Punk Band Vial Takes On Nirvana's 'Territorial Pissings'

Minneapolis indie rockers/punk band Vial have released a ripping cover of Nirvana’s Territorial Pissings (an already perfect angst-ridden punk song) that’s somehow simultaneously the same song and a different song altogether.

With a great song under their belt entitled Piss Punk, I guess they’re keeping up a theme? On Vial’s version of the Nirvana classic, band members Taylor Kraemer, the keytarist and bassist (she/they), guitarist KT Branscom (they/them), and drummer Katie Fischer (she/they), lead a “PISS, PISS, PISS” chant before breaking into song. 

Retaining the song’s primary melody, Vial’s energy makes it their own and that bridge has never sounded so gritty. As Punk News reports, the cover was recorded by Sam Tudor and mixed and mastered by Hansel Romero. Check it out below.

Vial released their second album, Loudmouth, in July 2021. 

“Vial are musicians, not influencers, and on their sophomore LP, Loudmouth, they’re making pop-punk for the Extremely Online,” Swim Into The Sound remarked in an album review. Vial are a riot grrrl band for the Extremely Online generation, taking the rage of Bikini Kill, the feminism of Sleater-Kinney, and the diversity of Sonic Youth and Wolf Alice to a whole new audience.

As their band biography reads, “Vial brings their genre-bending cascade of sound into electrifying live performances. Songs that smack you in the face: Rage-written speed runs about running over misogynists (Roadkill) are followed by head-bopping, cheek-blushing queer love songs to tingle your toes (Violet). LOUDMOUTH (2021) was highly anticipated after the success of their debut EP, Grow Up, which hit streaming sites soon after the group’s formation in 2019. 

“Following the release of LOUDMOUTH, VIAL has made an explosive return to live music, playing historic venues across Minnesota, including First Avenue’s iconic main stage. It’s not often that a band has their first tour after three years and two records released, but VIAL is everything but your typical band."