Viagra Boys

Viagra Boys was formed in Stockholm in 2015 by members active in other bands such as Nine, Les Big Byrd, Pig Eyes, Nitad, and Neu-Ronz. Lead singer Sebastian Murphy is the only foreign-born member of the group, being an American from San Rafael, California, who moved to Stockholm to live with his aunt at the age of 17. Born to a Swedish mother and an American father, Murphy is a native speaker of both Swedish and English.{{Cite web |title=Viagra Boys Might Genuinely Get You Back Into Post Punk |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/viagra-boys-sports-interview-2018/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=Vice.com |language=en}} A heavy drug and alcohol addict at the time, Murphy worked as a tattoo artist and met the other band members while performing Mariah Carey's song "We Belong Together" at a karaoke night. Murphy is the chief lyricist of the band.

In 2018, the band released their debut album, Street Worms, on the Swedish independent label Year0001. Nils Hansson of Dagens Nyheter described the band favorably, praising their musical style as well as their use of black humor and satire, and rated the album 5/5.{{cite news|author=Hansson, Nils|title=Dagen's words: Viagra Boys är mycket mer än bara enkelspåriga|url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/skivrecensioner/dagens-skiva-viagra-boys-ar-mycket-mer-an-bara-enkelspariga/|newspaper=Dagens Nyheter|date=28 September 2018|access-date=9 December 2018}} In 2019, the band won the Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA) Album of the Year Award for Street Worms.{{cite web |title=VIAGRA BOYS - Album of the Year WINNER 2019 |url=https://www.impalamusic.org/content/viagra-boys-album-year-winner-2019 |website=IMPALA - Independent Music Companies Association |access-date=2020-11-07}}

The band's second album, Welfare Jazz, was released in January 2021. In October of that same year, founding member and guitarist Benjamin Vallé died at the age of 47. While he appeared on Welfare Jazz, he was not an active member of the band at the time of his death.{{cite news |author=Demirian, Natalie |date=27 October 2021 |title=Viagra-Boys-gitarristen Benjamin Vallé död |newspaper=Aftonbladet |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/dnM48A/viagra-boys-gitarristen-benjamin-valle-dod |access-date=27 October 2021}}{{cite news |author=Hussey, Allison |date=27 October 2021 |title=Viagra Boys' Benjamin Vallé Has Died at 47 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/viagra-boys-benjamin-valle-has-died-at-47/ |access-date=27 October 2021}} A deluxe edition of Welfare Jazz released in 2022, featuring new album art and seven new tracks.

Viagra Boys' third studio album, Cave World, was released in July 2022.{{Cite web|title=Viagra Boys: Cave Story|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/viagra-boys-cave-world/|access-date=2022-07-19|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Viagra Boys: Welfare Jazz|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/viagra-boys-welfare-jazz/|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Pitchfork|language=en}} The band played at multiple festivals in 2022, including Coachella and Primavera Sound,{{Cite web |last=Pearis |first=Bill |title=Viagra Boys touring around Coachella, releasing 'Welfare Jazz' deluxe edition |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/viagra-boys-touring-around-coachella-releasing-welfare-jazz-deluxe-edition/ |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Primavera Sound 2022 made up for lost time |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/06/24/primavera-sound-2022-festival-review-recap |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=The FADER |language=en}} and performed at Glastonbury in 2023. Viagra Boys won the Swedish Grammis award for Rock of the Year in 2023, and supported Queens of the Stone Age during their North American tour that same year.{{Cite web|title=Grammisgalan|url=https://www.tv4.se/klipp/va/20550750/viagra-boys-vinner-pris-for-arets-rock-pa-grammisgalan-2023|access-date=2021-01-14|website=TV4|language=sv}}{{Cite web|title=Queens Of The Stone Age Announce North American Tour With Phantogram, Viagra Boys, The Armed, & Jehnny Beth|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2226162/queens-of-the-stone-age-announce-north-american-tour-with-phantogram-viagra-boys-the-armed-jehnny-beth/news/|access-date=2023-06-06|website=Stereogum|language=en}}

File:Viagra Boys - 44414604600.jpg, Sweden]]

In January 2025, Viagra Boys announced Viagr Aboys, which was released on 25 April via their newly launched label Shrimptech Enterprises.{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Gavyn |date=January 23, 2025 |title=Viagra Boys Announce New Album viagr aboys |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/viagra-boys/viagra-boys-announce-new-album-viagr-aboys |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}

Much of the band's lyrics focus on ridiculing hypermasculinity, far-right politics, and conspiracy theories. Speaking of his lyrics, Murphy said "Half of it is an act, and half of it is like a diary in a way. I don't do it consciously, but subconsciously it becomes satire of myself and others".{{Cite web |last=Pearson |first=Jesse |date=2021-01-07 |title=Viagra Boys Are Skewering Toxic Masculinity One Punk Riff at a Time |url=https://www.gq.com/story/viagra-boys-swedish-punk-rock-profile |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=GQ |language=en-US}}

• Sebastian Murphy – lead vocals (2015–present)
• Henrik "Benke" Höckert – bass guitar (2015–present), backing vocals (2021–present)
• Tor Sjödén – drums (2015–present), backing vocals (2021–present)
• Oskar Carls – saxophone, flute (2015–present), guitar (2017–present)
• Elias Jungqvist – keyboards, percussion (2019–present), backing vocals (2021–present)
• Linus Hillborg – guitar, backing vocals (2021–present)

• Benjamin Vallé – guitar (2015–2021; died 2021)
• Martin Ehrencrona – keyboards, synthesizer (2015–2019)
• Rasmus Booberg – percussion, guitar (2015–2017)

• Henrik Palm – guitar (2022–2023; substitute for Linus Hillborg)

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• Street Worms (2018)
• Welfare Jazz (2021)
• Cave World (2022)
• Viagr Aboys (2025)

• Consistency of Energy (2016)
• Call of the Wild (2017)
• Common Sense (2020)

• Shrimp Sessions (2019)
• Shrimp Sessions 2 (2021)

• "Sports" (2018)
• "Just Like You" (2018)
• "Ain't Nice" (2020)
• "Creatures" (2020)
• "In Spite of Ourselves" (with Amy Taylor) (2020)
• "Girls & Boys" (2021)
• "Ain't No Thief" (2022)
• "Troglodyte" (2022)
• "Punk Rock Loser" (2022)
• "Big Boy" (with Jason Williamson) (2022)
• "Man Made of Meat" (2025)
• "Uno II" (2025)
• “The Bog Body” (2025)

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.vboysstockholm.com/}}
• {{Discogs artist}}
• {{IMDb name|12233967}}

{{Viagra Boys}}

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Category:Musical groups from Stockholm

Category:Swedish garage punk groups

Category:Swedish post-punk music groups

Category:Swedish satirists

Category:Swedish comedy musical groups

Category:Swedish satirical musicians

Category:English-language musical groups from Sweden

Category:2015 establishments in Sweden

Category:21st-century establishments in Stockholm