The Road to Warped Tour with Vanylla Godzylla
Interview ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 4 Minutes
A few months ago, I found myself in a TikTok deep dive consisting of small rock bands covering songs. I do this quite often, it’s my own version of talent scouting. During this particular night of scouting, I came across a group called Vanylla Godzylla.
Yeah, you read that right.
Composed of Alex Trunzo (guitar), Jonny Dean (vocals/guitar), and Matty Williams (drums), Vanylla Godzylla is a rock band hailing from Delaware. Recently, I was able to chat with the trio (who is currently looking for a 4th member bassist) about their music, influences, and more.
Vanylla GodzyllaWho are some of the band’s biggest individual musical inspirations? Are there any that listeners might not expect?
Everyone in the band has a slightly different answer, but 2000s punk bands like blink-182, Green Day, and Sum 41 are major influences, especially for Matty. Panic! at the Disco and Led Zeppelin have had a huge influence on Jonny, while Metallica is Alex’s number-one inspiration.
We also draw a little from The Cure, The Smashing Pumpkins, and the broader ’90s alternative scene. One influence listeners might not expect is System of a Down. They were one of the band’s founding inspirations, even though our music has moved in a different direction over time.
The band’s name, Vanylla Godzylla, has a unique spelling. What’s the backstory behind that?
I (Alex) was at a work event with my dad when one of his coworkers walked up and called him “Vanilla Godzilla.” We happened to be searching for a band name at the time, so I immediately clocked it as a candidate. We eventually put it to a vote, and it won. We replaced the I’s with Y’s to make it unique and distinguishable as our own.
What can fans expect from a Vanylla Godzylla live performance?
Energy, chaos, and showmanship. We put a lot of effort into creating an engaging live show, incorporating acrobatics, jumping, and choreography into the performance. You’ll see Matty throwing stick flips and tricks behind the kit, while Alex breaks out spinning kicks (failing sometimes!) and whatever other stunts the moment calls for. Above all, you can expect to have fun, sing along, and make some great memories with your friends.
What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned as an independent band?
We’ve learned that nobody is coming to build this for us. Some artists seem to find an easier path, but we’ve had to work for every opportunity and fill almost every role along the way.
We’ve become booking agents, merch salespeople, shirt printers, sticker makers, recording engineers, roadies, programmers, website builders, and social media managers, along with anything else required to operate a modern independent band. Without a huge team or label backing, we’ve had to use our time and money intelligently. In many ways, we’ve been building two bands simultaneously: a successful cover act and an original project. We worked hard to develop the skills, relationships, and professional reputation needed to thrive in the regional cover scene, which helps sustain the band and fund our original music.
The biggest lesson has been that independence requires much more than writing good songs. You have to build the entire infrastructure around them.
If you could tour with any artist—past or present—who would it be?
There are so many artists we’d love to tour with that choosing only one feels impossible. Selfishly, I (Alex) would choose Metallica (the greatest to ever do it), even if we aren’t the most obvious genre match. That said, we certainly wouldn’t complain about touring with blink-182, Green Day, The Paradox, Mayday Parade or similar.
The band has recently been getting attention across TikTok, particularly for covers by The Offspring, Sublime, and similar ’90s and early-2000s rock groups. How does it feel to carry this torch on a platform that didn’t even exist when this style of music reigned supreme?
It’s funny because some of us didn’t even exist when that music first reigned supreme! I can’t speak for everyone else (Alex), but Guitar Hero was my main introduction to a lot of the music I listen to. And what I can say is it’s cool to help keep that music alive for a new generation, but whether we’re on Tiktok or at a sweaty basement show, we’d be playing this music because we love it.
Is there a question you wish interviewers would ask more often? If so, what’s your answer to it?
Not necessarily asked more often, but I think an interesting one being discussed now is the impact of AI on live music.
AI in general is obviously a hot-button topic right now, but I (Alex) truly don’t believe it can replace the human connection people experience at concerts and I think my bandmates are on a similar page. If songs are treated purely as interchangeable, brandless products, then sure, but that’s just not how it works.
People want to connect with the artists on stage, they want to engage with that artists' world. AI might be able to handle the digital aspect, but it will never hold up live. AI just can’t replace the feelings you get when screaming lyrics in a room with your favorite artist and thousands of other fans.
What’s next for Vanylla Godzylla?
We’re working hard on multiple EPs, with the goal of following them with a full-length album in late 2027 or 2028. Our primary medium-term goal is to earn a spot on Warped Tour as well as some regional opening spots. We’ll keep building toward that through new releases, consistent social media content, and bigger live opportunities. Whatever happens, fans can expect us to keep creating, grinding, and striving to do better for them.
