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Nine Days formed in St. James, New York, in 1994 around singer-songwriters and guitarists John Hampson and Brian Desveaux. The Long Island band developed through years of local performances, independent recording, and songwriting before reaching a worldwide audience with “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” in 2000.
The group’s core lineup has included Hampson and Desveaux alongside bassist Nick Dimichino, keyboardist Jeremy Dean, and drummers Vincent Tattanelli, Keith Zebroski, and John Miceli at different points in its history. Nine Days recorded three independent albums before signing with Sony’s 550 Music imprint for The Madding Crowd.
The band continued making music after its major-label period, independently releasing Flying the Corporate Jet, Slow Motion Life (Part One), Something Out of Nothing, and Snapshots. Nine Days remained active in 2026, performing concerts and festival dates while maintaining a catalog that stretches from mid-1990s alternative rock to later pop, Americana, and singer-songwriter material.
Something to Listen To
Released: 1995
Something to Listen To was Nine Days’ first album. Released by Dirty Poet Records, it introduced the songwriting partnership of John Hampson and Brian Desveaux and established the band’s blend of acoustic storytelling, melodic rock, and vocal harmony. The group recorded the album in nine days, inspiring its name.
The musicians included Hampson on vocals and guitar, Desveaux on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Nick Dimichino on bass, Jeremy Dean on piano, keyboards, and saxophone, Keith Zebroski on drums during the first portion of the sessions, and Vincent Tattanelli on most of the remaining tracks.
CD Track Listings:
- “Castles Burning” – 3:24
- “Shipwreck Water” – 4:37
- “Lost You…” – 4:28
- “Her Own Two Feet” – 4:20
- “7 Windsor Ct.” – 3:39
- “Outside Yourself” – 4:03
- “Cap Le’moine” – 5:46
- “9 Days of Rain” – 3:50
- “Things We Said” – 4:23
- “All My Reasons” – 4:47
- “Miss Alva Maria” – 8:42
- “Muddy Water” – 4:41
- “A Bit of Truth” – 5:07
- “Making Amends” – 6:03
Monday Songs
Released: May 26, 1996
Monday Songs was Nine Days’ second independent album. The band continued refining its two-singer format, with Hampson and Desveaux sharing songwriting and lead-vocal responsibilities. Paul Umbach produced the record with the group.
“I’d Go Crazy” was later rerecorded as “Crazy” for The Madding Crowd. Other important early tracks included “This Music,” “Long Hard Road,” “The End of Agent Bobby Roe,” and “See You in a Crowd.”
CD Track Listings:
- “This Music” – 4:35
- “Where You Going Now?” – 4:48
- “Long Hard Road” – 5:17
- “I’d Go Crazy” – 4:40
- “Oklahoma City” – 4:23
- “The End of Agent Bobby Roe” – 5:03
- “Behind an Old Blue Vase” – 4:41
- “My Brother” – 2:36
- “Waiting on the Corner” – 3:55
- “See You in a Crowd” – 4:24
- “Road You Go Down” – 4:01
Three
Released: January 27, 1998
Three was the band’s third independent album and its final full-length release before signing with 550 Music. The concise eight-song record showed Nine Days moving toward the polished pop-rock sound that would define its major-label breakthrough.
The album included “Ghosts in a Graveyard,” “Shoes on the Bed,” “Mexico,” “Greener Grass,” and “On Her Way to Boston.” Following the record, the band continued writing and performing label showcases until a new group of songs finally led to a recording contract.
CD Track Listings:
- “Ghosts in a Graveyard” – 4:02
- “Shoes on the Bed” – 5:46
- “Mexico” – 3:58
- “Wonder” – 3:41
- “Greener Grass” – 4:14
- “Regrets” – 4:16
- “Down with the Ship” – 4:06
- “On Her Way to Boston” – 4:46
The Madding Crowd
Released: May 16, 2000
The Madding Crowd was Nine Days’ major-label debut and commercial breakthrough. Producer Nick DiDia gave the band’s melodic writing a bright, radio-ready sound without erasing its acoustic foundation or the contrast between Hampson’s and Desveaux’s voices.
“Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining pop-rock singles of 2000. “If I Am” and “257 Weeks” followed as singles, while songs including “Sometimes,” “Bob Dylan,” “Bitter,” and “Wanna Be” revealed the album’s broader emotional range.
CD Track Listings:
- “So Far Away” – 3:56
- “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” – 3:09
- “If I Am” – 4:18
- “End Up Alone” – 3:58
- “Sometimes” – 5:14
- “Bob Dylan” – 4:36
- “257 Weeks” – 4:03
- “Bitter” – 6:22
- “Back to Me” – 4:01
- “Crazy” – 4:15
- “Revolve” – 3:54
- “Wanna Be” – 6:02
So Happily Unsatisfied
Recorded: 2002; officially released through digital services in 2018
So Happily Unsatisfied was recorded as the follow-up to The Madding Crowd. Epic and 550 Music repeatedly delayed the album, and Nine Days was dropped before it received a conventional commercial release. The recordings circulated online for years before Sony placed the twelve-track album on digital and streaming services.
Ron Aniello produced the record, which moved between polished power pop, reflective ballads, and more expansive arrangements. “Good Friend,” “Marvelous,” “Still Here,” “The Joneses,” “Ocean,” and “Great Divide” became longtime fan favorites.
CD Track Listings:
- “Favorite Song” – 4:31
- “Good Friend” – 4:07
- “Emily” – 3:35
- “Marvelous” – 3:47
- “Still Here” – 4:13
- “The Joneses” – 3:48
- “Don’t Look Back” – 3:42
- “I Feel Fine” – 3:45
- “Ocean” – 5:50
- “Beautiful” – 4:16
- “Everything” – 4:24
- “Great Divide” – 4:11
Flying the Corporate Jet
Released: 2003
Nine Days returned to independent recording with Flying the Corporate Jet. The title reflected the band’s experience with the music industry after the success of The Madding Crowd and the shelving of its intended follow-up.
The album mixed humor, disappointment, relationship songs, and observations about fame and television. “29 Year Old Girls,” “Goodbye,” “Something Has Gone Wrong,” “Reality TV,” and “The Moment” captured a band reclaiming control of its music.
CD Track Listings:
- “29 Year Old Girls” – 4:15
- “Goodbye” – 4:12
- “Wonderful” – 3:08
- “Something Has Gone Wrong” – 3:29
- “Reality TV” – 3:22
- “Devil You Know” – 5:54
- “Catch Me If You Can” – 3:32
- “The Moment” – 4:16
- “17 and 33” – 3:53
Slow Motion Life (Part One)
Released: 2007
Slow Motion Life (Part One) was conceived as the first half of a larger project. Paul Umbach produced the recordings, which returned to the band’s strengths in acoustic guitar, vocal harmony, piano, and direct melodic songwriting.
The original EP centered on six songs. The current expanded configuration also includes “I Want You to Remember (Rough Mix),” a recording connected to the same period.
Current Track Listings:
- “A Girl in California” – 4:06
- “Suddenly (A Brown Eyed Girl)” – 3:32
- “Worth Fighting For” – 3:42
- “Just as Through with You” – 3:28
- “New Shoes” – 4:08
- “Brand New Me” – 4:06
- “I Want You to Remember (Rough Mix)” – 3:10
Something Out of Nothing
Released: 2013
Something Out of Nothing reunited Nine Days for a full-length album of new material. The record balanced Hampson’s pop-rock writing with Desveaux’s rootsier influences, resulting in songs that moved through rock, blues, country, and Americana.
“Alchemy,” “Messin’ Around,” “Hey Y’all,” “Protect Me (From What I Want),” and “Indian Summer” showed that the group could retain its melodic identity while broadening its sound. The album was released independently through Madding Music.
CD Track Listings:
- “Alchemy” – 4:35
- “Messin’ Around” – 5:12
- “Hey Y’all” – 3:16
- “Protect Me (From What I Want)” – 3:38
- “Wine, Women, and Song” – 3:56
- “Suburban Blues” – 4:23
- “No Easy in Love” – 6:27
- “Viking Funeral” – 4:45
- “Indian Summer” – 3:57
- “Flying Saucer” – 3:36
Snapshots
Released: July 8, 2016
Snapshots was Nine Days’ first full-length album in three years and was described by John Hampson as the band’s proper follow-up to The Madding Crowd. The group worked with several Nashville songwriters, bringing a stronger Americana and storytelling influence into its established pop-rock sound.
The album included “Obsolete,” “Mona Lisa Smile,” “Greenlight,” “Beautiful Thing,” “Conspiracy,” and “Two Hearts Too Big.” It closed with the Sweet Sixteen Edition of “Absolutely (Story of a Girl),” a new recording made sixteen years after the original hit.
CD Track Listings:
- “Obsolete” – 3:25
- “Mona Lisa Smile” – 3:21
- “Greenlight” – 4:15
- “Beautiful Thing” – 3:34
- “Snapshots” – 3:48
- “Conspiracy” – 3:50
- “Two Hearts Too Big” – 3:18
- “2 Straws” – 2:56
- “Star” – 4:01
- “So Called Perfect Life” – 3:16
- “Lonely Enough” – 3:17
- “Absolutely (Story of a Girl) (Sweet Sixteen Edition)” – 3:10
Nine Days Extended Play
Slow Motion Life (Part One) (2007)
Read More: Top 10 Nine Days Songs
Updated August 2, 2026.
Complete List Of Nine Days Albums And Discography article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
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