After Nirvana exploded in the 1990s, bands across the globe got signed for sounding just enough like the Kurt, Krist, and Dave, an inevitable result of major labels hoping to find "the next Nirvana." It was also inevitable that young artists would be influenced by the band dominating radio and MTV, and so began the delicate balance of imitation and influence, recycling and reinterpretation. On their sophomore album Into The Pink, Verbena had a lot to shoulder. With the multi-pronged assault of electronica, nu-metal and manufactured pop, some decried the end of rock'n'roll in the later half other decade, and searched for a savior. With a single that tipped a nod to Cobain vocally and Nirvana sonically, and with Dave Grohl onboard as producer, the hype machine declaring Verbena to be "the next Nirvana" was in full swing, coloring the band before most got to hear the record in full. We try to get beneath the marketing and figure out what really worked, what didn't, and why rock music fans in general are so intent on tearing down the latest thing.
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