Day After Day #299: Waiting for the Sun

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).

Waiting for the Sun (1992)

The year was 1992 and the kids were fired up about the grunge, but there was a lot of other stuff going on. Roots rock was still a going concern, with artists like Neil Young and the Black Crowes exploring those sounds. Another act that struck that vein was the Jayhawks out of Minneapolis, who released an outstanding album that fall seemingly out of nowhere.

The band was formed in 1984 by singer-guitarist Mark Olson, first as a trio before relaunching as a four-piece in 1985 with Marc Perlman on bass, Norm Rogers on drums and Steve Retzler on guitar. Retzler was later replaced by guitarist Gary Louris and the band released their rootsy self-titled debut on Bunkhouse Records in 1986. Louris left the band for a while before returning and the Jayhawks released Blue Earth on Twin/Tone in 1989, with Louris sharing the songwriting duties with Olson. 

The group signed to Def American, a major label headed by Rick Rubin, and released Hollywood Town Hall in September 1992. The lead single, "Waiting for the Sun," was an instant grabber, with Louris' folksy vocals and expressive lead guitar creating a catchy and compelling alt-country song.

"I was waiting for the sun/Then I walked on home alone/What I didn't know/Was he was waiting for you to fall/So I never made amends/For the sake of no one else/And for the simple reason/That he was waiting for you to fall/It was not lost on me/It was not lost on me/Walking on down the road/Looking for a friendly handout/Somethin' might ease my soul."

The band's influences are no mystery: there's a little Neil, a little Stones, a little Big Star, and definitely some Gram Parsons in their sound. But between Louris and Olson's intertwined vocals and Louris' fuzz-tone solos, the Jayhawks definitely had their own thing going on.

"So I kept my spirits high/Entertaining passers-by/Wrapped in my confusion/While he was waiting for you to fall/It was not lost on me/It was not lost on me/Walking on down the road/Looking for a friendly handout/Somethin' might ease my soul."

In addition to the strong songcraft, it was Louris' guitar that really grabbed my attention. I saw the video on MTV and then picked up the album, which became a staple in between all the louder stuff. Hollywood Town Hall hit #11 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and #192 on the Billboard 200.

The Jayhawks followed it up with 1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass and had a hit with "Blue," which went top 40 in Canada, but the album didn't perform up to expectations (peaking at #92 on the Billboard 200) in the U.S. Olson left the band later that year to take care of his wife, folk singer Victoria Williams, who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; he and Williams formed the Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers and released three albums. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks soldiered on and released three albums of their own before going on hiatus in 2004.

Louris and Olson toured together in 2005 and 2006, although not as the Jayhawks; the 1995 lineup of the band later played a festival in Spain in 2008. The following year, Olson and Louis released an acoustic album, and then a few months later, the Jayhawks reunited to play festival dates. The band has released four albums since 2011 and collaborated with Ray Davies on two albums as well.

The Jayhawks have been touring consistently as a four-piece the last four years.