December brings a fresh visual dimension to a track that originally appeared on the band’s self-titled debut album, released on August 30.
Comprised of Eric Richter (Christie Front Drive, Antarctica), Jeremy Gomez (Mineral, The Gloria Record), and John Anderson (Boys Life), Suburban Eyes brings together artists who spent over two decades recording and touring in influential ‘90s/early-’00s indie bands. This time, their approach finds a meeting point between propulsion and drive while interweaving dreamy soundscapes, all within accessible pop structures and hooks.
“I had a cassette copy of Toad the Wet Sprocket’s ‘Fear’ in high school and the song ‘Is It For Me’ really resonated with me for some reason,” says Richter. “‘4AM’ is in that spirit.”
The track’s inspiration took an unexpected turn following Wayne Shorter’s passing. “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.”
The new video for “4AM” underscores the track’s underlying themes. “The song and accompanying video celebrates the joy and innocence of independent childhood experiences,” explains Anderson. “The audience is given a glimpse into a day in the life of three cousins exploring their unrestricted freedom on a sunny summer day. 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.”
Suburban Eyes’ nine-song album, produced and engineered largely by Gomez and mixed by Grammy-winner Peter Katis (The National, Kurt Vile, Death Cab for Cutie), stepped away from nostalgic re-creations of old band identities. “I think that all three of us are far enough removed from our past projects at this point,” 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.” The result feels cohesive, not assembled from old parts but rather forged into something new.
“The band really came at a perfect time for me,” Gomez adds. “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.”
Anderson, reflecting further, says, “Making this record has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. 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.” This project took shape outside of old patterns, opening doors to new approaches and textures. With the “4AM” video now premiering, the music continues to find fresh contexts—traveling beyond familiar places and forward into its own distinct territory.
