Discover the transatlantic music trio making waves in the music industry with their synth-driven alt-pop and vintage-inspired visuals. Just 18 months after releasing their hit debut single, the band has accumulated over 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. The sky is the limit for this trio.
I was first introduced to the band Sunday (1994) at the start of the year. My boyfriend, Lewis, annoyingly, is the ultimate expert in every music genre. He knew better than I did, that I would be obsessed. Tactically playing songs whenever we took a long car ride and bombarding me with tracks, his measures worked, and now I’m totally on the hype train.
As an aspiring journalist, I am completely infatuated with social and video media content. There’s nothing more exciting to me than an artist whose visually appealing social media presence enhances their music. Sunday (1994) are experts at this; their accounts are filled with black-and-white vintage-style pictures, accented with rosy pink. Their social media is visually attractive and immediately gives viewers a sense of their musical style.
What drew me to the band is the relationship between the lead singer, Paige Turner, and Lee Newell. The pair have been a couple for over a decade, and in that time, have written music for other artists and composed music for adverts. It wasn’t until COVID that the couple had the time to decide it was their moment to release their own music.
Their relationship is what makes the music so raw, relatable, humorous, and also self-deprecating at moments. The couple couldn’t be geographically further apart, with Paige from LA, California and Lee from Slough, England. When it comes to music, these two couldn’t be more aligned and are making transatlantic waves in the industry.
Their first and most popular song, ‘Tired Boy’, uses the chord progression that was actually Paige’s first ever chords learned on the guitar, taught by Lee. They then released their self-titled EP in May of 2024, proving a massive hit; they released their deluxe edition in the autumn.
A small detail I picked up on opening their vinyls is that all music is written, recorded, produced and mastered in the couple’s one-bedroom flat in L.A. The pair’s talent never fails to amaze, and it is truly unthinkable that such amazing music came from the comfort of their own home.
The band has gone TikTok-viral and become known for their live and intimate performances. In November 2025, they set off on their largest UK headline tour to date, 12 dates, many sold out, and actually including Scotland and Wales, unlike many international artists. Not to mention their affordability, £13 for a concert ticket is unheard of.
I got the opportunity to see them live at the O2 Institute in Birmingham on Saturday, the 15th.
Gig Day
I made the long journey from Edinburgh to Birmingham; only three hours apart, but seemingly many worlds away. Sunday (1994) did come to Edinburgh a few days prior, but due to work commitments, we couldn’t make it. The week prior, Lewis and I saw Mac DeMarco, known for his engaging and funny performances, but still gave you that lump in your throat. Sunday(1994), had high expectations to meet.
Once we battled through the dim streets of Birmingham, we arrived at the O2 Institute and were pointed to the smallest room the venue hosts. I was in disbelief that this band had such a small venue, but when we walked in, the opener, Fiona Lee, was captivating the audience — you could truly hear a pin drop. Scurrying our way into the crowd, I noticed she was solo, just her and her guitar. There is something so refreshing about seeing such a stripped-back version of a performance with someone who has such natural vocal talent.
The Yorkshire woman’s final song is the one that captured my attention the most. ‘Mother’ details the singer’s power imbalance between herself and the manager she signed with in London, which she ended up living in his basement at 18. She ended her set singing away from the mic; hearing her live vocals over such a vulnerable song left the crowd stunned. Young Lee has a very successful career ahead of her.
Once on the pre-concert playlist, I observed the crowd, which was a real mix of old and young, diverse personalities and identities, and different ethnicities. To me, it felt like a safe space, and though we were all vastly different, we were collected together for our love and appreciation of this band. That is truly the beauty of music.
Sunday (1994) came on at the lovely time of 8:45 p.m. They started their set with the unlikely ‘Twin Peaks’ theme, which made a perfect segue into their song ‘Our Troubles.’ Lewis quickly pointed out they have a bit more of a “rocky” spin to their songs compared to the recorded studio versions — not surprising, after doing some post-research to learn that the drummer Jordi Radnoti is in Olivia Rodrigo’s band! So it’s no shock that with an experienced “rockier” band member, hearing them live sounded even better.
Paige, as her partner Lee described in the concert, is “generational”; he took the words out of my mouth. I’ve rarely heard anyone better live than Paige Turner. She is just a natural born performer and demands the attention of anybody in a room. Lee Newell also blew me away; he provides that charismatic, typically British humour, and his passion and love for performing are abundantly clear. His energy and humour are infectious and complement Paige’s mysterious ‘girl next door’ aura perfectly.
It’s commonplace nowadays for concerts to be a “viral” moment — cameras pointing, waiting for something postable to happen. At the gig, it was rare to see a phone; just the odd person capturing a picture. I almost felt embarrassed taking photos for article purposes.
Sunday(1994) only had 14 songs released, but played all the songs in a way which detailed a story line, easy to follow. The fans knew every lyric, in the space of 18 months they had accumulated a ‘cult like’ fan base.
You would be amazed to learn that this was Sunday (1994)’s sixth show in a row in 6 days — a massive challenge for any band.
I managed to convince Lewis to meet the band afterwards. Through the doors, there they were, sitting at the merch table, meeting and signing for fans. I instantly joined the queue and couldn’t contain the excitement. We both bought an EP each — I got the self-titled, and Lewis got their latest release, ‘Devotion’ for the band to sign.
After about five minutes of queuing, it was our turn to meet them. Despite being utterly star-struck, I tried to stay composed. Paige instantly complimented my outfit, a white lacy mini dress with long 70s-style sleeves and black knee-high boots. I was simply following the dress code put in place! Their warmth and authenticity as a band shone through; it all made sense, putting lyrics to faces. I mentioned I was writing an article about them; in their typically humble manner, they were delighted — and delighted that I was even interested enough to do this.
Despite being utterly exhausted from an hour and a half 6th show in a row, they still went the extra mile and interacted with fans, a memory that no fan will ever forget.
(From left to right) Paige Turner, Jordi Radnoti, me, Lewis, Lee Newell, ‘Mistine’
Despite not having an official album out yet, this band is bound for an abundance of success. Their creativity, ability to think outside the box, vulnerability, and ironic sense of humour are what will propel them into stardom. In just under two years, this band has made tidal waves in the music industry.
Sunday (1994) were the best band I’ve seen live this year, and for reference, I saw Oasis at Wembley.
