Every Black Cloud Needs to Cry: A Conversation with Sunday (1994)
- Josh Kitchen
- Apr 11
- 8 min read
By: Josh Kitchen / April 11, 2025
"Is evil born or is it something you learn?/Now I see the world through your eyes,/Every black cloud needs to cry," Paige Turner of Sunday (1994) croons in their new single, "Rain," out today. Sung by Turner, one half of the songwriting duo Sunday (1994) alongside real-life partner Lee Newell, "Rain" unfolds over Newell’s familiar, ethereal, jangly guitar, with on-beat and unflashy drumming from Puma, —reminiscent of melancholic classics by The Smiths or The Church—and marks the latest release from the band, who’ve been putting out music for just over 14 months. Newell tells me that "Rain" is the spiritual sister song to the band's outstanding debut single, "Tired Boy," which they released in March of 2024, thirty years after their namesake.
Sunday (1994) have had a pretty quick rise after teasing lyrics and songs on their TikTok account last year, set to clips of classic films like Cry Baby, Mulholland Drive, and Clueless, and the band has already racked up about a quarter of a million monthly listeners on Spotify, and have played at venues like the Hollywood Palladium, and will be making their Troubadour debut in June. The visuals are extremely intentional, the band telling me they see the way they present themselves visually is just as crucial to them as the music. The lyrics from "Rain" are certainly evocative - it's hard to not think of James Dean in East of Eden or Martin Sheen in Badlands.
"Rain," is the latest Sunday (1994) offering after their excellent self-titled EP, home to tracks like "Blonde," "The Loneliness Of The Long Flight Home," and "TV Car Chase," which has lyrics referencing Sylvia Plath's suicide, "Well if you can't find me then/My head is in the oven (oh my head, oh my head, oh my head)," repeated over and over. Depressing, yes, but with music that hits you in the gut the same way your favorite Cure song gives you that sad and happy feeling, Sunday (1994) have struck a chord in a way that is inspiring the next generation of music lovers, bridging the gap between Taylor Swift and Morissey. I caught up with Turner and Newell ahead of the release of "Rain" and their upcoming EP, Devotion, to talk about the new track, what their perfect Sundays look like, and why we love music that makes us sad.
You released your first single, "Tired Boy," just over a year ago. Now you're touring the world and playing venues like the Hollywood Palladium. How do you feel looking back at a year of “Tired Boy” and the way has blown up since?
Paige: It's just been so fun and positive. Everything has felt effortless—things have really fallen into place, and nothing feels forced with this project. We've met so many cool people, we have an amazing live band, and the gigs have been incredible.
Lee: I concur. It's been incredible. We didn’t know what to expect—it’s as old a story as time—but putting out that first song felt like roulette. We feel really lucky that it connected with people. I think part of the reason it did is because we truly put ourselves into it.
Your songwriting and sounds feel familiar, nostalgic even, but still fresh. You remind listeners of bands they already love—like The Smiths, The Cure, and Depeche Mode—but presented in a new and exciting way. How intentional was that balance between nostalgia and originality? And how much of that comes down to the visuals, too?
Paige: That’s very kind—to even be mentioned in the same sentence as those bands feels crazy. We're huge fans of all of them. Visuals are just as important to us as the music. We talked about this band for so long before starting, which gave us time to really hone in on what we wanted it to look like. We pulled inspiration from our favorite films, photos, aesthetics, and created the kind of band we wanted to see and hear in 2024.
Lee: Yeah, we had plenty of time to prepare.
Paige: I think that’s an important note for any new band—not to rush things. I know people get excited when they write that first song and want to immediately start a project. But people will often think about starting the Instagram page before they even know what their sound or look is. You need to think things through and be patient.
I love that you bring up Instagram because your band feels so naturally built for the social media era—where how we present ourselves, what we listen to, and what we love is part of the art. Your music, your visuals, even your name—Sunday (1994)—it's all so evocative. What role has social media played in shaping your identity?
Paige: Yeah, you're right. You listen with your eyes first now. We’re all discovering things visually before we even hear them. That’s why, if this music came out in another era, it might’ve taken longer for people to connect with it. A friend recently said that it's actually really hard to build a fanbase quickly when your music is mid-tempo and ballad-heavy. But we had the visuals and a clear identity, and that helped.
Lee: Yeah, visuals have always been really important. It makes the music sound better when you see it presented in a cool way.
Paige: I want someone to see a picture, a piece of clothing, or a piece of art and think, "That reminds me of Sunday (1994)." That's how we feel about our favorite artists.
Lee: I think about Pet Shop Boys—they have their own visual world, their own aesthetic language. That’s what we want too. And with this new EP, we’re pushing that even further.
Seeing you live, you bring that same presentation to the stage. Talk to me about how you each present yourselves on stage.
Paige: I think I show a bit more of myself on stage—more energy comes out of me than what you might see in our videos or hear in the recordings. But I try to stay true to who I am; I’m not playing a character.
Lee: I think you’re exactly the same on stage and off. And the songs do translate with more energy live.
Paige: Yeah, it all feels really natural. Nothing is forced.
Lee: We’re just dramatic people!
That authenticity makes the artistry feel more serious and honest. It's hard to imagine you could make this kind of music if you weren’t really feeling it.
Lee: Completely. It’s been liberating to sing about things that aren’t always fun to talk about.
That leads perfectly into a pretty heavy question - why do people love music that makes them sad?
Lee: Good question. I can only speak personally, but I think it's because you feel seen. When someone articulates what you're going through in a way that’s nice to listen to, it puts things in a new light. It’s healing.
Paige: It’s the same reason people watch sad movies or listen to sad stories—it makes you feel human. We gravitate toward feeling deep emotions, even when they’re not positive.
Lee: True crime is so popular for a reason.
Exactly—and your lyrics really tap into that. I saw your debut show at The Echo last year, and even then it felt like you had already built this passionate and dedicated fanbase, which is something I love about live music - the kind of community that can be found at a show. Someone who said they were from your fan club handed me a piece of tissue paper for "Stained Glass Window" to hold over my phone flashlight. How have you felt about that sense of community forming around the band?
Paige: It’s been crazy. The fans truly care about the music and lyrics. They talk about it on Reddit, write long comments, and bring signs to shows.
Lee: It’s a surprise to us too. But yeah, seeing people with signs, quoting lyrics—it’s amazing.
Paige: It’s validating because it feels like we’re being seen too.
Lee: I’ve noticed the audience is a pretty even split—half younger fans into Taylor Swift and half guys in their 40s asking about guitar pedals. It brings two worlds together that don’t usually mix—Morrissey fans and Swifties for example.
Let’s talk about your new single—“Rain,” out today, and your next EP, Devotion, out May 9.
Paige: "Rain" is a mid-tempo track—our bread and butter. After “Doomsday,” which was a bit more upbeat, we wanted to go back to that slower, ballad style. The lyrics are fun, but also a bit silly in parts.
Lee: Every song on the new EP connects to one from the first EP. They’re like sequels or sister songs. “Rain” is the sister song to “Tired Boy.”
Paige: It doesn’t sound exactly the same, but it’s in that world. All our songs are variations of the same world.
Lee: It’s a prison drama, in a way.
What does your songwriting process look like between the two of you?
Paige: Lee produces everything. I might’ve accidentally helped with the chords for “Tired Boy,” but other than that, he’s the master of instruments. I focus more on melody and lyrics, but we really do a lot of it 50/50.
Lee: Yeah, we trust each other’s instincts. The band wouldn’t sound right without both of our perspectives. We come from different places, grew up on different music, and bring that all together.
The best bands need that input from their members. Bands like Led Zeppelin or R.E.M.—each band member is absolutely crucial.
Lee: R.E.M. is a big influence for us.
Thank God for R.E.M.
Lee: One of the new EP songs has a bridge that’s very R.E.M., and I even sing some Mike Mills-style backing vocals.
I can't wait. What are you reading right now?
Paige: I’m finally reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. We've referenced her in our music, and I’ve always been so drawn to her poetry—so many of her lines about depression, identity, and womanhood have really stuck with me. She had this unfiltered honesty that still feels shocking and necessary, especially considering when she was writing. No one was really speaking like that, especially not women. She was so ahead of her time.
Lee: I just finished Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe—It’s such a vivid snapshot of post-war England, especially working-class life in the Midlands. It really nails that feeling of restlessness and rebellion—Arthur’s this angry, hard-drinking, factory-working guy who just wants to live on his own terms. He’s sort of a lovable bastard, if that makes sense. Also The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, which is also by Sillitoe, which inspired one of our songs. Now I’m starting Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.
Finally, tell me about your perfect Sunday.
Paige: Sundays were a really big day in my family. We had dinner every Sunday with my entire extended family, because we're Italian, so I spent every single Sunday at my grandparents’ house having pasta and listening to music, watching my grandfather play drums in his studio, listening to jazz, and just learning. So my perfect Sunday would be to honestly eat pretty much most of the day and eat pasta and then end it watching Friends.
Lee: That sounds perfect. I love rotting on the couch—Uber Eats and a good binge-watch.
Listen to the new single, "Rain", below, and pre-save the Devotion EP, out on May 9. Follow Sunday (1994) here.
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