10 Most Underrated 90s Indie Bands You Need To Listen To
5. The Wrens
New Jersey quartet The Wrens put out two terrific LPs (1994’s Silver and 1996’s Secaucus) before disagreements over their artistic and business outlooks led to them losing out on the chance to become huge.
By the time Secaucus came out, The Wrens had advanced a lot as creators. It kept much of the stripped-down and punky edge of Silver, but it also demonstrated larger range in virtually all areas. Compositions such as the warmly introspective Won’t Get Too Far and the quirkily poppy It’s Not Getting Any Good are fine examples of that, and even the collection’s expectedly rowdy offerings were relatively elaborate.
Shortly thereafter, they were presented with a hefty recording contract by music executive Alan Meltzer on the condition that they start crafting “slightly catchier songs.” They refused, so Meltzer looked elsewhere while The Wrens suffered a loss of promotional support and the rights to their work.
Founder Kevin Whelan reflects: “We never got great success. It is a unique story. I was in my 20s and early 30s, we were offered this million-dollar contract that we walked away from. And it led from nothing to nothing to nothing.”
Their third and final album, Meadowlands, arrived in 2003.