Gin Blossoms stopped by Good Morning America and performed two classic cuts: “Hey Jealousy” from 1992’s New Miserable Experience and “Follow You Down” from 1996’s Congratulations I’m Sorry.
New Miserable Experience has sold over five million albums and was a staple on the charts for almost three years. Additionally, the album produced five hit singles, including the aforementioned “Hey Jealousy,” plus “Follow You Down” and “Found Out About You.”
A few years back, lead vocalist Robin Wilson reflected on the anniversary of the album when the band announced a 30th anniversary tour in support of the release. Titled the “Celebrating 30 Miserable Years” tour, they performed the 1992 album in its entirety. Wilson said: “It was hard to make NME, but we knew it was special. It’s humbling that it still resonates and we still have jobs in the music biz.” Guitarist Jesse Valenzuela added, “It’s funny how time slips away. We are still so proud that even after all these years the album still resonates with fans.”
As for Congratulations I’m Sorry, Gin Blossoms are celebrating 30 years of that album this year. The title was inspired by the wishes the band would receive from fans and listeners who reacted to the multi-platinum success of New Miserable Experience and the tragic death of the band’s Doug Hopkins, who died in between the two albums.
In a 2022 interview with Stereogum, Wilson reflected on the stakes leading into Congratulations I’m Sorry. He said: “There was just so much pressure on us to make a good record. Following up your multi-platinum debut with your sophomore record, there’s no bigger challenge for a major-label musician, to have to live up to that success, to have to start from scratch. New Miserable Experience included songs that were written over a period of years. Some were written before Gin Blossoms even formed as a band. But with Congratulations I’m Sorry, we had to do it without Doug for the first time… That was the biggest amount of pressure.”
