In the eight intervening years between Sunny Day Real Estate's inception and the release of their new album The Rising Tide, the band has been the subject of a story that ranks them with some of the great rock and roll chronicles. Their history book is chock full of enigmatic and controversial circumstances surrounding its chief members, including a break-up, defections to a big-name group, newfound religion and even the recording of an ambitious, full-orchestra pop album -all before reuniting in 1997. From the outset, the group was cloaked in mystery, releasing only one picture to the press, conducting one interview and never playing a show in the state of California with all four members intact.

Though the band formed in 1992, in the middle of the alternative rock scene in Seattle and later signed to Sub Pop, Sunny Day Real Estate could not have been more different from their "grunge" contemporaries. Credited with nurturing a style of music that combines a hard, drum and guitar driven sound with passionate, poetic, emotive lyrics, the band originally formed as a three-piece with guitarist-vocalist Dan Hoerner, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith. Sunny Day began to gain attention when it added lead singer Jeremy Enigk, whose high-pitched, ascending voice complimented their melodic songs.

After releasing two singles Flatland Spider and Thief, Steal Me A Peach on their own One Day I Stopped Breathing label, Sunny Day released their debut full-length Diary on Sub Pop in 1994. Diary was hailed and the band had begun to develop a national profile, when in 1995, they broke-up. The public speculated whether the break-up was a result of Enigk's conversion to Christianity, but the band refused to comment. Sub Pop posthumously released that year's LP2 (which, because of its monochromatic insert, is affectionately referred to as "The Pink Album" by fans). Goldsmith and Mendel joined the Foo Fighters, while Hoerner retreated to a farm in Washington. One year after the break-up, Enigk released Return of the Frog Queen, a set of acoustic songs recorded with a 21-piece orchestra. A steady fan base on the Internet began to support the band and copies of their first two albums continued to sell.

In 1997, after months of speculation, the group reformed, minus Mendel, and in September 1998 returned with How It Feels to Be Something On, which was met with accolades from fans and critics alike. The release prompted a new tour that finally hit California. The dates also yielded 1999's Live (Sub Pop). In 1999, the band left Sub Pop, and signed with the Southern California based Time Bomb Recordings. Deciding to record as a trio, with Jeremy Enigk on bass, Sunny Day Real Estate has completed their fourth full-length album and Time Bomb debut, The Rising Tide.
The new album is Sunny Day Real Estate's most accomplished, musically rich and colorfully dynamic album to date. Sunny Day Real Estate has penned 11 complex and textured tracks. Lyrically, the album explores dark themes with life affirming power. Sonically, it is beautiful and sprawling.

The Rising Tide begins with the emotionally charged Killed By An Angel, challenging society to account for its deep-rooted betrayals, and ends with an explosion of loveliness and color on The Rising Tide. Though the album was not named to sum up a theme for the songs, the title track is about the complacency that resides within the human race. "I feel that the future holds a wake up call for humanity in general. The Rising Tide is about burying your head in the sand and letting your life be lived for you by someone else," explains Dan Hoerner.

The record crescendoes ominously and fervidly, with warrior-like ferocity on Snibe. "Snibe is a monster. He is willing to hurt others to retire rich and ugly. He kills the innocent to protect his control. Snibe is the greed of money and power. Snibe is in all of us," says Jeremy Enigk. "It has a heavy, driving groove to it. It's very powerful," adds William Goldsmith.

The band took a tested approach to writing and recording The Rising Tide. The three-piece formula yielded their first singles and Diary. "There is a new kind of fire that ignites when you feel like a complete band - we limped along for awhile trying to put the band back together with a new bass player - trying to get our feet on the ground. To have Jeremy playing the bass for the album and to be a solid band writing songs has a lot of power, which is reminiscent of Diary," says Hoerner.

The Rising Tide was recorded at Dreamland Studios in Woodstock, NY and mixed in Vancouver, BC's Warehouse. Lou Giordano, who has worked with such diverse and well-respected artists as Paul Westerberg, the Goo Goo Dolls, Sugar and Live, both produced and mixed the album. Neither the band nor Giordano held back on the production for the album. "In the past, time constraints kept us from really exploring the writing and producing of a song. We wanted to infuse this album with color and depth and we were determined to do it no matter what," says Enigk. "The way we've always gone into the studio was with just four parts (guitar, bass, drums and vocals). This time we concentrated on trying to write good songs; we were a little bit more determined to explore and dig deeper."

As Sunny Day Real Estate continue to weave a history, one thread remains consistent - their music has influenced countless others and has branded them a definitively pioneering rock band.

THE RISING TIDE One -  sound clip Killed By An Angel -  sound clip Faces In Disguise -  sound clip Buy From