By Dennis Volkert
Deep Blue Something opens the 2025-26 performance series at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts.
The show is at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25. Ticket price starts at $35. Season tickets are available through that date as well.
Deep Blue Something is an alternative rock band that formed in 1991 in Denton, Texas. Current members are Todd Pipes (vocals and bass), his brother Toby Pipes (vocals and lead guitar), Kirk Tatom (guitar and backing vocals), Clay Bergus (guitar and backing vocals) and John Kirtland (drums).
The band is best known for its hit single “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” initially a track on the album “11th Song” (1993), then re-recorded and released as a single in 1995, and included on “Home” that same year.
At the time, band members all kinda liked the song, but didn’t consider it a signature element of the live set.
But radio listeners and fans had a different opinion. The track reached the top 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a global hit in 1995, culminating with a U.K. #1 in 1996.
The group went on hiatus in the early 2000s, then reunited in 2014 to perform a series of live shows and released the “Locust House” EP in 2020.
With a renewed interest in touring, the band began recording a new album, “Lunar Phase,” in 2024. The LP was released by Flatiron Recordings in June 2025.
In advance of the SYCA show, Todd Pipes participated in a Q&A with Sturgis Sentinel. Some responses are edited for clarity.
Sturgis Sentinel: What drew the band to play a show at Sturges-Young Center for the Arts?
Todd Pipes, Deep Blue Something: Our agent contacted us about a show there and it happens to be one of my favorite areas of the country, so we naturally said yes!
SS: How often do you tour in the Michigan area region?
TP: Not as often as we’d like.
SS: Regarding “Lunar Phase”: When did you decide to record a new full-length, after almost 25 years?
TP: We were initially going to just do a five or six-song EP, but we got connected to Flatiron/Label51 Recordings and they’re all about vinyl. They asked if we could expand it to eight songs, so we could release it as a full-length LP.
SS: How is the response so far to the latest material?
TP: The response has been great, from old fans and new ones.
SS: Any tracks from the new LP that seem to resonate with live audiences?
TP: “Saint Morrissey” always gets everyone going, and “Don’t Stop” is really fun. It’s a great feeling to see people singing along to the new ones.
SS: Did anything specific provide inspiration for the songwriting on “Lunar Phase,” musically or lyrically? The band has stated it didn’t want to fall into a trap of “sounding current.” Do you think DPS succeeded in that respect?
TP: The songwriting inspiration comes from all directions, so I just try to be ready when the spirit hits me. I’m very glad that we didn’t try to sound current, and I think listeners appreciate that we didn’t bend to trends.
SS: Is it a challenge to keep the sound fresh while still embracing the roots, without seeming like “self-nostalgia”? It’s possible to imagine songs like “Porter Square” and “Wanna Know Why” on modern rock radio in about 1991. But they don’t sound dated.
TP: Embracing the roots comes naturally if we just do what we do. I like a bit of nostalgia.
SS: “Tiffany’s” clearly has maintained appeal. Spotify shows about 390 million listens. Does its continued popularity surprise you?
TP: Absolutely surprised, and completely grateful!
SS: Was there ever pressure to overcome a “one-hit wonder” tag with “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”?
TP: As far as pressure or expectations, I suppose there were some back then, and that can mess with your head. Now, we can just enjoy it again.
SS: What led to the lengthy hiatus, or how did it evolve that way?
TP: The hiatus came when everyone’s families emerged. Once the kids got older, we started doing things again.
SS: The band has said when you returned from hiatus, you didn’t try to sound “current or modern.” Did you consider changing some elements of style, or was it just “natural” to play to the group’s strengths?
TP: We just wanted to record with the exact instrumentation we have for live shows, so that when we play live, it’d be the same. This approach also keeps production from getting bogged down.
SS: A thought experiment: DPS fits a vein similar to The Charlatans, Material Issue, Sugar, Teenage Fanclub et al. Some of those have continued uninterrupted or reunited, as we know. Have you ever pondered an alternate universe in which that style became the dominant rock ‘n’ roll genre in mid-‘90s, instead of grunge?
TP: I would’ve loved that! In the rest of the world that did indeed happen with Oasis, Blur, etc., and it was really fun to be a part of that. The U.S. was just all grunge, all the time, and missed out on some amazing music.
SS: What music/groups/artists influenced Deep Blue Something in the early stage, both as a listening experience and music inspiration? What more recent music is in frequent rotation?
TP: The Smiths, Cure, Husker Du influences are pretty obvious, but we also were really influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Love and Rockets and David Bowie. As far as current stuff, we’re all over the place. I like really heavy bands like Tribulation, Gojira and Blut Aus Nord. They’re really pushing the boundaries, and it’s amazing.
SS: Do you receive feedback from fans who frequented shows in that first decade who make a point to see DBS perform today?
TP: Oh sure. Tons of people who saw us (in the ‘90s) make an effort to come out. Always fun to reconnect.
SS: For Sturges-Young audience members who may have seen the band perform previously, what can they expect? What might surprise them?
TP: The high energy always surprises people. That, and we always hear, “I never would have guessed you’d have such a Rush influence!” Which I cannot deny.
Online:
sturgesyoung.com
deepbluesomethingofficial.com
