nymb and Forge Again Records recently announced the re-issue of the 90s indie band’s entire remastered catalogue, including unreleased recordings and rare 7” tracks. Formed in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, IL in 1993, the group was an early staple of the mid-west emo and shoegaze scene that has since become an influential part of today’s contemporary artists. The band has inspired and toured with Jets To Brazil, Cursive, Hey Mercedes and Rainer Maria among other artist’s from that era.

The story of nymb begins in 1993 when two teenagers – James “Jamie” Zoeller from Northern Virginia and Elaine Bradley (then Doty) from the Louisville suburbs of southern Indiana – found themselves uprooted and relocated to Crystal Lake, Illinois. Jamie was a sophomore and Elaine a freshman, when they met in band class. An instant friendship formed, fueled by a shared plan to start a rock band.

While Jamie took up guitar, Elaine (who owned a drum set but harbored ambitions to be the frontwoman) reluctantly took on the dual role of drummer and vocalist. They enlisted friends Chad Price on bass and Adam Kaczmarek on guitar and named the project nymb, a stylized nod to the early 80s dark fantasy film The Secret of NIMH. They were fans of the larger alternative acts of the day, bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Radiohead, and the Breeders. Their first official show took place in Jamie’s backyard in May 1994. They practiced a lot, wrote their own songs, and self-released two cassette tapes while still in high school.

For the next two years, nymb would play anywhere they could: garages, backyards, high school parties, rotary buildings, and city events. In 1996, the dynamic shifted. Ben Kane from nearby Lake Zurich joined the band on drums, and Elaine was able to move to vocals and eventually guitar. They eventually solidified their lineup with the addition of Ben’s former Apple Smax bandmate Cory Verblen on bass and became a relentless touring machine before Cory eventually handed bass duties over to Nathan Snydacker.

As they aged, their musical tastes evolved and they gained experience seeing and playing alongside local bands from Chicago’s punk and early emo scene. Drawing deep influence from the textured dynamics of Hum and the raw emotionality of Sunny Day Real Estate and Braid, nymb became a staple of the late-90s Chicago scene.

Before disbanding in August of 2001 after a raucous farewell show at the Fireside Bowl, nymb left behind a rich discography of demos, EPs, and two full-length albums. After decades in the vault, a burgeoning interest from young folks seeking out authentic and obscure emo bands from days past led the band to work once again with Forge Again Records to bring their entire catalog to streaming services, including The Fun Bobby Sessions – a collection featuring unearthed recordings and two rare 7” tracks.

So, This Is How It Is (2xLP/CD) is nymb’s first full-length album, available on vinyl for the first time and includes two additional tracks recorded during the same session with Jeremy Lemos that originally appeared as b-sides to The Breathing Out Vapors Single. The album was remastered by Carl Saff and the original art was updated and adapted for vinyl by Wall of Youth.

Pre-Order nymb’s re-issued catalog via Forge Ahead Records HERE