A Dirty Dozen with AMERICAN VANITY – February 2026

Photo credit: Devin Kasparian

According to a recent press release: “Today, rising PA rockers American Vanity release the accompanying music video for their latest single “Lifeline,” out everywhere now. Released on January 23rd, “Lifeline” is a vulnerable track that captures the intensity of yearning for connection, clinging to someone emotionally like a lifeline even as the relationship itself feels uncertain. That raw emotion is heightened by a catchy, nostalgia-tinged pop-punk melody, driven by hook-laden guitar lines and larger-than-life drums. The accompanying music video matches the song’s urgency with a grungy, high-energy visual, placing dual vocalists Luke Hoffman and Virginia Franks in a heart-pounding race against the clock as captives fighting to break free. American Vanity, formerly known as Burn The Jukebox, is a group that turns modern rock into a mirror — vivid, unfiltered, and built to reflect what it feels like to live in your own skin. Led by dual vocalists Virginia Franks (bass) and Luke Hoffman (guitar), with Luke Vanchure on lead guitar and Carter Dennis on drums, the four-piece creates music that takes aim at how image, approval, and identity get tangled in the attention economy, where everyone’s chasing views but no one feels seen.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Virginia: Our latest release, “Lifeline,” is a song about overcoming approval addiction and showing people that it is okay to be yourself. You don’t always need everyone to approve of you to be happy. It’s good to be different, and that’s the message we want to give our fans. Fans and listeners who have only listened to the song once or twice might have missed out on the deeper meanings of the lyrics. As for nuggets, you’ll find them at McDonald’s.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Luke H: I got into music very young due to my father owning a music store and being a guitarist / vocalist. I was always listening to hard rock and metal! I started playing guitar at age 9 because I wanted to be like my father who is a musician. From there I never seemed to put down the guitar. It was glued to me. I started singing when I was 13, and really tried to develop those skills throughout high school since I was involved in musicals and operas. Honestly I never really wanted to be anything else besides a musician. I think for a very brief period of time I wanted to be a lawyer, but that faded as I started playing music.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Luke V: I have been super influenced by the band Title Fight, specifically their album Shed, and how their songs are short but sweet. I had the opportunity to see the lead singers’ other project glitterer which also highly inspired me. It was a great experience and cool to see someone I’ve looked up to for a while. I also enjoy bands like Thursday and Silverstein with faster tempos, and technical yet melodic riffage and I’m a big fan of good screams.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Carter: I think that I would love to collaborate with another amazing producer such as Butch Vig or Rick Rubin. Both of those producers have so much knowledge and I think it would be so cool to work with them. I also think working with Todd Sucherman of Styx and Josh Manual, currently with Kane Brown, would be amazing to come up with drum parts and also to share knowledge of music.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?

Virginia: I love to build LEGO sets in my free time. I have a whole room that is literally just dedicated to LEGO. I also really like to go to Disney World. It’s my favorite vacation spot, and I’ve been going there since I was a little kid. To unwind, I like to watch my favorite TV show, 9-1-1, eat popcorn, and pet my dog, Millie.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Luke H: I would simply describe our music as alt rock with some added flare due to some riffage and technical chops in our music. I would describe it as a combination of Paramore, Fleshwater, and Rain City Drive. I personally dislike how we’ve been called “a band who will never be successful who plays covers.” We have nothing against people who play in cover bands, obviously, but I personally dislike how people online try to  box you into a certain mold where there is no room for growth.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Luke V: I’d say the cook of all of us is Luke H, he was making some good smelling food when we recorded in DC the rest of us just made mostly prepackaged stuff (or at least I did). Carter is the guy who has all the drinks in his fridge and is always fully stocked when we are at practice and there’s a bunch of different options. He’s also the one playing all the riffs on the acoustic, ultimate guitar tabs for the win!!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Virginia: It was definitely when I got to meet Chase Hudson. While the band and I were in the studio in DC, our producer, Matt Squire, took us to a show to see a bunch of different people he had worked with. Huddy was one of them. I’ll never forget how Matt couldn’t stop saying how gorgeous he was in person. Which in this case, he is totally right. After the show, the band and I got to hang with him for a bit and he was super chill.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Carter: I think the best part is the ability to do what I love to do every single day for a living. I also enjoy traveling to different cities to see the amazing music culture that each city has to offer. Also getting to meet so many people that share a similar interest as me. If I could no longer be a musician, I would still try and stay with music, whether that be an instrument tech, sound engineer, or anything like that, but if I couldn’t be in the music industry, I would most likely go into some sort of trade such as electrical work.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Luke H: I have always gotten asked if I wear a wig! I have naturally thick hair that I just dyed bleach blonde a few months back. I can promise you my hair is real haha. I love being asked about my musical influences. Music is such a big component of my life, and when people give me questions about music that inspires me, it makes me really elaborate on how my taste and style has developed over the years.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Luke V: I wouldn’t consider it a misstep but I would just say that it took us a good minute to find a style that suits us bests and one and we feel comfortable writing in, but now we have that and it’s just super exciting to look forward too, I wouldn’t do anything over, per say because it’s all a good learning experience and our interests and writing styles would not be the same without that progression.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Carter: One of my favorite albums of all time is Listener Supported by the Dave Matthews Band. That album is in my opinion, a musical masterpiece. That album is a live album from 1999 and I would have loved to be there. That album is not a studio recorded album so I would say that I would have loved to see the writing process for one of my favorite albums of all time. The band Issues’ self-titled record is one of my all time favorite albums because I can listen to it, front to back, and not get sick of it. That album has some of my all time favorite songs and some of my favorite drumming done by Josh Manuel as I mentioned before. That album also got me into the post-hardcore style of music that I really enjoy.

AMERICAN VANITY LINKS:

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Category: Interviews