Sea Ray Announce 20th Anniversary Edition Of Sophomore LP 'Stars At Noon'

New York City chamber rock sextet Sea Ray have announced their sophomore album, Stars at Noon, will receive a 20th anniversary release, December 1 via Bodan Kuma Records.

The edition includes a first-ever vinyl pressing, painstakingly remastered in 2023, and coincides with the digital release of two newly-recorded tracks that were fan favorites of the band's live set. The new recordings were produced by the band and mixed by longtime collaborator Peter Katis (Death Cab for Cutie, The National, Interpol). Pre-order Stars at Noon here.

The first of those two tracks, "Lashes," arrives today. Additionally, the group has announced their return to the stage as part of a live celebration of the vinyl release in New York, December 2 at the Knitting Factory. The show will be their first live performance since 2005.

Artist presale tickets for the December 2 show go on sale Wednesday, October 18 at 10am ET with password “REVELRY.” General public tickets go on sale Friday, October 20 at 10am ET [Purchase here].

Discussing reconnecting with his old bandmates, guitarist Greg Zinman noted, “It's rare to share an aesthetic shorthand with people that can withstand a twenty-year pause, and it's been so satisfying to make these new songs together, which sound as good or better than anything we've ever done.”

Keyboardist Jeff Sheinkopf added, “So much has happened in the world and in our lives since the last time we played together but somehow it feels like no time has passed. The old magic is still there.”

Cellist Anne Brewster: "I've loved getting to revisit that time in my life, the amazing adventure it all felt like, the absurd dreams that actually seem plausible when you are in your 20s. I'm also really excited that we managed to get our acts together enough to release a couple additional songs that I always really loved, but we never had a chance to record.” 

Sea Ray materialized from the depths of a Brooklyn basement in 1997, inspired by echoes of classic psychedelia, '90s shoegaze, space rock, the British Invasion, and the spring-coil reverbs in their amps. Over time, the band's instrumentation grew to include cello, electric piano and synthesizers, turning Sea Ray into a small chamber rock group with a dense, layered, moody sound.

After recording a self-released debut album in 1997, Sea Ray released a follow-up EP in 1999, with the help of producers Tobin Sprout (Guided by Voices) and Katis. In 2003, the band released their highly acclaimed sophomore album, Stars at Noon on esteemed NYC indie label The Self-Starter Foundation.

Produced by Katis and Pete Min (Longwave), the album was an instant college and indie radio staple, receiving heavy airplay on stations like Seattle's KEXP, LA's KCRW, and Ohio's legendary WOXY (where it reached #1), and garnering rave reviews around the world. Rolling Stone called it, "a gorgeous, bursting collection of rock songs," while Time Out NY hailed its, "heart-stopping melodic beauty."

Following extensive touring with artists such as The Church, The Stills, Longwave, and Metric, as well as dates with the Walkmen, Interpol, the New Pornographers, and Yo La Tengo, the band - Zinman, Sheinkopf, Brewster, drummer Colin Brooks, bassist I-Huei Go, and guitarist/vocalist Jordan Warner - went on indefinite hiatus in 2005. For one night, Sea Ray will bring back that magic to the stage, and with the return of Stars at Noon, remind the world why that moment in time was, and remains, so special.

Photo Credit: Hee Jin Kang

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