Gin Blossoms formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona by guitarist Jesse Valenzuela and bassist Bill Leen, and developed further with the addition of drummer Phillip Rhoades, vocalist and guitarist Robin Wilson, and guitarist Doug Hopkins. The Gin Blossom band member bench is quite impressive as four of the five are songwriters who all create a unique musical experience. In 1989 the band debuted their first album, Dusted and became known for its high-energy, loose, and informal shows full of lively stage banter and audience interaction.
In 1990, the group signed a contract with A&M Records where they cut a five-song album and then ten months later the New Miserable Experience (NME) twelve-song album was released. Then a year later, the third single, Hey Jealousy was released and took off, increasing band awareness, and re-establishing NME which went on to earn Platinum status selling more than four million copies. As NME experienced a breakthrough, the band experienced profound change when guitarist, founding member and stellar songwriter Doug Hopkins was replaced with Scotty Johnson.
Three and a half years later, the band worked to stay afloat when Congratulations I’m Sorry showed up to prove that the Gin Blossoms had the ability to continue to turn out lyrically, compelling songs. The band then delivered, Follow You Down as Congratulations went Platinum, reaching #10 on the U.S. album charts and As Long as it Matters, a third single from the album earned a Grammy nomination.
Due to a non-stop touring schedule, the band took a hiatus in 1997 and band members pursued outside projects. In 2017, Gin Blossoms celebrated the 25-year anniversary of the landmark NME and were inducted into the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. Gin Blossoms then worked on a new album with Don Dixon, producer of the Smithereens and R.E.M.’s veteran engineer, Mitch Easter. The two well-known individuals helped define a fresh style for Gin Blossoms to reconnect the band to its original foundation, creating Mixed Reality, which became a timeless label.
ore information on Gin Blossoms can be found at https://www.ginblossoms.net/.
