ALIVE IN ‘95

TWO CLASHING BROTHERS AND A CLUELESS PRODUCTION ASSISTANT BECOME THE CENTER OF ROCK’N’ROLL AND ROMANTIC RIVALRIES OVER AN ELECTRIFYING YEAR IN THE LAST ERA BEFORE THE DIGITAL AGE.

  • ALIVE IN ’95 IS A FAST, FUN, NOSTALGIA-SOAKED RIDE LACED WITH THE SUSPICION THAT IN LOVE AND MUSIC, TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

    It’s 1994, and music television is about to peak. A record exec on the brink sparks a made-for-media rivalry between her fading stars, The Reverie, and Bolero, the punchy newcomers led by the magnetic Dempsey brothers. Nat’s all hustle, Jamie’s all chaos, and there’s nothing fake about their feuding.

    No one’s had more close-ups with the brothers than lifelong friend Eleanor. Part-time photographer and full-time mess, Eleanor is suddenly conflicted by a questionable job offer with Bolero and a connection with The Reverie’s frontman.

    Tensions rise when old feelings resurface in the new dynamics. As Bolero starts to headline more news than gigs, relationships are tested, and the lines between performance and reality blur. A world tour is coming fast, but with all the twists of temptation and fate, will anyone be left standing when the curtain rises and the ball drops into 1995?

  • “A SHARP, SEXY PORTRAIT OF THE ALT-ROCK BOOM, WHERE TWO WARRING BANDS AND A MESSY LOVE TRIANGLE COLLIDE IN A SPIRAL OF AMBITION, FAME, AND SIBLING RIVALRY.” — ANNA DORN, AUTHOR OF PERFUME & PAIN

    "A deeply endearing experience... McHugh exposes the intricacies of the music industry with deft insight and witty observations. The story examines themes of filial love and love of a dream in the same breath. Indeed, love for music is the undercurrent that binds every paragraph to the next. Through her characters, the author delves into questions of identity and the cost of ambition. In that capacity, Alive in '95 reflects the very heart of every musician in the 20th Century. This is a delightfully chaotic homage to 'drugs, sex and rock n roll'."— REEDSY DISCOVERY REVIEWS

    “THE WORLD SO NEEDS [JENNELL McHUGH’S] WORDS AND MAGIC!” — ANNIE LIONTAS, AUTHOR OF SEX WITH A BRAIN INJURY

    “Imagine a time – maybe you don’t have to imagine, maybe you remember – when bands with drums, bass and guitars had frontmen who fought for fame as hard as they fought each other; when the women on those clapboard stages held a crowd in their fists with nothing but their burning lyrics and their souls. Sure you remember. People were smarter than their phones then, and only a tosser spent their days on AOL. The clubs were the streets and the streets were neverland, and nights went on as long as a Berlin rave. Come on, you remember. Step right in and give it up for the lads in Bolero.” — ROB WRIGHT, AUTHOR OF LAST WISHES

  • DOWNLOAD THE DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR YOU OR YOUR BOOK CLUB.

  • CHECK OUT THE MIXTAPES (READ: PLAYLISTS) INSPIRED BY ALIVE IN ‘95 AND ITS CHARACTERS ON SPOTIFY.

  • COMING SOON…

  • Books like… Deep Cuts, Daisy Jones & the Six, A Visit from the Goon Squad, Just Kids, High Fidelity.

    Music like… Oasis, The Verve, Elastica, The Beastie Boys, Spiritualized, ‘90s alternative and club classics. 

    Films like… Reality Bites, Singles, That Thing You Do (meets Trainspotting)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennell McHugh was born a bridge-and-tunnel New Yorker. Growing up, she hustled on the periphery of the music scene, interviewing bands on a Talkboy. Along with degrees from Temple and Columbia, she continues to apply those early surveying skills to support libraries and education research.

After decades of urban dwelling, she is now open to hosting you in Lancaster, PA, where she lives with her honey and two dogs.