Beloved Brooklyn indie-roots collective Hem is celebrating a milestone: the 25th anniversary of their acclaimed debut ‘Rabbit Songs.' The band has announced a fully remastered reissue arriving this fall via Waveland Records, marking the first time the album will be available on vinyl. A digital edition is also on the way, complete with the bonus track ‘St. Charlene,' a rarity from the Rabbit Songs era once found only on a limited EP. Pre-save link right here.
First released independently in 2000, ‘Rabbit Songs' became an underground favourite, praised for its intimate arrangements, sweeping melodies and the stunning voice of lead singer Sally Ellyson. The new remaster brings renewed clarity to all 16 tracks, preserving the album’s warm, cinematic textures while reintroducing its emotional core to longtime fans and new listeners alike.
The reissue arrives alongside a renewed look at Hem’s origin story, beautifully captured in a biography by writer Peter Blackstock. He traces the moment the band first “clicked” in the studio while playing through ‘Half Acre,' the song that would become their signature. At the time, founding members Dan Messé, Gary Maurer, and Steve Curtis were seeking the right vocalist—an effort that led them to place a small ad in the Village Voice. Ellyson’s response, and her haunting cassette of homemade lullabies, changed the band’s trajectory immediately; a 25-second snippet from her tape even opens ‘Rabbit Songs.'
Though Hem never officially disbanded, geography and family life slowed their output in recent years. Now scattered across the East Coast—with Messé in Philadelphia, Curtis in New Haven, Ellyson in Virginia, and Maurer still in Brooklyn—the group has quietly been working on new material, with a new album planned to follow the ‘Rabbit Songs' reissue. Additional vinyl reissues of Hem’s catalog are also likely on the horizon.
The original ‘Rabbit Songs' had an unusual path to recognition, moving through multiple labels—including Bar/None, Dreamworks, and Rounder—while steadily building a devoted fanbase. A major boost came in 2006 when ‘Half Acre' appeared in a widely seen Liberty Mutual commercial, sending new listeners searching for the band’s timeless sound. NPR praised Ellyson’s vocals as “raindrops” floating above emotional fire—an image that perfectly captures the album’s delicate blend of melancholy and hope.
For Messé, revisiting ‘Rabbit Songs' is both a celebration and a preservation effort. “It’s beloved by the people who found it, but it wasn’t found by as many people I think would really enjoy it,” he says. “Our work is so much about memory—about how the past affects the present. There should be a thread that connects where you started to where you are now. And it’s important to maintain the integrity of that thread.”
