Unwound were an American post-hardcore band formed in Tumwater, Washington in 1991 — Justin Trosper, Vern Rumsey, and Sara Lund. A cornerstone of the Kill Rock Stars scene, they closed with the double album Leaves Turn Inside You (2001), a genre landmark that sounds better every year. Browse Unwound vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Unwound formed in Tumwater, Washington in 1991. The long-running lineup was Justin Trosper (vocals, guitar), Vern Rumsey (bass; died 2020), and Sara Lund (drums). Closely tied to Olympia's Kill Rock Stars label and the broader Pacific Northwest underground, the band became one of the most respected and influential post-hardcore acts of the 1990s before disbanding in 2002. Their work has been extensively reissued and reappraised in subsequent decades.
Unwound played post-hardcore and noise rock characterized by dissonant, angular guitar, dynamic tension, and raw emotional intensity. Their later work, especially the double album Leaves Turn Inside You, expanded into more textured, experimental and atmospheric territory, and is widely regarded as a landmark of the genre.
Unwound's catalog has been comprehensively reissued, notably through Numero Group's box sets and individual repressings, prized by post-hardcore and noise rock collectors. Original Kill Rock Stars pressings are highly sought after.
Listeners new to Unwound often start with Leaves Turn Inside You (2001) or New Plastic Ideas (1994). For related listening, see and .
