Cooking with: Veruca Salt
Issue #30
Lead singer Louise Post tells Venus Zine about making the band’s first album in 12 years and her special Christmas brunch smorgasbord
By Allison Veronica Esposito
Published: December 1st, 2006 | 1:49pm
Time might as well have frozen 12 years ago, in 1994, when it comes to Veruca Salt’s signature sound. Remarkably, their first album in six years has all the elements that made their ’90s massive radio hit “Seether” so appealing. Crunchy guitar sounds, overt rock style, and the distinctive, vibrant wail of Louise Post’s vocals are all as perfectly interwoven today as they were a decade ago.
But for Post, lead singer and guitarist, those 12 years have made an enormous difference, including lineup changes (cofounder Nina Gordon left for a solo career), and a relocation from Chicago to Los Angeles. So when it came to describing the themes that informed Veruca Salt VSIV, it’s not surprising that Post cited “Salvation and redemption — I guess I leave it at that.”
The new album, which was released in September on Sympathy for the Record Industry, is comprised of 14 songs that mark a new era for the band — one of less struggle and a greater ease of self-expression. “I was really excited to make this record,” Post said. “It’s not coming out of a feeling of desperation … It’s more like ‘this is what I do naturally.’ It’s sort of the path of least resistance.” Time has helped make the band wiser in the studio, too. After co-producing Resolver, the band’s last record, Post learned more about the recording process and became deeply involved in the details. “[In the past] I didn’t necessarily know from the get-go what I liked about the things I responded to,” she said. “And now I get it. I understand all the elements.”
In support of VSIV, the band headed back on the road for a fall U.S. tour with their new lineup, including longtime guitarist Stephen Fitzpatrick, former Blink the Star and Failure drummer Kelli Scott, and bassist Nicole Fiorentino. For Post, the best part of touring is getting to hang around after shows, connecting with old and new fans. “Some have loved us for years — who are our American Thighs fans — and some who came on board during Resolver, and hopefully a bunch of people who will hear this for the first time,” she said. Luckily for fans, it sounds as though the next Veruca Salt record won’t be another decade in the making. “The running joke in my band is that in 2012, we’ll release Veruca Salt 5, because it’s been so long.”
The band’s tour wrapped up in time for the beginning of the holiday season. Home in L.A. now, after just more than a month of touring, which Post likened to “being a camper or being in a traveling circus,” she is looking forward to getting back to her usual eating habits, which center around staple meals such as rice and beans, tofu, and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice. We asked Post to share a recipe she’s looking forward to making for the holidays, and she told us all about her family’s traditional Christmas brunch smorgasbord, which includes scrambled eggs with smoked gouda, avocado, and oregano, a recipe she learned from her mama. “I love to make Christmas brunch, I put out the spreads and try to make my mother proud.” What else goes on the table at the Post house on Christmas morning? “I always intend on making blueberry muffins. I make a lowbrow meal,” Post admits. “Really when it comes down to biscuits, if I have to, I just make Hungry Jack biscuits. They’re really good.”
Mom Post’s Scrambled Eggs
Serves 4
8 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 avocado, diced
1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
2 Tbsp fresh chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried) oregano
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and oregano, and use a fork or whisk to scramble.
2. Set a shallow frying pan on a burner over low heat, and add the butter, letting it melt but not get brown. Pour in the egg and milk mixture and allow it to almost set, using the fork to stir every once in awhile.
3. When the eggs are still slightly wet on top, add the avocado and cheese. Let the cheese melt, and then remove from the heat.
4. Serve with biscuits (follow the directions on the Hungry Jack box) and your favorite blueberry muffins.
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