EAT YOUR GREENS. And listen to 'em, too. Asparagus, an alternative shoegaze band formed in Eau Claire, is gearing up for a new era – kicked off by debut album 2004 Eric.

Nostalgia is a drug capable of taking you back to a time where things were simpler and your whole future was ahead of you. And in a tumultuous modern climate, it’s also capable of evoking introspective music from one of the area’s top (re)emerging bands.

Eau Claire-rooted alternative outfit Asparagus just released their debut album 2004 Eric, a 10-song shoegaze, alternative, and ambient project bathed in deep-seeded nostalgia for an era gone by. The record is steeped in a '90s alternative sound reminiscent of the band members’ youths, and what inspired them to become musicians in the first place.

“This project is heavily rooted in nostalgia,” lead singer CJ Springett said. “It’s crazy that 2004 was 20 years ago. We were all very different people back then, and when we look back we can really see the kindness and innocence we had in our hearts back then. We’ve had struggles happen since then, so we are looking back all those years ago and coming to the realization that we need to be kinder to ourselves.”

2004 Eric

The members of Asparagus met while attending UW-Eau Claire in the late 2010s. Bassist Jack Matuseski posted on an incoming freshman Facebook group looking for musical collaborators, and from there Asparagus was formed. Initially, the band didn’t take itself too seriously, throwing around different fruit and vegetables for which to name their band after. But after they quickly discovered their musical potential, the band began playing live shows and taking their craft to the next level.

With EPs such as Fool and Here Comes the Helium already to their name, the musical precision and execution on 2004 Eric puts their progression on display. The songs are deeper, more complex, and increasingly emotionally evocative. The four pieces of Asparagus are now split between the Twin Cities and Eau Claire, adding to the nostalgic musical gears that make the band go.

“We spent almost three years making this album,” Matuseski said. “And because we’re far apart from each other now, whenever we’re together playing music there is a sense of nostalgia and joy between us. This album just really wrote itself and came naturally to us in those moment we get to create together.”

2004 Eric is Asparagus’ crowning musical achievement thus far and it is exciting to see where they’ll go next. Their music is soaked with nostalgia, but they’re still doing their best to live for the moment. The band is gearing up to begin playing more this summer, and has new music in the works. 

2004 Eric by Asparagus is now available on all major streaming services and on Bandcamp. Keep up with the band on Instagram (@asparagustune).