Backstory:
Vapid Literature came together during the late 90s in the indie scene of Portland, Oregon. The members, lead singer Alex Keegan, guitarist Sam Richardson, bassist Mark Griffith and drummer Lydia Stone, met in a used bookstore, where they bonded over a shared love for music and ironically, literature. They shared a common gripe about the pretentious nature of contemporary literature, prompting Alex to suggest an ironic name for their band: Vapid Literature. Their shared sentiment about literature manifested into their songwriting as they started weaving ironic and satirical elements into their lyrics.
Lydia’s garage became their recording haven and after several months of practice, they recorded their first demo. It was a unique blend of rock, indie, and undertones of folk, but with a sarcastic twist. The demo found its way into the hands of an indie label executive who, impressed by their sound, signed them immediately. Their unique sound and authentic lyrics not only set them apart from other bands in the indie scene but also earned them a loyal fan base.
Genre: Indie Rock
Title: “The Paperweight Desire”
Full Song Lyrics:
(Verse 1)
[G]Inside this glass house, [D]threw a stone,
[Em]Marked with stories, [C]secrets unknown
[G]Tales of love, [D]whispers of despair,
[Em]Pages of life, [C]into the cold air.
(Chorus)
[G]We are vapid literature, [D]written in a rush,
[Em]Pulled apart by the paperweight [C]desire, we hush,
[G]We’re the words that [D]love forgot,
[Em]In the chapters of time, [C]we’re just a thought.
(Verse 2)
[G]In the failing light, [D]we pen our tales,
[Em]Hope in our hearts, [C]as the truth unveils,
[G]The ink of dreams, [D]the paper of time,
[Em]In this book of life, [C]your story’s mine.
(Repeat Chorus)
[G]We are vapid literature, [D]written in a rush,
[Em]Pulled apart by the paperweight [C]desire, we hush,
[G]We’re the words that [D]love forgot,
[Em]In the chapters of time, [C]we’re just a thought.
Fan’s Testimonial:
The band’s favorite fan, Tess Gallagher, is an English literature professor from Seattle. Tess has been following the band since their first gig in a dingy pub in Portland. She finds their sound refreshingly unique and their lyrics intellectually stimulating. Her favorite song, “The Paperweight Desire,” is a beautiful blend of music and poetry that she uses frequently in her literature classes as an example of contemporary pop culture’s influence on literature. Tess says, “Vapid Literature is a phenomenon. They’ve turned the mundane into ironic and the pretentious into something relatable. They are a breath of fresh air in the music industry. Their satire is clever and their sound is divine. They are my favorite band because they are the perfect blend of all things great about modern music and literature.”