Hailing from West London is an English rock band by the name, The Vaccines! You could easily describe the band’s sound as indie rock, and yes, that is a great place to start, yes and Today we take a deeper dive into The Vaccines.

Band founder and leader Justin Hayward-Young had been writing and performing from his early high school years, most notably performing as Jay Jay Pistolet, releasing a handful of material and beginning touring. This would all come to an end in December of 2008 when Justin Young announced the end of Jay Jay Pistolet.

The following year, in 2009, Justin teamed up with Freddie Cowan. The two began writing, and within months they worked up some material. In August of 2010, The Vaccines released a demo on YouTube titled “If You Wanna,” receiving high praise from New Zealand radio DJ and television presenter Zane Lowe. The band created a real buzz in London as they took the stage for their first performances, kicking into action and going on a UK tour, selling out venues along the way. As the band's debut tour in November came to an end, they released a double single including “Wreckin' Bar” and “Blow It Up.” These songs would push the band’s success.

2011 was a big year for The Vaccines. Placing 3rd in BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll, appearing on the cover of New Musical Express. Shortly after that, the crew received confirmation of a contract with Columbia Records. The band quickly released their second single on January 24th, 2011. The song “Post Break-Up Sex” made its debut at number 32 on the UK charts. Needless to say, that put a lot of eyes on the band. The Vaccines received nominations from MTV and BRITs, took their first trip to America, performed a tour, hit the studio, cut a record… Then came the release of the band's debut album, “What Did You Expect from The Vaccines.” The band worked in the studio of Albert Hammond Jr., best known for his work in The Strokes. By August 2011, The Vaccines released the single they had worked on with Albert, “Tiger's Blood.”

On September 3rd, 2012, The Vaccines released their second album, “Coming of Age.” Justin Young has been critical of this album, calling it a creative misstep. Nevertheless, this album reached No. 1 on the album charts and was certified gold in the UK. The Vaccines had sold out a show at Alexandra Palace and performed to a packed crowd of ten thousand people! Going on to land magazine covers, release music, and rock heads. In January 2013, the band executed their first headliner tour in the US. By the summer of 2013, The Vaccines had performed with rock and roll super legends The Rolling Stones.

By 2016, The Vaccines had done quite a lot, including releasing the album “English Graffiti” and recruiting keyboardist Timothy Lanham. It was on June 17th that the band announced drummer Pete Robertson’s departure. The band brought on Yoann Intonti and continued. Over the next year, the band would tour overseas, laying the foundation for events to come. The Vaccines would spend 2017 getting busy on a new album, and in 2018 they launched a new campaign for their fourth album, “Combat Sports.” This album would hit No. 4 on UK charts upon release. After selling out shows on a UK tour, The Vaccines embarked on a world tour and even performed with The Rolling Stones for the second time.

Throughout the downtimes of 2020, The Vaccines kept the internet alive with the release of a couple of singles and six cover songs. In 2021, The Vaccines, ready to return to the crew's rock and roll warpath. In the month of September, the band released their fifth studio album, coming in at No. 5 on UK charts. “Back in Love City” was recorded just outside of El Paso, Texas, at the studios of Sonic Ranch. The Vaccines returned to the stage in the UK, touring small venues across the land. In 2022, the band would return on a massive tour.

Shortly after wrapping up 2022, on March 15th, 2023, Cowan announced that he was stepping away from the band. This news came to The Vaccines in the months in advance of the announcement. In an interview with Music Week, Red Light Management's James Sandom responded to Cowan’s departure, “For Freddie, it was a change in life circumstances. He had just become a father and he didn't want to be on the road all the time, so it was a natural progression.”

The band brought on Matt Hitt as keyboardist and guitarist. Timothy Lanham moved to lead guitar. Justin Young announced that the band had finished their sixth studio album and expressed excitement for future tour campaigns. After the announcement, The Vaccines released the album single “Heartbreak Kid.” The album “Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations” was released on January 12th, 2024, and the crew continues to achieve great success with massive tour efforts.

They have shown unwavering dedication; this band has driven a path and built bridges for future generations to cross. The Vaccines are truly a testament to the lifeblood of rock and roll and rock culture.