Behind the Song: “The Freshman,” by The Verve Pipe

On January 27th, 1997, Michigan-based band, The Verve Pipe, released its third single from their second studio LP, Villains. That song, “The Freshmen,” was a stone cold hit. The track, which has garnered some 18-million YouTube views to date, peaked at number-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped Villains earn Platinum status. “The Freshmen,” which was written by the band’s front man, Brian Vander Ark, tells the story of a rather devastating love triangle. It also boasts some very quotable lyrics, which, as luck would have it, Vander Ark was able to pluck from the world around him. We caught up with the musician to talk about how he started writing, how his years in the army influenced his work, what “The Freshmen” did for his career and much more.