Drop Nineteens’ initial run may have only lasted four years, but the shoegaze pioneers’ 1992 debut album Delaware is widely considered one of the genre’s defining records. Now after 30 years away, they’re returning with their new album Hard Light on November 3rd on Wharf Cat Records. The lead single “Scapa Flow” is out now, and they’ve also announced some 2023 tour dates to celebrate their comeback.
By the time Drop Nineteens first disbanded, they’d already become massively successful. Lead singer and songwriter Greg Ackell was happy to go out on a high note and leave the music world on good terms, but probably didn’t anticipate the staying power Delaware would soon have in the indie rock sphere — thank goodness he kept his guitar around.
“The intent on Delaware was to reflect that time in our lives, which I think it did accurately,” Ackell explains in a statement. “Having considered Delaware before embarking on Hard Light, we wanted to make an honest, reflective album representing who we are now, which is, well, older. I’ve been struggling to find an answer to the question ‘why now?’ What was the catalyst for getting back together after so long?”
He goes on: “The best answer I can come up with is this was the first moment in my life since stopping making music that I got curious to hear what Drop Nineteens might sound like now. And there was only one way to find out!” Pre-orders for the record are ongoing.
As it turns out, 2023 Drop Nineteens doesn’t sound too far off from 1992 Drop Nineteens. Although a bit more polished than a lot of their previous work, “Scapa Flow” is equal parts noisy and dreamy, and rocks hard without sacrificing a good melody.
Drop Nineteens will hit the East Coast and California on a short run of tour dates this October. Tickets will be available over at their website or at Ticketmaster, where pre-sale begins tomorrow, August 3rd at 10:00 a.m. local time (use code TRACK) with general sale following the next day at the same time.
Listen to Drop Nineteens’ comeback single “Scapa Flow” below, and then keep scrolling to see the album artwork and tracklist for Hard Light, as well as the band’s tour dates.
Hard Light Artwork:
Hard Light Tracklist:
01. Hard Light
02. Scapa Flow
03. Gal
04. Tarantula
05. The Price Was High
06. Rose With Smoke
07. A Hitch
08. Lookout
09. Another One Another
10. Policeman Getting Lost
11. T
Drop Nineteens 2023 Tour Dates:
10/10 – Washington DC @ The Atlantis *
10/11 – Philadelphia PA @ Union Transfer ^
10/12 – Boston MA @ The Paradise *
10/13 – Brooklyn NY @ Warsaw *
10/19 – Los Angeles CA @ The Belasco !
10/22 – Oakland CA @ The New Parish !
* = w/ Greg Mendez
^ = w/ Horse Jumper of Love
! = w/ Winter