J-Card Press Announces Sammy Biography Written by Jeff Gomez

The remarkable story of one of the most underrated bands of the nineties

MORAGA, Calif., Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- J-Card Press is excited to introduce a new biography Sammy, one of the most underrated, little-known indie rock bands of the nineties. Written with the band's full participation, the book will be published on March 24, 2026.

In the mid–nineties, Sammy checked all the indie–rock boxes. The duo—East Village singer/guitarist Jesse Hartman and L.A. lead guitarist Luke Wood—released a jangly, lo–fi debut on the label run by Sonic Youth's drummer. They moved up to major–label Geffen for their second LP, Tales of Great Neck Glory, a literate, highly polished record that foreshadowed the skinny–tie rock revival of the next decade. And then it was over.

Sammy left behind two LPs, an EP, and a legion of fans scratching their heads, wondering what happened. Hartman went on to a well–received solo career; Wood became a heavy hitter behind the scenes. Thirty years later, the pair are looking back on lives well lived and their wildest dreams realized.

F. Scott Fitzgerald—whose best–known novel incidentally takes place in Great Neck—once wrote, "There are no second acts in American lives." The story of Sammy proves him wrong.

About the author:
Jeff Gomez lives in California and has written several books of fiction and non-fiction, including Our Noise, Geniuses of Crack, There Was No Alternative, and Math Rock.

About J-Card:
J-Card is an independent publishing company with one focus: to produce short biographies of the best alternative, indie rock, hip-hop, and riot grrrl groups of the past twenty to thirty years. Every band has a story. J-Card tells a few each year. 

For more information: https://www.jcardpress.com/shop/p/sammy

Contact: Dave Rowland, 4157228939, [email protected] 

SOURCE J-Card Press