James Kugler and Josh Zuckerman met in high school in early 2002 when a mutual friend (and phenomenal drummer) introduced them and suggested that the three of them form a rock band. Although Zuckerman was initially suspicious of Kugler’s penchant for wifebeaters and hair gel, and Kugler was uncomfortable with the fact that Zuckerman looked vaguely like Angus from the similarly named 1995 feature film, their musical connection could not be denied and the two became fast friends. The result was a jazz/rock/funk fusion band dubbed "Right There" that proceeded to completely suck for two full years before anyone realized just how wretched they truly were. Of this time, Zuckerman says “It was a bad scene, man…we were like Gwar covering Kenny G. I just wish someone had clued us in.†In mid-2004, Right There disbanded, leaving behind them one six-song EP, a slew of embarrassing demos, and an extraordinarily relieved set of friends and families. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ While their former drummer went to on mind-bogglingly bigger and better things almost immediately, Kugler and Zuckerman spent the next six months in musical purgatory, each silently (and occasionally, quite vocally) blaming the other for the demise of Right There. Eventually they tired of petty bitching and set their sights on more important things: fame and money…oh, and music. The two agreed that it was in their best interest to trade the bizarre time signatures, samba beats, and often nonsensical lyrics of Right There for amplified distortion and thundering drums. And so, Soma (bear with us) was born. Soma was better, but still sort of sucked. “Ah yes, Soma,†says Kugler with a twinkle in his eye, “This was really the first true incarnation of Vanity Vinyl. Unlike Right There, which never had balls, Soma was like a band that had serious balls, but had recently been neutered, you know?†Whether or not you do, in fact, “know,†Soma was missing one critical element (besides “balls,†apparently). ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Deeply frustrated by increasing songwriting and production roadblocks, Zuckerman called upon childhood friend Bailey Math, a chain-smoking ex-hippie/neo-hipster musical virtuoso, for help producing a few tracks. Math did such an outstanding job (when he wasn’t wrist deep in a jar of peanut butter) that Kugler and Zuckerman practically begged him to come aboard permanently as lead guitarist and “in-band producer.†Math agreed on one condition: the name had to go. “These two jackasses had come up with the shittiest name I’d ever heard in my life,†says Math, looking deadly serious, “Soma was already the name of about sixty-five other bands out there, including one totally heady jam band and a miserable death metal band. We couldn’t have people mixing us up with that garbage.†After a very heated and over-analytical debate, the name Vanity Vinyl was settled upon, and the rest, as they say, is history…sort of. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ The band is currently at work on their debut album, tentatively titled Vanity Vinyl’s Greatest Hits: Volume I, which is due out in August 2007. Expect to hear a lot from these young men. Rock and roll needs them.
