Vended vocalist Griffin Taylor, son of Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, recently opened up about the band’s approach to their upcoming sophomore album.
Taylor explained that the band is deliberately taking a slower, more thoughtful approach this time around, in contrast to the rushed process behind their debut record.
“[With] the first album, we were actually rushing ourselves to get it done as quickly as possible, while still putting a lot of thought and effort into it,” Griffin Taylor said. “So we were like really, really just trying to like get that shit, you know, get that ball rolling and get it out as quickly as possible. With this, with this next era of Vended, we’ve had a lot of time to take our time with it.”
He went on to describe how the band is using this extra time to refine their message and creative direction, while still keeping details under wraps.
“We’ve been able to pace ourselves and really focus on what we’re trying to say and what we’re trying to do,” he continued. “And even then we’re still trying to figure it out. And I’m still trying to figure out what I’m wanting to say. And right now I’m at a certain, like certain spot where I have somewhat of an inkling of what I’m trying to convey, and what sort of image, sort of art that I’m trying to show the world — because it is about the world. But a lot of that is just secret secrets tell no one at this point.”
Taylor also emphasized that the band wants to maintain an air of mystery around the project. He noted, however, that they are actively working behind the scenes.
“We are very much just trying to keep it as clean and as mysterious as possible, while still being like, ‘we are working,'” he said. “We are, you know, we’re in the tool shed, fucking getting shit put together, and it’s just gonna, it’s just taking a lot of time now, and we’re wanting it that way because we’re wanting to put a lot more of thought and effort into it.”
Griffin Taylor’s comments offer a rare glimpse into Vended’s evolution as a band, one that has grown considerably since its earliest days.
Vended first introduced itself to the world with the 2021 EP “What Is It // Kill It.” The release established the group’s aggressive, nu-metal-leaning sound and set the stage for what was to come.
That momentum carried into 2024, when the band released its self-titled debut full-length album, “Vended.” The album gave audiences their first extended look at the group’s artistic identity beyond the EP format.
Griffin Taylor’s recent remarks came during Bloodstock Open Air, one of the UK’s premier metal festivals. He took the opportunity there to update fans on the band’s progress with the follow-up to that 2024 debut.
The setting underscores just how far Vended has come in a short span, from an emerging act introducing itself through a debut EP to a band now commanding festival stages. The group continues carefully crafting the next chapter of its catalog.
