The friends had previously pursued music in different bands; Earl contributed songs to Tommy Lee's solo album and fronted the band Everything After, while Schraeder enjoyed a short stint on Hollywood Records with 40 Foot Echo. Finding themselves in need of a change, the duo banded together and retreated to the studio, where they later met lead guitarist James Fiddler and bassist Marc Roots. The Veer Union formed as those two musicians climbed aboard, and the subsequent addition of drummer Neil Beaton allowed the group to tour in support of its brash, gravelly-voiced hard rock. An offer from Universal Records appeared two years later, and the Veer Union released its debut album, Against the Grain, in April 2009. In spite of the album's decent commercial and chart success, the band was eventually dropped from Universal. Undeterred, the Veer Union released their second album, the heavier and darker Divide the Blackened Sky, via indie label Rocket Science Ventures in the spring of 2012. Prior to their next release, bassist Marc Roots and guitarist James Fiddler both departed, and while former bass tech Winston Wolfe was pegged for touring duties only, the band chose not to replace Fiddler on guitar. Following the release of 2013's Life Support, Pt. 1 EP, the lineup continued to shuffle around and by the time they'd finished their next LP, Schraeder was gone as well, leaving Earl the sole helmsman. After a three-year break between releases, the Veer Union released their long-awaited third album, Decade, in early 2016. ~ Andrew Leahey & Timothy Monger