The Vandon Arms Biography:
In a damp, cold basement just off of Ingersol… Read Full Bio ↴The Vandon Arms Biography:
In a damp, cold basement just off of Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, The Vandon Arms started off as a group of friends playing the music they loved for no one but themselves. There were no fans, no Myspace or Facebook pages, nothing for sale, and no disillusions of being rich and famous. The early get-togethers resembled drunkin sing-alongs more than any band rehearsal. The group and their friends would belt out old Irish choruses at the top of their lungs for hours.

In 2005 the band’s genre was relatively new to most people. With bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly, who were far from their current standing at that time, being the only real chance for people to hear a similar sound. As word spread of a new band in town with a unique sound the demand for The Vandon Arms began to grow quickly. Once the group started taking part in local shows their popularity increased at an incredible rate. The band wasn’t just known for their unique sound and catchy melodies but a Vandon Arms show was a big party. Bands wanted to play with them. Venues wanted to book them. To this day the band’s live performance is what they are best known for.

With their popularity on the raise, in 2006 the group recorded their first EP, 'Losers and Boozers'. A few years later the group saw the release of their second EP, 'Health to the Company, as well as the introduction of a new drummer, Hutch. With Hutch in the mix The Vandon Arms have been able to up their live performance as well as improve the dynamics of the band. In 2010 the group had another busy year. They released two new albums, 'The Sent Off EP' and 'Live and Worse Than Ever', as well as added two new members, Craig and Moosher. Craig was always a good friend of the band and when bass player Elliot left for Marine Corp duty in Japan he was a natural choice for the band. Moosher was brought in to help fill out the sound with acoustic guitar, banjo, etc.

Today Buz, Clint, Hutch, Craig, and Moosher still carry on the same attitude that came with those early basement sing-alongs. Their music and live shows are simply about having fun, not making money, being cool, not being cool, or anything else that too many other bands get caught up in. This has always been and always will be the band’s philosophy. As long as fans want to hear Vandon Arms music and turn out to see them live, they’ll keep playing. 2013 saw the release of 'No Loyalty Among Thieves.