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Band Guide · Pierce the Veil · Post-Hardcore / Emo · San Diego, California

Pierce the VeilBand Guide

Formed 2006 · San Diego, California · Post-Hardcore / Pop-Punk / Emo

Pierce the Veil are one of the most beloved bands in post-hardcore — a San Diego four-piece built around the songwriting of brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes whose combination of melodic accessibility, emotional directness, and technical post-hardcore energy made them one of the defining acts of their generation. Collide with the Sky (2012) is the masterpiece: an album that contains some of the finest songs in the genre and that has remained a touchstone for post-hardcore and emo fans in the decade since. Vic Fuentes' voice is one of the most distinctive in modern alternative music, and the band's ability to move between soft vulnerability and hard-edged aggression within a single track is their defining quality. This is the complete guide.

Best Songs Ranked Play Rock Heardle
Pierce the Veil band photo
Formed2006San Diego, California
Studio Albums4
GenrePost-HardcorePop-Punk / Emo
Best AlbumCollide with the Sky2012
Start WithKing for a Day

Who Are Pierce the Veil?

Pierce the Veil are an American post-hardcore band formed in San Diego, California in 2006. The band grew out of the earlier group Before Today, which brothers Vic Fuentes (vocals, guitar) and Mike Fuentes (drums) had formed while still in high school. When Before Today disbanded, the brothers recruited Jaime Preciado (bass) and Tony Perry (guitar) to form Pierce the Veil. The classic four-piece lineup has remained stable throughout the band's career.

The band's sound is characterised by Vic Fuentes' high, expressive vocal range — capable of shifting from intimate falsetto to impassioned full-voice delivery within a single phrase — and by arrangements that balance clean, melodic guitar passages with post-hardcore aggression. The emotional directness of the songwriting, which addresses personal relationships, mental health, and self-doubt with a vulnerability uncommon in heavier music, is central to the band's connection with their audience. Pierce the Veil are one of the bands most consistently cited by fans as having had a meaningful personal impact.

Collide with the Sky & the Peak of Post-Hardcore

Collide with the Sky (2012) is widely regarded as Pierce the Veil's masterpiece and one of the finest post-hardcore albums of the 2010s. The album contains "King for a Day" (featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens), "A Match into Water," "Bulls in the Bronx," and "Caraphernelia" — a run of tracks that demonstrate the full range of the band's abilities and that have remained among the most beloved songs in the post-hardcore catalogue.

The album arrived at a moment when post-hardcore was finding its widest mainstream audience, and it functioned simultaneously as a fan-favourite within the scene and as a crossover record that introduced the genre to new listeners. Its balance of accessibility and emotional weight — the ability to be immediately enjoyable and genuinely affecting — is the quality that has sustained its reputation in the decade since release.

New to Pierce the Veil?

Start with "King for a Day" featuring Kellin Quinn — the most widely known and immediately accessible entry point. Then Collide with the Sky (2012) as a full album. Selfish Machines (2010) is the best second listen.

Members

VF
Vic Fuentes
Vocals · Guitar · 2006–present
The band's vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter. Vic's voice — a high, expressive tenor with a distinctive falsetto — is the most immediately identifiable element of Pierce the Veil's sound. His songwriting is emotionally direct and frequently addresses personal relationships, vulnerability, and mental health in ways that have resonated deeply with a generation of listeners who found the band at formative moments. He is the creative engine of the band and the reason it sounds unlike any close contemporary.
MF
Mike Fuentes
Drums · Vocals · 2006–present
Vic's brother and the band's drummer. Mike's playing is technically accomplished and emotionally responsive — he adapts his approach across the significant dynamic range of the catalogue, from the quieter, more intimate passages to the full-band post-hardcore intensity of the heavier sections. His sibling relationship with Vic gives the band a core creative partnership that functions differently from the typical bandmate dynamic, with a shared history and intuition that shows in the tightness of the rhythm section.
JP
Jaime Preciado
Bass · Vocals · 2006–present
The band's bassist and a significant part of their visual and social media identity. Preciado's melodic bass approach gives the arrangements their low-end intelligence, and his backing vocals contribute to the layered vocal harmonies that distinguish the band's recordings. His warmth and openness with fans has made him one of the most popular members on social media and a key part of the band's connection with its audience.
TP
Tony Perry
Guitar · 2006–present
The band's second guitarist, Perry's rhythm guitar work provides the textural foundation for Vic's lead playing and melodic work. His contribution is less immediately visible than the other members' but is essential to the density and fullness of the band's sound in both live and studio contexts. The dual-guitar arrangement gives Pierce the Veil the ability to layer clean and distorted tones simultaneously — a key element of the post-hardcore sound they developed.

Band History

2002–2006
Vic and Mike Fuentes form Before Today while still in high school in San Diego. The band releases one album, Sunday Morning: The Concept Album (2004), before disbanding. The brothers begin planning what will become Pierce the Veil.
2006
Pierce the Veil form in San Diego with the addition of Jaime Preciado on bass and Tony Perry on guitar. The band begin recording and performing in the local scene while developing the sound that will define their debut.
2007
A Flair for the Dramatic released on Equal Vision Records. The debut demonstrates the core elements of the band's sound — Vic's distinctive vocal approach, the clean-to-distorted dynamic shifts, and the emotional directness — but in a rougher, less fully realised form than the subsequent records. It builds a dedicated early fanbase.
2010
Selfish Machines released on Equal Vision Records. A significant step forward from the debut — more confident arrangements, stronger songs, and a clearer sense of the band's identity. "Caraphernelia" (featuring Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember) becomes their first track to receive widespread attention and remains one of their most beloved songs.
2012
Collide with the Sky released on Fearless Records — the masterpiece. Produced by Dan Korneff, the album contains "King for a Day" (featuring Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens), "A Match into Water," "Bulls in the Bronx," and "Caraphernelia" in a rerecorded form. The album reaches number 12 on the Billboard 200 and establishes the band as one of the most important acts in post-hardcore.
2016
Misadventures released on Fearless Records. The most melodically polished of the four albums, with a slightly more accessible production and songwriting that sits slightly closer to alternative rock. The album reaches number four on the Billboard 200 — the band's highest chart position.
2017–2022
Extended hiatus. The band pursue solo and side projects. Vic releases solo material; Jaime and Mike maintain a public presence. The absence generates significant fan anticipation for new material.
2023
Pierce the Veil return with new music. "Emergency Contact" is released, signalling the band's return and receiving a warm reception from the fanbase that had waited through the hiatus.

Discography

2012
Collide with the Sky
King for a Day ft. Kellin Quinn, A Match into Water, Bulls in the Bronx, Caraphernelia (rerecorded), Hold On Till May. The masterpiece. Start here.
Essential
2010
Selfish Machines
Caraphernelia ft. Jeremy McKinnon, The Boy Who Could Fly, Fast Times at Clairemont High. The step forward — the best second listen.
Essential
2016
Misadventures
Circles, Texas Is Forever, Dive In. Their highest charting album (#4 Billboard 200) — more melodic, slightly more accessible than Collide.
Great
2007
A Flair for the Dramatic
The Sky Under the Sea, She Sings in the Morning. The rough-hewn debut — essential context for dedicated fans.
Good

Pierce the Veil Trivia Quiz

Five questions — how many can you get right?

Best Songs by Mood

Not sure where to begin? Use this as your entry point.

First song ever
King for a Day
Most anthemic
A Match into Water
Most emotional
Hold On Till May
Most aggressive
Bulls in the Bronx
Best collaboration
Caraphernelia
Most melodic
Circles
Most driving
Fast Times at Clairemont High
Best deep cut
The Boy Who Could Fly

Pierce the Veil FAQ

When did Pierce the Veil form?
Pierce the Veil formed in San Diego, California in 2006, when brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes disbanded their earlier project Before Today and recruited Jaime Preciado and Tony Perry to form a new band. The classic four-piece lineup has remained stable throughout the band's career.
Who is Kellin Quinn on King for a Day?
Kellin Quinn is the vocalist of Sleeping with Sirens, a post-hardcore band that was one of Pierce the Veil's closest contemporaries and scene partners. Quinn features on "King for a Day" from Collide with the Sky (2012), contributing the higher vocal lines that complement Vic Fuentes' performance. The collaboration is one of the most celebrated in post-hardcore, as both bands were at the peak of their popularity simultaneously and the two vocalists' voices complement each other effectively.
Are Vic and Mike Fuentes brothers?
Yes — Vic Fuentes (vocals, guitar) and Mike Fuentes (drums) are brothers. They grew up together in San Diego and formed their first band Before Today before starting Pierce the Veil in 2006. Their shared history and intuitive musical relationship is central to the band's creative identity.
What is the best Pierce the Veil album to start with?
Collide with the Sky (2012) is the essential starting point — the masterpiece that contains "King for a Day," "A Match into Water," "Bulls in the Bronx," and "Hold On Till May." Selfish Machines (2010) is the best second listen, containing the original recording of "Caraphernelia" and demonstrating the band's creative development before the peak record.
Why did Pierce the Veil go on hiatus?
Pierce the Veil did not officially announce a hiatus after Misadventures (2016) — the extended silence between 2017 and their return in 2023 was not formally explained. The band members pursued individual projects during the period. Their return with "Emergency Contact" in 2023 was warmly received by the fanbase that had continued to listen to the back catalogue throughout the years of reduced activity.
What does Caraphernelia mean?
"Caraphernelia" is a word invented by Vic Fuentes for the song — it does not have a dictionary definition. The word combines "Cara" (a name) with "paraphernalia," suggesting personal belongings or effects associated with a specific person. The song addresses the emotional aftermath of a relationship and the way the other person's presence lingers through objects and memories. The invented word functions both as the name of the song's subject and as a concept describing that kind of emotional residue.

See Also