Ida & Tsunami

Self-sufficient and quick-witted, Tsunami were among the most inventive and resourceful bands to emerge from the American independent scene of the 1990s. Founded in Arlington, VA in late 1990 on the intertwined guitars, sharp-tongued lyrics, and forceful vocals of frontwomen Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson, co-owners of the highly regarded Simple Machines record label, Tsunami were equally noted for their music and their unwavering commitment to D.I.Y. principles, which established them among the most respected voices in the alternative community. Throughout the 1990s, Tsunami wrote and recorded prolifically, releasing three full-length albums and over a dozen seven-inch singles and EPs, most on their own Simple Machines label. Over the same period, the band logged tens of thousands of miles in the minivan, touring the U.S., Canada, the UK and Europe multiple times, and playing the side stage
at Lollapalooza in 1993. Since their final tour in 1998 – over 25 years ago – Tsunami has only played four shows, but are gearing up for a US tour in spring 2025. Numero Group has assembled all of the band’s recordings in Loud Is As, a 5xLP box set out November 8, 2024. The box set includes the 4-track demos released as Cow Arcade (1991); remastered versions of their three Simple Machines albums, Deep End (1993), The Heart’s Tremolo (1994), and A Brilliant Mistake (1997); and all of their singles, b-sides, and compilation tracks. The 61 songs across the box set’s five LPs track Tsunami’s rapid evolution from a scrappy, self-taught outfit playing house parties and laser tag arcades, to a varied and ambitious band, using harmony and metaphor to tackle love and its disappointments, mock the corporate music industry, and kick back at capitalism.