Viagra Boys

The lineage of Viagra Boys stretches back into Sweden's fierce hardcore scene of the early 2010s when bassist Henrik Höckert and guitarist Benjamin Valle first played together in the abrasive punk outfit Pig Eyes.

When Pig Eyes dissolved, Höckert recruited Sebastian Murphy, a reformed speed freak from San Rafael, California, after meeting him through his girlfriend, who worked with Murphy at a tattoo parlor. Murphy's unique rendition of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" at a karaoke event convinced the others he was the right frontman for their new band. Höckert had a clear brief: "very simple, repetitive, monotone music, almost following mathematical formulae," Murphy told Mojo magazine.

Murphy's lyrics often take the form of sinister, sardonic monologues inspired by internet overload and meme culture. "I'll write down a word or phrase into Notes on my phone, then freestyle lyrics over a riff," he explained.