By: Ike Woodbury Journalist, Asia Morris Editor
You’ve heard of the greats: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones—but for those who truly rock, for those who really rock, for those who rock with purpose, there’s Vaseline.
Many famous bands, such as Limp Bizkit, Green Day, and Sleeping with Sirens, all have unique distinctive names that stand out. “Vaseline (the band)” is no exception.
The band’s captivating name isn’t just a bold choice–it’s a clever marketing tactic which grabs attention. As Brady Griffiths explains, “It also makes it easier to search up online.”
Since forming in 2022, the group has written their own music and lyrics, mainly in the Indie Rock genre. They’ve also had the honor of opening for various other local bands at local venues.
Vaseline is Fremont’s most popular student band, with the lineup including Marcos Salas rocking the bass guitar; Matt Moulding providing harmony vocals and Logan Jones jamming out on the guitar; and Brady Griffiths slamming the drums and belting out the vocals. Some of their most popular tracks include “Hate Song,” and their newly featured “Christmas EP.”
Vaseline’s sound is driven by a passion for music that each band member inhibits.
Guitarist Logan Jones, shares that his family’s love for music inspired him to create. “My dad, my brother, and just being surrounded by music and people who love art and music my whole life really inspired me to want to create it.” As for the band’s direction, Logan is clear: “5th Wave Emo, Midwest Emo–whole lotta Emo.”
While the band is rooted in emo, their musical influences are diverse. From Logan’s love for emo bands such as Modern Baseball and indie band, JANK, to Marcos’ massive range of inspirations with jazz and indie musician, Mac Demarco, the band uses many genres and artists to shape their sound.
The blend of influences and genres feeds into their songwriting, which provides their songs with the ability to respond to the reactions of their differing audiences. Because of this variety, the vibe can quickly change throughout the songs, but underneath, there’s always the pressure to live up to their fans’ expectations.
Drummer and lead singer, Brady Griffiths, shares the stress that audiences can give, “I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to be what we have been before, but the people who like us now are gonna continue to like us, even when we experiment with our music.”
If you’ve heard any of their songs, you know that the band is, in the majestical, metaphorical, yet nonsensical sense of the word, the jelly. So, for those about to rock with a purpose (or for those who just need some moisturizing), there’s Vaseline (the band).
