Cutting Teeth: 1997-1999

In 1993, teens James “Jamie” Zoeller and Elaine Bradley met in Crystal Lake, Illinois, bonded in band class, and started nymb with Chad Price and Adam Kaczmarek. Named after The Secret of NIMH, they played their first show in Jamie’s backyard in May 1994 and self-released two cassettes in high school.

By 1996, Ben Kane joined on drums, letting Elaine move to vocals and later guitar. With Cory Verblen, then Nathan Snydacker, nymb became a key late-90s Chicago emo fixture, sharing bills with Cursive, Jets to Brazil, and Hey Mercedes before ending in 2001 at Fireside Bowl.

Cutting Teeth: 1997-1999 gathers the Novembre EP, Glass Eye EP, Sanders EP, The Fun Bobby Sessions, an acoustic “Rope + Ring”, and a previously unreleased 1997 three-song demo recorded by John Emerson and remixed by Bobby Burg. Remastered by Carl Saff, with artwork by Wall of Youth.