It looks like it will be a race to the finish to see which of the former bandmates/best friends Nina Gordon and Louise Post will get the first post-Veruca Salt album into stores. |

Because it was Gordon who left the band in a huff last February, Post has been able to retain the name. However, according to a spokesman at DGC Records, "It's not clear whether Louise will keep the name, we'll just have to see." But Post's producer and former member of Filter, Brian Leisegang, insists that she will. In fact, Post's first post-Gordon effort was at one time titled Veruca Salt, Veruca Salt, as a homage to the short-lived but seminal night-time Seventies soap opera, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, reflecting the soap opera aspect of Gordon and Post's parting. According to published reports, the two went their separate ways after Gordon discovered that Post had consoled Gordon's longtime beau, Fig Dish's Blake Smith, after he found out that Gordon was making time with newish Veruca Salt drummer Stacy Jones, whom they imported from Letters to Cleo. But back to the music ...

Liesegang said that Post's new record will "showcase a different Veruca Salt," which probably has more to do with the fact that Liesegang has replaced Gordon as Post's new writing partner. The winsome brunette has penned more than thirty songs -- with and without Liesegang -- and has recorded them over the past six months at Liesegang's home studio and at Chicago's Gravity Studios. Although Liesegang was reluctant to divulge any titles, the former Nine Inch Nails programmer did allow that some of the standout tracks were "Disconnected," "South For Summer" and "Salt Flat Epic," a song which he and Post co-wrote about their mutual partings with former co-workers. Liesegang broke from Filter cohort and NIN alum Richard Patrick last year, when the two disagreed over how work was progressing on their follow-up to their platinum debut, Short Bus. As it stands, Filter's album -- minus Leisegang -- is due out late next year.

"This project has been really time-consuming, but we'll be done with the recording process within a month, and then we'll mix the album in January," Liesegang said. "We're totally happy with the music, and I don't think that Veruca Salt fans will be disappointed. The sense of melody is still intact, but there has been growth -- and in some respects, Louise has gone out on a limb."

The limb he refers to has to do with some experimental flourishes like backward guitar and mellotron. Liesegang recruited another Filter ex-patriot, Matt Walker, who spent most of last year as the Smashing Pumpkins' touring drummer and recently finished recording an album with his band Cupcakes, to play drums on six of the tracks. Rounding out the line-up is former Triple Fast Action bassist Kevin Tihista (here playing guitar) and Jimmy Medlow on drums. Liesegang plays some guitar on the album, but is not a member of the band. "Right now, it's a three-piece, and later on Louise will pick up a bass player."

In addition to a new line-up and a new producer, Louise Post has also hired a new manager, Ted Gardner, who also guides the fortunes of Hum and Tool -- as well as Liesegang -- and still retains a sizeable percentage of the currently resting Lollapalooza franchise. Liesegang and Post are hoping for an April release, and DGC concurs, explaining that the record "should come out in late spring."

As for Gordon, she is currently in Hawaii working with bombastic producer Bob Rock, who, in addition to being responsible for opuses by Motley Crue, Metallica and Bon Jovi, also produced Veruca Salt's Eight Arms to Hold You. Gordon will remain on the islands until March, when her solo album is scheduled to be completed. According to Geffen, her offering will be out in June and will feature the aforementioned Stacy Jones on drums and Letters to Cleo vets Mike Eisenstein and Scott Riebling on guitar and bass, respectively.

JAAN UHELSZKI(November 24, 1998)