Vundabar

Vundabar is an indie rock trio from Boston, active since 2012. The group consists of Brandon Hagen, Drew McDonald and Zack Abramo. It begins as a duo formed by Hagen, who sings and plays guitar, and McDonald, who plays drums, while they are still in high school; Abramo later joins on bass as the band starts playing locally.

Style and influences

The band’s sound combines jangly indie rock with fuzzed-out elements, drawing on math rock and surf rock as well as post-punk. Its early material also blends melody-driven folk textures with loud-soft-loud dynamics, and its music is often compared with the work of Pixies.

Releases

Vundabar’s debut album is Antics. The band then shifts to a grittier tone on Gawk in 2015, which adds grunge-influenced post-punk elements. Smell Smoke follows in 2018 and presents a dense, hook-led set. In 2020 the group releases Either Light, a compact fourth album and the first on which it works with producer Patrick Hyland, who is also known for work with Mitski.