Contact the band for bookings and information: vintageblondechicago@gmail.com

PRESS RELEASE FOR VBC

VINTAGE BLONDE CHICAGO RELEASES THEIR NEW ALBUM “AFTERLIFE” ON SUNDAY MAY 4TH

Afterlife marks one of the last projects engineered by Steve Albini.

Rock band Vintage Blonde Chicago released its debut album, Afterlife, on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The album release was celebrated with a launch party at Schubas Tavern in Chicago where the band played the album live. 

Afterlife, which the Illinois Entertainer recently described as, “Chicago's Vintage Blonde blueprints their punk and rock originals from women powered vintage bands like The Slits and The Blackhearts to L7,” centers on the state of the world and the role of women in it. The album is comprised of eight original songs and includes: Hurricane, a rocking tune with an “anthemic and apocalyptic pro-climate message” (Illinois Entertainer); In My Way, a punky tune about women and the glass ceiling; You're The One, a rock ballad where love overcomes the world's uncertainties; Alien Message, “a bluesy tongue-in-cheek rocker any XFiles will appreciate” (Illinois Entertainer); Backtrack, a rock song that chronicles addiction; When the Smoke Clears, a breakup song; no girls in the band, a tune inspired by the absence of women in 70s and 80s all-male rock bands; and , finally, Skull & Bone, a dark anthem about death, the great equalizer. 

Vintage Blonde Chicago is Linda Martin (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Kim Swinton (lead guitar, vocals), Leslie “Rez” Gaeth (bass, keyboards) and Nina Talia (drums). Afterlife is one of the final projects by the legendary Steve Albini. Vintage Blonde worked with Steve to capture a life, raw, authentic performance sound in a single recorded playthrough using analogue tape and limited overdubs, Steve recorded and premixed the entire album and completed the final mix for six of the eight songs, when he unexpectedly passed away prior to the final mixing session. 

Afterlife is available at all major digital and streaming services under the full band name, Vintage Blonde Chicago.