I've recently read that Jeremy Enigk, formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate, has been working on material for a new solo album. This will come as great news to those of you who fell in love with Enigk's 1996 master piece "Return of the Frog Queen".
Some of you may know the back story. Enigk and SDRE were an up and coming alternative act back in the mid 90's when alternative actually meant something. They were on a batman soundtrack, videos on MTV, hailed as the next smashinng pumpkins- yadda yadda yadda. Then all of a sudden- BLAMMO. Jesus finds Jeremy.
And Jeremy goes and makes one of the most beautifully understated albums of the second half of the decade. It's been about nine years and finally we have a new work on the way. Hoorah.
Click the title for a link to a song.
And here's an old online post from jeremy to his fans back in 1994 that explains stuff in his own words. Intriguing...
____________________________
Yes sir I have given my life to Christ. For along time I dwelt on a lot of pain in my life. Pain that I had tried to get rid of in many different ways. I watched myself slowly shrivel up into a hopeless, bitter and lonely person. Well one thing led to another and I could not take it anymore so I took a shot on calling upon God. He answered me. My pain was gone. I was full of joy. I had hope again. All the hope that was squeezed out of me was replaced ten times. I had tried this in many different ways. None of them succeeded in saving me from hurt. Well , I was so full of joy that I wanted all of my friends to feel the way I did. So I told all of them, and of course they couldn't understand, since it was something that I had been going through myself. And also it is such a far thing to grasp, that it is easier to just blow it off. To give your life to Christ means to deny yourself, to completely live for him. Doing this will change your comfort zone that you had been trying to get since you can remember. You then are a new person desiring a whole different way then before. Most people definitely don't want their comfort changed, so they stay away from the idea of Jesus. The funny thing is, when you sincerely call upon him, though you let yourself go, He fills you with a joy and peace that far surpasses any joy, peace or comfort that you could possibly feel from earthly pleasures. Now, how this applies to the band breaking up. Well now that this has happened to me, Naturally I want to sing about it. I want it to be what sunny day real estate is about, so that others out there will hear. But there are mixed feelings about what we could do about me wanting to sing about Christ. One of the members doesn't mind me singing about Christ, another is very uncomfortable with the idea of singing about Jesus, and one didn't mind but now all of the sudden does. Well I understand where they are coming from because I was there. Jesus isn't anything that I want to compromise with for he is far more important then this music, financial security or popularity could ever be. So the idea of breaking up has been talked about. I have different intentions now. I want to take the band on a different path then they. It is no longer the financial freedom that once controlled me, but it is to expose people to truth for their sake and especially Jesus' sake. But who knows what is going to happen in the future. Every time I make a plan it gets changed. The future is the future. I hope that we come to a decision about the band that everyone is happy with.
Well my friend, you asked a couple questions and I gave you the whole story. Why give you the quick dumb version when you can get the story where it is. I'm going to say that there is more than what you see. I think most people believe that. Most people believe in some sort of God. Some create their own to their own comfort. Creating a mirror image of themselves, only calling it God. I must say that the true God is the one who is in the Bible, Jesus Christ. He is the only one whoever claimed to be God and on top of it all he rose from the dead. He has showed himself to me so clearly that I couldn't possibly believe otherwise. I would be a fool to say that he hasn't worked miracles in my life. When I didn't believe, there were no miracles. When I believed, the miracles still have not stopped. Call me crazy, for I'd rather be crazy and see what I've seen, then to ever go back to where I was. Now dear Seth, there is another reason that I write this letter. In it I hope you will let others who are interested read this letter to know where sunny day real estate and I stand, to clear up any confusion that is flying around. And especially to let you know of the intense change that Christ has put me through. I'm sure that you by now can see why. Maybe not through these words, but in the sincerity that I write this letter. I also intend for others to read this who are outside of your circle, Seth. These people would be, everyone in the band, and to all the people at Sub Pop. If my word is anything, this is the most sincere I have been in my life. Jesus Christ is Lord. There is a supreme truth to this world, and may your hearts search for it. Believe what you will. There is nothing more that I could do or say to show you. Believe me I have tried with many. Thanks for hearing me out.
With love,
-Jeremy Enigk
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2 comments:
whew-eee, that is intense. I never have seen "first-hand" articulation of his faith--just semi-mystical-jumbo about frogs and queens...that in my feeble college mind meant Christ's atonement or something.
Also, I heard that Aaron Sprinkle of Poor Old Lu was the gospel-bringer to Enigk...seattle still doesn't know what hit them.
Greg,
Did you check out the post-SDRE project called The Fire Theft?
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