nothing write home about

Something to Write Home About

Something to Write Home About is an emo-Indie album by The Get Up Kids, released on September 21, 1999 (see 1999 in music). The album's swift rhythms, melodious riffs and tortured vocals did not translate into chart sales, peaking at #31 on Billboards Heatseekers 200 albums chart (North America), but gathered a great amount of critical acclaim. Something to Write Home About is the first Get Up Kids album to include James Dewees playing keyboards.

The title refers to a cliché that a mediocre object or idea is "nothing to write home about", though it may be serviceable. While speaking to a relative back home, one of the band members mentioned that he met Sarah Michelle Gellar in Los Angeles. The relative remarked, "That's something to write home about!"

After The Get Up Kids' previous album, Four Minute Mile, brought major label offers, the band decided to stick with an indie label. Something to Write Home About is, however, slightly more radio-oriented, with catchy choruses and hooks.

Recording

At the time the band signed onto Vagrant Records, the label was still primarily a smaller, indie label. Before the album went into production, the label's co-owner John Cohen had to borrow money from his parents, who mortgaged their house in order to fund the production of the album. At least one of the songs were inspired by the band's tumultuous split with Doghouse Records.

The album was recorded over the course of two months in Los Angeles, California.

Promotion

Two singles were released to promote this album. The first, Ten Minutes was released through the Sub Pop Singles Club on 7" Vinyl. The second, Action & Action was released on CD.

The band toured for three years after the release of the album, up until they went into the studio on their next album On a Wire. This included supporting Green Day on their Warning tour, as well as an opening spot on the 2001 Yahoo! Outloud tour with Ozma and Weezer. After the tour ended, the band was physically and mentally fatigued, and looked to write a significantly different album, reflected in the tone of On a Wire.

During that time, in order to cash in on the success of Something to Write Home About, as well as to keep fans interested until the next album came out, Vagrant Records released Eudora, a B-Sides and Rarities collection in 2001.

Re-Release

As of August 2008, there have been heavy rumors that the band will be releasing a special edition re-release of the album to commemorate the ten year anniversary of it's release, including a DVD chronicling the band's history. Initially the rumors were fan reports from the farewell Reggie and the Full Effect tour, when lead singer and former Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees claimed that the band would re-release the album in addition to touring in the spring of 2009. Speculation was fueled further when, in an interview with Mishmash Magazine, Dewees confirmed that he was working on the reunion of "an old band from the 90's and early 2000's".