Biography

It’s been nearly twenty years since we last heard from Semisonic, the Minneapolis trio who defined a decade of rock & roll with their ubiquitous hit, “Closing Time.” Though the band never officially broke up, they parted ways in the early 2000s, periodically reuniting for one-offs and charity performances. Though the shows were always a joy, and the three often mused about returning to the studio, new music simply wasn’t coming. “Every so often, I’d sit down and try to write a Semisonic song, but it just wouldn’t sound right,” says frontman Dan Wilson, now a GRAMMY-winning writer and producer known for his work with Adele, Taylor Swift, John Legend, Leon Bridges, the Chicks, and many others. “It was almost like I couldn’t remember how to be that guy anymore.” With ‘You’re Not Alone,’ Semisonic’s first new studio release since 2001, Wilson and his bandmates (bassist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slichter) cracked the code. Recorded at Wilson’s Los Angeles studio, the EP is pure Semisonic in all its rousing glory, fueled by lean arrangements and muscular performances of poignant alt-rock gems. Though the songs pre-date the current landscape of lockdowns and social distancing, they feel eerily prescient, reflecting on isolation, resilience in the face of upheaval, and the interconnectedness of all things. Life may be strange and the future uncertain, but with Semisonic back in action, one thing’s for sure: you’re not alone. None of us are.