Alternative • Music • POP • Rock

25 years on from its release, ‘Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)’ remains a key entry of the US pop-rock canon, expertly delivered by Long Island, New York group, Nine Days. To celebrate its impact and the band’s ongoing legacy, Nine Days will be touring Australia for the first time in November, hitting East Coast venues for a series of unforgettable shows!

The tour has been a long time in the making and now, Australian fans who have been with Nine Days from the beginning, will have the chance to connect with the group via their catalogue of heartfelt songs and unbeatable performances. 

Presented by MRG Live, Nine Days’ debut Australian shows – celebrating the 25th anniversary of ‘Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)’ and their breakthrough album The Madding Crowd – are ones the band are incredibly excited to finally undertake. 

“We have been waiting 25 years for this opportunity! Over the years, fans from Australia have reached out to us wanting to know when we were going to make it there to play some shows. Well, now we can finally give them an answer – this November!  I collect all the cool things that Sony Records put out for the band, and I always loved the CD single they pressed back in 2000 that had some “bonus“ live and unplugged recordings we did in Seattle.  

As far as I can tell, Australia was the only country where these CD singles were sold. For some reason, this fascinated me. This year we celebrate 25 years of The Madding Crowd album, and “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” and I cannot wait to finally make it down under to hopefully meet some of those people who’ve been waiting for quite a long time to see the band; and if you happen to have one of those CD singles, please bring it with you. See you in November!” JOHN HAMPSON, NINE DAYS

Released in 2000, tearaway hit ‘Absolutely (Story of a Girl)’  became a track that brought the band global notoriety. In Australia, the song peaked at #31 on the ARIA Singles Charts, and has been a mainstay on commercial radio ever since. Along with being an instant classic of the US pop-rock music, the success of the song earned Nine Days a double-Platinum certification and in more recent history, it has accumulated over 175 million streams on Spotify alone.

Key to the song’s success is the buoyant storytelling – a trait that is threaded right throughout The Madding Crowd – and sonic arrangements that have become the band’s signature. ‘Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)’ returned to the forefront of current pop culture thanks to its presence in the Academy Award-winning film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, reimagined by songwriter John Hampson in a number of variations; introducing the classic to a new generation of listeners.

With this special anniversary bringing them to more audiences –  some for the first time, in the case of Australia – it has given Nine Days additional empowerment as they look ahead to a new chapter of their story. Enjoying a ‘relaunch’ of sorts in 2024, the band’s connection with their fans has never been stronger, stoking the flames of new inspiration for Nine Days and the legacy they remain committed to.