(Not) guilty: My open letter to Louise Post

Sorry Nina Gordon, but I’ve always been on the Louise Post team when it comes to Veruca Salt. Not in a negative way, far from it. I think the chemistry between them made Veruca Salt one of the biggest and best American guitar bands of the 90’s, especially at a time in music history when women fronting rock bands was rare to find (Unless you were a fan of Hole or L7).

What I mean is that Louise Post had – or rather, has – a vocal style that takes us to a warm place from the moment we hear it, while Nina Gordon was an energy leak. And, I’m sorry to say this in the middle of 2023, but it’s inevitable: it was impossible not to fall in love with the feral Louise and her eyes as clear as a lantern. And for a teenage misfit accustomed to platonic loves, Louise Post was the complete package. Beautiful, talented, mysterious. By the way, she still is.

While many people tend to praise Veruca Salt’s debut album “American Thighs” (including Olivia Rodrigo who made a beautiful live version of “Seether”), I have infinite fondness for the second album “Eight Arms to Hold you”. Is this the band’s best album? Certainly not. But it was the one who kept me company – and hugged me (sorry for the pun) – in a period of fear and insecurity in my life, during my parents’ divorce and, at the same time, taking the university entrance exam.

There wasn’t much love in my life and certainly no sexual love or interactions. All I had were the tracks where Louise Post stood in front of the mic. (And I kind of hated Nina for taking up that space, I know it’s absurd, but even today I don’t listen to Paul McCartney because I love John Lennon so much). While Louise had the ability to release this kind of tension as soon as she started singing, her guitar sounded like a knife cutting the daily dullness. That’s all I really needed: to forget about my problems and think about a beautiful solid things such as Louise Post.

Let’s fast-forward this tape straight to the present day. Louise Post releases her first independent solo album “Sleepwalker”, shortly after giving us one of the most interesting EP that few people have heard: “But I love you without mascara”, rare stuff from her time as Veruca Salt’s songwriter. Well, if this were a traditional review, I’d say I loved the new album. But apparently, things got out of control and all I can say is that I listened to the first 2 tracks released. “Guilty” and “What about”. It was enough to blow me away.

Her voice, by nature’s mystery, sounds exactly like the tender times of Veruca Salt. With the addition that now we no longer have the low-profile/lantern-eyed Louise Post, but a woman who won many battles and had enough losses that would probably deter her from, today, releasing a well-produced album and announcing a tour amid the market’s appeal for revelation singers under 20 years old. Ok, she herself told me that she doesn’t feel comfortable when the topic runs that way. Probably because she has already been misinterpreted by the media a thousand times. And now, it’s like she no longer has the right to make mistakes.

Well, maybe one day my heart will handle listening the rest of the tracks and I’ll be able to make her simple, silly questions. “Hi, Louise, what are your expectations for this new work”?Maybe it won’t be such a big deal. Maybe I won’t get so damn nostalgic about listening Louise Post once again and I’ll get through the whole “Sleepwalking” experience. Maybe it won’t hurt me anymore. All I can say is that I feel so happy we still have such a talented artist among us, helping us live out our fears, and, mostly, making us fall in love again. And again. And again.

As a reference to another survivor artist: thank you for the music, Louise.

I hope to (actually) see you someday.

Note to self – You’re safe with me, Louise Fucking Post.