The Vaccines

The Vaccines are an English indie rock band, formed in West London in 2010 by Justin Hayward-Young and Freddie Cowan. The band currently consists of Young (lead vocals, guitars), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys, vocals) and Yoann Intonti (drums).

The Vaccines have toured extensively, playing with and opening up for acts such as the Rolling Stones, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Imagine Dragons, and Muse.

The band's debut album was the best-selling debut album of 2011 in the United Kingdom, drawing comparisons to the Ramones, the Strokes, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. The band have released six studio albums: What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? (2011), Come of Age (2012), English Graffiti (2015), Combat Sports (2018), Back in Love City (2021), and Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (2024). They have sold two million records worldwide.^{[citation needed]}

Composed of Justin Hayward-Young (known professionally as Justin Young), Árni Árnason (bass), Pete Robertson (drums) and Freddie Cowan (guitar and younger brother of Tom Cowan from the Horrors), the band was initially formed by Young and Cowan in summer 2009. After months of attempting to perfect their sound, the band uploaded the demo "If You Wanna" to YouTube in August 2010. The song immediately received praise from people such as Zane Lowe, who named it the 'Hottest Record in the World' on 18 August 2010. After the band's first-ever London show, a Clash magazine article predicted that the band could help usher in a new era for guitar music.

During the Vaccines' debut UK tour between September and November 2010, interest in the band led to a debut London performance at a friend's pub, The Flowerpot, Kentish Town. The show sold out and audience members included Alex Kapranos and Marcus Mumford—200 people were turned away. The performance was awarded a "4/5" rating by The Guardian and was described by Clash magazine as "fantastic, exhilarating and exciting". During this time, the band performed live on Later with Jools Holland—the occasion marked the first time that a band has ever appeared on the programme prior to releasing a single.

On 29 November 2010, the band released its debut double A-side single "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)"/"Blow It Up" in the UK; the single was limited to 1000 copies and was released on the Marshall Teller Records label. Both of the music videos for each of the double A-side songs were directed by Doug Hart, former bass player with the Jesus and Mary Chain. "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)", one minute and 24 seconds in duration, was named "Track of the Day" by Q magazine and was critically well received.

The band recorded its first ever radio session for Marc Riley's BBC 6 Music show in December 2010. Following the release of its debut double A-side single, the band continued to tour the UK in the latter part of 2010, while concurrently recording its debut album. The band was followed by documentary makers from Vice Magazine during this tour.

On 5 January 2011, the band was placed third in the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll and, in the same week, appeared on the cover of NME for the first time. Following the confirmation of its contract with Columbia Records, the band released its second single "Post Break-Up Sex" on 24 January 2011, and it debuted at No. 32 in the UK. It was during this period that the band was nominated for an MTV Award—'Best New Band of 2011'—and a Critics' Choice Brit Award. Following the band's inaugural NME cover, the Vaccines then participated in the 2011 NME Awards Tour, supporting Crystal Castles. The band also travelled to America for the first time, where Debbie Harry was reportedly part of the audience for the band's New York City show.