S.W. Lauden, writer and co-editor of power pop essay collections such as ‘Go All The Way’ and ‘Go Further,’ undertook the task of curating a collection of stories that would encompass the essence of guitar pop. Influenced by various genres like power pop, indie rock, indie pop, jangle, and rock and roll, the aim was to spotlight music from the 2000s.

However, it’s best to hear Lauden’s own words to truly grasp the concept behind Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal.

You’ve unleashed a new literary beast: ‘Remember The Lightning—A Guitar Pop Journal.’ I’m curious, how did Volume 1 come to life?

Thanks for having me back at Sweet Sweet Music Blog!

I previously co-edited two power pop essay collections with Paul Myers for Rare Bird Books, Go All The Way and Go Further. Curating those two books (and writing my own essays on Fountains of Wayne and 20/20) was a lot of fun. But the publishing process—from pitching the concept to lining up the contributors, editing the essays, choosing artwork, etc.—can take 12-18 months. Since I’ve been writing about modern artists lately, I wanted to do something a little more immediate.

Volume 1 of the guitar pop journal ends up combining the immediacy of my free Substack newsletter, Remember The Lightning, with the literary approach of the two previous essay collections. From the start, the intent was to focus on guitar pop (my catchall phrase for power pop, indie rock, indie pop, jangle…and plain old rock and roll) from the 2000s. My approach was to have music writers focus on bands and albums from the last 20 years, or current musicians writing about their influences from any era. I wasn’t sure if that would make sense when I first started contacting contributors, but luckily they all got it and absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Vol 1 was already making its way onto Amazon order lists right after the announcement. Tell me, how gobsmacked were you?

That was pretty amazing to see! Thanks to everybody for your support so far.

I think that initial response really speaks to the incredible contributors we have in Volume 1, including talented musicians like James Goodson (Dazy), Mo Troper, Mike Randle (Baby Lemonade/Love) and Rob Nesbitt (The Suite Sixteen); and excellent music writers like Annie Zaleski, David Laing, Paul Myers, Mary E. Donnelly and John M. Borack. And I was thrilled to write the cover story about The Whiffs, especially once I saw it paired with Brian Walsby’s exclusive cover art.

Is it a goal in itself to reach an audience larger than the very closed Power Pop community with this release?

I definitely think that there are more fans of this kind of music out there than we might be aware of in our own little corners of the music universe. One thing I’ve noticed is a large divide between fans of classic guitar pop from the ’70s/’80s/’90s and modern musicians who are releasing some amazing new music in the 2000s. It would be fantastic if this little project helped connect a few more of them. As I’ve said many times before, I think of music scenes as ecosystems that rely equally on musicians and fans, fueled by the writers/reviewers/DJs/etc. who help spread the word.

Is Vol 2 already in the works?

I’m currently working on another oral history project right now (similar to the Popsicko project in scope)—it’s shaping up to be really cool, but not quite ready to be announced yet. Once the next draft of that book is done, I’ll be turning my attention to Remember The Lightning: A Guitar Pop Journal, Volume 2. Although I have to admit that putting the next volume together feels a little daunting since many of my favorite music writers and musicians were in Volume 1. We’ll see…I’ve already got a few contributors in mind, and an idea for the cover artist/story. Either way, Volume 2 won’t see the light of day before September/October.

If you had the chance to pen a long-form article about any artist or Power Pop album, who or what would be lucky enough to make the cut?

Man, that’s a tough question. I have so many story ideas and angles I would love to explore if I had more time. But the two that come to mind right now are an oral history/book about The Nerves, or something in-depth about Fountains Of Wayne. It’s amazing how often I hear The Nerves namechecked by modern musicians. And my love for Fountains Of Wayne is certainly no secret. Or maybe something about Descendents…or The Muffs!