Semisonic

Formed in 1995 in Minneapolis, Semisonic are an American alternative rock trio, whose post-grunge-infused power pop melodies dominated the charts in the late 90s. Composed of Dan Wilson (guitars/vocals), Dan Wilson (bass), and Jacob Slichter (drums), the group came together after the dissolution of short-lived psychedelic rock outfit Trip Shakespeare in 1991. Following the release of the EP Pleasure (1995) and Great Divide (1996), their first full-length, they broke into the mainstream with Feeling Strangely Fine (1998). Spearheaded by the smash hit “Closing Time,” which topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and earned the trio a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song, the album proved hugely successful, obtaining platinum certification in both the US and the UK. They followed up with All About Chemistry (2011) which, despite the moderate success of the singles “Chemistry” and “Over My Head,” was considered a commercial failure and sent the group on an indefinite hiatus. In subsequent years, Wilson enjoyed a fruitful career as a songwriter, penning tracks for the likes of The Dixie Chicks and Adele, and Slichter devoted himself to writing his memoir, which saw the light of day in 2004 under the title So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star. Seizing upon the 90s nostalgia boom, the trio reunited for a couple of hometown shows in 2017, after which they released the EP You’re Not Alone (2020), their first collection of original material in almost two decades.