Viagra Boys Artistfacts

2015-
Sebastian MurphyVocals2015-
Henrik "Benke" HöckertBass2015-
Tor SjödénDrums2015-
Oskar CarlsSaxophone, flute, guitar2015-
Benjamin ValléGuitar2015-2021
Martin EhrencronaKeyboards2015-2019
Rasmus BoobergPercussion, guitar2015-2017
Elias JungqvistKeyboards, percussion2019-
Linus HillborgGuitar2021-
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.
Three years in, Viagra Boys released their debut album, Street Worms (2018), a slab of wiry, tough, post-punk grooves.
Benjamin Valle stepped away from the band in 2020, replaced by Linus Hillborg. Valle died in 2021 at age 47 under unconfirmed circumstances. "All the riffs, the whole guitar style, it's always like, you've got to play it like he did," Murphy reflected. "Ben lives on forever in this band."
Their name, Viagra Boys, is a satirical jab at hypermasculinity, poking fun at societal expectations of male potency and bravado. It's "a comment on the failed male role in today's society," the band told The Fader.
Early on, some figures in Sweden's punk scene took issue with the band's name, assuming it was an attack on women. "It wasn't," Murphy chuckled to Mojo, adding, "Being misunderstood is a beautiful thing."
Sebastian Murphy's romantic partner, Moa Romanova, is a well-known Swedish artist and comic author who created the artwork for their 2022 album Cave World. Her acclaimed graphic novel Goblin Girl is partly inspired by their relationship.
Murphy is the only foreign-born member. Born in San Rafael, California, he moved to Sweden as a teenager to live with his aunt. He's a trained tattoo artist and originally moved for a "change of scene."
Viagra Boys' live shows are raucous, unpredictable, and sometimes unhinged. Murphy is famed for appearing shirtless with his gut hanging out and stoking crowd chaos, reinforcing the band's ethos of embracing imperfection and outsider identity.

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