Saint Suburbia returns with new album

Minneapolis/St. Paul-based Saint Suburbia have been playing together long before the band under that name became a reality. The outfit traces its origins back to 1994, when Kris Olk, Neil Adams and Wade Anderson first linked up in Austin, Minnesota under the banner Best Intentions. After earning a reputation across southern Minnesota, the group went their separate ways in 1997, spending the next sixteen years pursuing different musical projects before rediscovering the chemistry that had first brought them together.

Their reunion in 2013 reignited that creative partnership and with Turner Berg joining the line up in 2023, Saint Suburbia entered a new era with new momentum while remaining firmly connected to the spirit that started it all. That sense of longevity runs through everything the band creates; Saint Suburbia has continued developing a sound that blends classic rock with alternative country, producing an Americana-inspired style informed by influences including The Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, The Gear Daddies and The Gin Blossoms, resulting in music built on strong melodies and guitar-driven arrangements.

The current line-up brings together Turner Berg on guitar and vocals, Kris Olk on guitar, vocals and bass, Neil Adams on drums, harmonica and mandolin and Wade Anderson on vocals, bass and guitar. Each musician contributes to a sound that balances rock energy with country warmth, creating songs that feel equally comfortable blasting from festival stages or accompanying long drives through open landscapes.

Like many artists, the band found unexpected creative opportunity during the pandemic and while much of the world slowed down throughout 2020, Saint Suburbia focused their attention on recording their debut album. Working at Behemoth Recording Studios with Robert Hilstrom, the group completed Road To Nowthen, which arrived in 2021 as the first statement of their musical output. The record laid down the band’s approach, combining classic rock stylings with alternative country textures into a thoroughly unique take on Americana.

That record became the beginning of a new chapter and after years of history together, Saint Suburbia suddenly had a platform from which to develop their songwriting, with the years that followed seeing the group continue building towards an even more ambitious follow-up. That next step has now arrived in the form of Way Far Gone, the band’s sophomore full-length album. Recorded at Legion Park Studios in Shakopee with Mike Schmidt during the summer and autumn of last year, the thirteen-track outing reflects both the confidence of a band comfortable in its identity and the excitement of a band continuing to evolve.

Opened by “It’s You,” the album starts with a bright blend of rustling drums, gritty guitar tones and playful harmonica leads, setting up a grooving slice of pop-focused country rock music that rolls with expressive vocal leads carrying catchy hooks and uplifting energy. “The Land of Milk and Honey” follows with wailing guitar feedback which gives way to the soft strums of acoustic guitar and taps of percussion to set up a mellow jam of gentle instrumentation and tender vocals, casting a dreamy sound of soulful country music that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

“Putting On Airs” brings a bouncy rhythm where intricate flicker of guitar and warm bass tones underpin compelling vocal layers, resulting in a joyous musical moment that’s charming, energising and timeless all at once. Other highlights on the album include the title track “Way Far Gone” with its blend of fluttering instrumentation, engaging vocal work and steady pulse of shuffling rhythms, forming an epic showcase of the band’s stunning songwriting and performance panache. “Green Light Go” lands with shimmering organ textures, twanging guitar tones and pattering percussion to present a delightful country pop outing cut with slick lead guitar that’s truly impossible not to love.

With “Stolen,” the laid back arrangement of guitars, bass and drums crafts an alluring backdrop for the emotive vocal performance to spin memorable melodic leads above. Closing the album with “For Any Dream,” the mesmeric sound of airy guitar, mandolin and harmonica is met by heartfelt vocal performance and soft percussive pulse to deliver a superb finale that shines with intimate vocals and elegant lead guitar as it gradually gathers subtle energy.

Way Far Gone both marks the band’s long awaited return and represents musicians who understand one another instinctively, whose collective history informs every note they play, yet who continue looking ahead instead of dwelling on the past. For Saint Suburbia, the road that began in Austin, Minnesota more than three decades ago remains very much open and this sophomore release stands as another stellar moment on a journey that continues to gather momentum.

Listen to Way Far Gone below