Drop Nineteens reuniting for first album in nearly three decadesTop 20 Shoegaze EPs of the Early-’90s

Boston band Drop Nineteens only existed for a few years in the early '90s, but their debut album, Delaware, is one of the great American shoegaze records of the scene's original era, and, for that matter, "Winona" is one of the great shoegaze singles, period. Delaware turns 30 this year, and with it comes some surprising news from the band: they're getting back together and making a new album, their first in nearly three decades.

The news comes from Drop Nineteens guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Greg Ackel on the band's Twitter: "Craig Rich somehow gets me on the phone in late 2021 to talk/coax shop, which is something I'm plain awful at (common knowledge to everyone with my number). But he is very, very good. I listen. And start thinking. I text Steve Zimmerman, just musing, to ask him what he thinks a modern Drop Nineteens single might sound like. We discuss. But I quite contentedly don't have guitars anymore. Hard to believe, but true, and the perfect out -- which Steve thwarts by express shipping a jazzmaster to my apt in Brooklyn."

Greg continues: "It arrives the morning my girlfriend is catching a flight to Miami for Art Basel (pic of me is from said morning). By the time she returns on Sunday I've written the bulk of what will be the next Drop Nineteens album, entirely in drop C sharp. Steve, it turns out, has had his own terribly good material in abundance and at the ready for some reason, for some time.

"So I can tell you that along with Pete Koeplin and Motohiro Yasue, we are going to spend this new year recording a new Drop Nineteens album. I can also tell you it's called Hard Light.

Greg, Steve Zimmerman and Motohiro Yasue all played on Delaware, and Pete Koplin joined after original drummer Chris Roof left the band. No word on whether vocalist/guitarist Paula Kelly, who also left after Delaware, might be involved, but Greg says to keep an eye out for more band news, including "lineup info and other activity, as we're going to remaster some early demos and perhaps unearth God only knows what else from the early days for you."

A 30th anniversary edition of Delaware would be a welcome reissue as original vinyl copies sell for upwards of $200 on the secondary market. Also, hopefully they'll tour. We shall see. Listen to Delaware and watch the video for "Winona" below.

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Top 20 Shoegaze EPs of the Early-’90s