Their popularity is growing by the day after a sensational breakthrough 18 months, and now Sunday (1994) are about to head back over to the UK for a headline tour and Neighbourhood Weekender appearance.
The run of 9 dates kicks off month and they will be hoping to pick up where they left off at a sold out Camden Assembly show in 2024.
This was part of a three-part debut run of gigs in Los Angeles, New York, and London; a perfect beginning for the transatlantic indie trio.
We caught up with Paige Turner and Lee Newell to discuss the band’s impressive rise and how they are feeling ahead of their UK return.
NC: Let’s start by discussing how the two of you from California and Slough came together?
Paige: “Lee and I met at a venue in L.A. called the Palladium around 11 years ago. He was playing in another band that were opening for the group playing on the night. We met backstage, became friends, started dating, and then the rest is history.”
Lee: “She just could not turn down the Slough charm!”
NC: It is a juxtaposition of locations, do you think this contributes to the music?
Lee: “Yes I think this is the essence of the band. I grew up listening to alternative music and Paige grew up listening to jazz and pop music before moving onto alternative. I think between us there is a meeting of pop and alternative instincts. Lyrically there are English references and American slang. Musically we sometimes dip into Americana, sometimes post punk, it’s such a mix of everything.”
NC: Well it has created a great sound and people are loving it, did you expect it to take off so fast?
Paige: “We didn’t know how it was going to go but we were confident in the music we had written. We weren’t sure how quickly it was going to connect, we didn’t even think we would playing shows this time last year. We have experience playing gigs from our past but we just expected it to take longer for people to want to see us perform our music. It has been such a fun, positive 18 months for the band, and it doesn’t always go that way.”
Lee: “We feel really lucky. We know it’s going well because I keep seeing comments saying we are an industry plant. Which means we must be doing something right.”
NC: There is a sense of mystery around the band, both in the sound and the perception. Was this intentional or natural?
Paige: “I didn’t want us to be super front-facing. I wanted the art, lyrics, music, and videos to do the talking. So it is a bit intentional. I don’t want to be that person filming myself on my phone telling people to check out this song. Not that I’m hating on that, but that just didn’t come naturally to us. We went into this project wanting to do everything as effortlessly and authentic as possible without trying to pretend to be anyone we’re not.”
Lee: “Exactly that. We have no desire to be celebrities, we just wanted to put the music out and let it do its thing. I feel like it’s going against the grain a little bit as artists sometimes think about their Instagram account before they think about the music. Also, I don’t like looking at myself that much!”
NC: You’re in the UK next month for a headline tour and festival appearances. Did Camden Assembly last year give you the taste for the UK crowds?
Paige: “Yes, we’re so excited. Camden was such a fun gig, it was my favourite so far with this band. UK crowds have so much energy and electricity in the rooms.”
Lee: “There’s more of a hunger for live music in the UK, I feel. Not that there isn’t out here. Our shows have always sold out. But there’s not as much of a gig culture here, and it feels quite corporate. In the UK, we’ve made an effort to play the grassroots venues and we can’t wait to play the smaller rooms next month.”
NC: You’ll experience the small rooms but also the larger festival crowds at the likes of Neighbourhood Weekender. How much do you know about the festival?
Lee: “Neighbourhood Weekender looks a great festival. It’s something I’ve known about for years but never been. The line ups are always so strong. It’s going to be fun, and I can’t wait to see Ocean Colour Scene – I loved them when I was younger!”
Paige: “I’m excited to see Wunderhorse and Inhaler too!”
NC: What can people expect from the live show?
Paige: “We have a lot of mid-pace songs but the live show has much more energy than that. It translates differently on the live stage. We have a lot of energy and chemistry as a band. We have never played a festival as Sunday (1994) either so that will be a big moment for us.”
NC: Can we expect to hear music from the forthcoming new EP “Devotion” at the UK dates?
Lee: “Yes we’ve just finished our new material. The label like the songs so that’s good, and we can’t wait to play them live.”
NC: How does the new EP evolve from what we have heard previously from Sunday (1994)?
Lee: “It is the technicolour version of the first EP, I would say. It feels like we’ve zoomed in further and the lyrics have got stronger. It is more us, for better or for worse! I was editing the vocals yesterday and you can hear the dog barking in the background of one of them, so he is going to make it on the EP too!”
NC: Has 2024’s rapid rise set the precedent now? Are you planning to keep pushing on with this momentum?
Paige: “We can’t slow down, we don’t get a moment of rest to ourselves. Our schedules are crazy but it’s good, it’s been fun.”
Lee: “Yes it’s great. It’s our dream for people to want to listen to our music and hear us perform it live, so we’re not taking a moment for granted.”
For the full list of tour dates head to Sunday (1994) The Debut Tour 2025. The new single “Rain” is OUT NOW! Taken from their 2nd EP “Devotion”, out May 9th.
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