Latest Release
- MAY 3, 2024
- 12 Songs
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- How It Feels to Be Something On · 1998
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- How It Feels to Be Something On · 1998
- The Rising Tide · 2000
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- Diary (2009 Remastered Version) [Bonus Track Version] · 1994
- How It Feels to Be Something On · 1998
Essential Albums
- Though Sunny Day Real Estate have often been credited with spearheading and popularizing the “emo” movement in mainstream music during the ‘90s, it’s a bit misleading and unfair to the band’s actual music. Yes, singer Jeremy Enigk can scream with conviction and often does (“In Circles,” “Song About an Angel”) but he’s hardly the first to sing with an overstated sense of theater, and the band is hardly a generic catch-all for all post-punk groups who claimed emo status in the ‘90s. Drummer William Goldsmith was heard to be good enough to take Dave Grohl’s seat when he decided to become the Foo Fighters’ full-time guitarist and singer, and from there, a majestic and fully formed group is on hand. The recording is raw and relentless on this 1994 debut, sometimes making the playing seem a bit sloppier than it actually is. However, everything that made Sunny Day Real Estate one of the decade’s most notable bands is here (“47,” “The Blankets Were the Stairs“). The 2009 re-master includes an alternate take of “8” (that appears on LP2) and another track labeled “9”. Is it emo? Does it matter?
Albums
Music Videos
- 2018
- 2018
Artist Playlists
- Perhaps the most vital emo band of all time.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
More To Hear
- Mark celebrates Halloween and chats with Nate Mendel.
- Mendel explores his past hardcore and indie roots.
About Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate’s influence on modern emo can’t be overstated. The band formed in 1992, with guitarist Dan Hoerner taking lead vocal duties alongside bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. Vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Enigk later joined the group, setting the stage for the 1994 emo touchstone Diary. Songs like the throttling post-hardcore anthem “Seven” and the brooding “In Circles” combined urgent dynamics with yearning vocals with rough-hewn melodic edge. The band broke up in 1995 after recording LP2, leaving room for Mendel and Goldsmith to join Foo Fighters and for Enigk to launch a solo career. Sunny Day Real Estate reunited two years later, releasing 1998’s moody and more stripped-back How It Feels to Be Something On and 2000’s The Rising Tide before breaking up again in 2001. In the ensuing years, Mendel continued to play with Foo Fighters and teamed up with Goldsmith and Enigk in the band The Fire Theft. However, Sunny Day Real Estate’s stature and influence rose considerably during the 2000s, as multiple third-wave indie-emo bands cited the band’s dynamics and songwriting as influences. That led to a 2009 reunion tour as well as a new song called “Lipton Witch” released in 2014. After another period of inactivity, Sunny Day Real Estate reunited once again in 2022.
- ORIGIN
- Seattle, WA, United States
- FORMED
- 1992
- GENRE
- Rock