overnight. It’s been kind of a wild ride ever since. It’s definitely been an education, a human education.
I just keep dreaming these songs, waking up and thinking – that’s a really good song, who wrote that song? I wish I wrote that song. Then I realized – actually, I wrote that song and dreamed it up. I love the art of making music and writing songs. It’s sort of agonizing and exhilarating at the same time.
Cryptic Rock – It is a cathartic release. Veruca Salt came up in the ‘90s when the Alternative Rock scene was very strong. You had so many unique bands around at the time including Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Hole, etc. What do you think made that scene so strong and unique?
Louise Post – I would say it was a reaction to Hair Metal and to the glam and pretense of the ‘80s. I will say that Jane’s Addiction turned all of that on its head. It went from being Dance Rock, which was really groovy, and all of sudden Nirvana hit and it was no more of that. Jane’s Addiction was Punk Rock in their own way and I loved that band. Then when Nirvana happened everything came crashing down from their era.
If you look at Kurt Cobain as the king of the era, which I think he was, it was about authenticity. It was about no pretense and being as authentic and honest as one can possibly be. That appealed to me. What was happening in music was brutally, ecstatically loud; plus the poetry of the lyrics and the sonic assault of all of it is partially why we named our band what we did. I wanted it to be bombastic and crushing. It went from wanting to be a dreamy Grunge band to wanting to be a full sonic assault.
Inherent in all of that loud, bombastic Rock was really honest lyrics. It was really exposing political lyrics. There was certainly a movement of women amidst all the Grunge dudes. There was a really poignant, powerful movement of women taking center stage. I was inspired by the women who were around me, and who preceded me, to do just that. I was also inspired by all the male rockers and musicians I had admired my whole life.
Cryptic Rock – It was a very unique time in Rock-n-Roll. You speak of authenticity; you have remained that by not continuing to make albums just to make them. You recently released a new solo album, Sleepwalker. What inspired you to make this a solo record versus a Veruca Salt record?
Louise Post – The last Veruca Salt record was in 2015. We toured some of that in The States and Australia. Beyond that, it was put quite simply that it was not an interest from various other bandmates to make another Veruca Salt record right away… so, I just put a pin in it.
I wasn’t intending to make a solo record, but as I wrote more songs and the band itself wasn’t active, I wasn’t able to activate the entity that is Veruca Salt, it became clear that I was going to be recording on my own. That’s how the solo record came about. It’s been a great experience. It’s been liberating in some ways to be the judge and jury of my own music, but also to play/collaborate with other people. To go on my own literal solo journey has been an awesome experience and I’m loving it.
Cryptic Rock – Interesting. Sleepwalker is really quite good. It is not as guitar heavy and clearly different from Veruca Salt. Was that something apparent to you as these songs were taking shape?
Louise Post – Yes. I wasn’t really listening to a lot of guitar driven Rock at the time; I was more interested in the song. As I said, in the past the guitar is what drove the song. I would pick up the guitar, and as soon as I picked up the guitar, I would start writing. Sometimes I’d maybe not want to pick it up… because I didn’t necessarily want to write a song or know what’s in there. Whatever is going on with me, the guitar will give way to… and then I’m in the process of songwriting.
As I’ve matured, now if I don’t pick a guitar, a song will write itself in my head. It is like it is going around circuitously saying – okay, you may not pick up a guitar, but we are still going to make a song happen here. So, I will write the whole thing in my head, and then have to grab a guitar or get to a piano to just find the chords underneath. I can sing the bass notes into my voice memos on my phone, but I can’t always get the whole vibe. I usually have to keep an acoustic nearby, or, get up in the middle of the night, sing the bass line into my phone, and in the morning see if I can actually make sense of it.
Sometimes if I’m just dozing off, I’ll hear a song; like the song “Guilty” was written this way. I just heard the song, woke up, and was really annoyed because I wanted to take a nap… but I had to write this song. (Laughs) I recorded it two days later and I wrote the lyrics on the way to the studio. “Killer” was similar. At that point somebody had said to me, “Are you going to write more Rock songs for this record?” I said, “I wasn’t planning on it, but I bet my fans would really appreciate that.” The song “Killer” came out to me really fast in one afternoon. It isn’t purposely not a Rock record, but it just wasn’t where my head was at the time.
Cryptic Rock – It is fascinating how things work out. It’s amazing how these thoughts come into our heads as we are feeling asleep. Is it because we are clearing our minds? It seems there is a moment of clarity in this state of mind.
Louise Post – There is a term for it, it’s called hypnagogia. During hypnagogia it is common to experience involuntary and imagined experiences. The spiritual meaning of hypnagogia is that portal to that consciousness of the within. It is very interesting.
My sister is somewhat of a psychic just on her own; she is not like a psychic for hire, she just has experiences with passed on loved ones. She has these experiences usually during mediation or the state when she is falling asleep. That is when she has spirits from beyond come through and talk/visit her. I had that experience with my father after he passed away; he whispered in my ear and I heard it clear as day right in that moment between awake and asleep. I believe in that. Maybe someone else can explain it to me better, but I feel I am being guided to write these songs by someone or something. But I’m not supposed to stop, otherwise I would have… because I have a busy life and music wasn’t necessarily a part of the plan for this part of my life. It is now, it’s awesome, and I love it.
I’m a full-time mom, I have a thirteen year old daughter and she just came and saw me play in Seattle. I didn’t like being away from her on tour, but I think it’s really important that she sees me play and my element. That’s been an interesting turn and twist that I get to model that for my kid. For a few years I was writing for a side project; I didn’t plan on doing that, but it happened naturally. That was on the heels of teaching music at my daughter’s elementary school; because music teachers do not really exist like they used to in public schools anymore. That was unacceptable to me, so I volunteered to play music with the kids and teach music. I did it for four years and I realized if I kept doing it, I probably would never write another record. I segued into a side project, we recorded an EP, and it’s going to come out sometime soon. From there I realized I was writing songs for a solo record.
I’ve honestly been going where the spirit moves me. I don’t want to say where the wind blows me, because it’s not a whimsical thing. I’m very serious about my music and my art. I’m very serious about my connection with my fans too. This summer of touring thus far and the release of this album has reconnected me to a countless number of people to whom it matters a lot what I put out. It reminded me of the importance of doing it. It was just a gut feeling I had as I was making the record, but actually going out there and being on tour to reconnect with faces I knew and ones I didn’t, was profoundly meaningful.
Cryptic Rock – One can imagine how surreal it all must feel. You wrapped up some shows at the end of July. What has it been like going out there and playing solo? Is it a different feeling than playing with the band?
Louise Post – I thought it would be in a way easier to tour on my own than under Veruca Salt with a different lineup. I toured as Veruca Salt with the original lineup, but when my partner left the band, I kept the band going with different members. That was a lot for me to carry on my shoulders; even though I am really proud of those albums and love the players who were with me at the time.
I thought this time not carrying the name Veruca Salt, and just being on my own would be easier, but it was wild seeing my name on the marque. I kept thinking I was with Veruca Salt, because I’ve always been behind that moniker; that’s the name of the musical band I’ve been touring with my whole career. Suddenly to see my name on the marque was shocking and a little daunting, but I knew I had to own it, because that’s what I was there for.
I also had a smoking band. So, I wasn’t alone up there, I had an incredible band of players with me who were really invested, cared a ton, and were incredible players. I adore them and the band was fantastic; it wasn’t just me and some tracks, it was a full band. I will continue to tour and do shows with them.
Cryptic Rock – It sounds like it was a great experience. Going back to what you said – music has been a life experience. What would you say are some of the most important things you have learned from this journey?
Louise Post – I would say I have learned to not sweat the lows because the highs are coming. If you are in it for the long haul, there are going to be ebbs and flows. Don’t sweat the small stuff and be in the present. That’s the muscle I try to flex every day; to be grateful for what I have and all of my blessings. I have learned to not live in the future, because it hasn’t happened yet, and I can’t control it. I have learned to not ruminate about the past, but to be in acceptance of how things have gone and the choices I’ve made.
Someone once told me, worry is like a rocking chair… you can sit there all day, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. For that reason, I think the best way to live is to be in the present and really own it. If you’re making a record, make a record; don’t worry about how people are going to receive it. None of that matters, it’s all in the process. We have today and today’s the day to live… carpe diem.
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