Emo supergroup, Suburban Eyes, have shared an official music video for their track, “4AM.” It comes from the indie trio’s self-titled debut album, which was released by Spartan Records on August 30th. Head into the article below to check out the new video and read more from the band.
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With nods to both Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Fear album and the announcement of the death of Wayne Shorter, the video for “4AM” itself celebrates the joy and innocence of independent childhood experiences. “The audience is given a glimpse into a day in the life of three cousins exploring their unrestricted freedom on a sunny summer day,” John Anderson of Suburban Eyes said. “The memories and relationships of youth can stay with us forever and have a lasting impact on our perspectives as we struggle to navigate adulthood in the modern age.”
“I had a cassette copy of the Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Fear in high school and the song “Is It For Me” really resonated with me for some reason,” Eric Richter of Suburban Eyes adds. “I had a very vivid picture of how the lyrics looked like played out in my mind. “4AM” is in that spirit.”
He continues, “I named it “4AM” after reading the announcement of Wayne Shorter’s death that read, ‘Today at 4 a.m., Wayne Shorter peacefully continued on his immense journey into the unknown.’ I thought that was pretty so I used the time of his death as a tribute of sorts and because it fit the subject matter of the song. After the song was mixed and finished, I revisited the Toad The Wet Sprocket song and, coincidentally, the meeting time of the characters in the story is 4 a.m. There are some paths you cannot avoid.”
After over two decades of recording and touring with their individually prominent ‘90s/early-’00s indie bands, the members of Suburban Eyes — Eric Richter (Christie Front Drive, Antarctica), Jeremy Gomez (Mineral, The Gloria Record) and John Anderson (Boys Life) — offer up a nine-song self-titled debut that truly sets itself apart via a sonic duality that seamlessly finds an intersection between propulsion and drive but interwoven with dreamy soundscapes, all while retaining accessible pop structures and hooks.
While each of its members collectively represent an impressive roster of previous projects, aside from their established DIY values and work ethic, the band does not rehash too much literal musical influence. Certainly each player brings their own unique sonic signatures that are identifiable to longtime listeners, but make no mistake — this is something new. “I think that all three of us are far enough removed from our past projects at this point,” Jeremy Gomez says. “That’s not to say that you don’t continue to carry those things with you, but creatively speaking, none of us even gave [our previous bands] any thought, good or bad, when working on this project.”
While Gomez handled the bulk of the production and engineering on its self-titled debut, the album reached new heights with the introduction of Grammy Award-winning mixer Peter Katis (The National, Kurt Vile, Death Cab for Cutie). While a departure from the traditional “work-it-out in the studio” approach gave way to a more introspective and virtual process, many challenges transitioned into opportunities as the band continuously honed the direction of the record. Additionally, Suburban Eyes is also a story of reconnection, but also a lesson in taking things further than you thought was previously possible but through different avenues.
“The band really came at a perfect time for me,” Gomez summarizes. “Aside from not really being able to do much of anything because of what was happening in 2020, musically I didn’t have anything going on either so I jumped at the chance to try something new. It just feels really great to have rekindled my friendships with John and Eric, and to be able to create this collection of songs as effortlessly as we did. I haven’t been this creatively satisfied in a long time.”
“Making this record has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Anderson adds. “I feel like Suburban Eyes is the most important band I’ve ever been in, and it doesn’t matter to me if the general public shares the sentiment.” Often with a pause, and the occasional cheeky comment, comes moments of clarity and perspective. Suburban Eyes represents both a dynamic and creative unpausing — and inception — of something powerful and newly inspired.
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