The band's members are Andrew Biersack on lead vocals; Johnny Herold, who plays lead guitar; Phil Cenedella, the bass player, Chris Riesenberg on drums and Nate Shipp, another guitarist. Biersack, who goes by the stage name "Andy Six," is the group's founder. In terms of what might constitute a Black Veil Bride, Andy Six stated that people relating to the themes of the cruelty of the world and those who never surrender to outside influences are the audience Black Veil Brides seek.
Lead singer Andy Six says the band's roots came from his early introduction to rock and roll at the hands of his father. He acknowledges KISS influences, but makes it clear that the band has its own unique abilities, making them more than a simple copycat band. Andy Six formed the group when he was nineteen years old. He understood the importance of connecting with a fan base, and from its inception, Black Veil Brides utilized social networking and media sites to connect with its audience.
The band's first album, "We Stitch These Wounds," was an independent release. Despite not having backing from any major record labels, Black Veil Brides quickly attracted the attention of the music industry with rapidly climbing sales figures. While some albums take years to go from inception to sales, The Black Veil Brides managed to record their first album in three weeks.
The Black Veil Brides began reaching mainstream attention when the title track from their second album, "Set the World on Fire" was announced for use in the Wes Craven directed movie, "Scream 4." Craven and the producers of the movie held a contest on Facebook to have online voters determine what songs would be used in the film, and the fan base for Black Veil Brides generated enough interest for the song to be included in the film. Craven ultimately decided not to use the song, but director Michael Bay incorporated the song in his third Transformers movie, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."