Back to Carolina Music History
Carolina Music History
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Photo: Dybryd / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Biography
Squirrel Nut Zippers formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, playing a mix of hot jazz, swing and Delta-influenced styles.
Their 1996 album Hot and its single "Hell" became unexpected mainstream hits.
Carolina story
The band came out of the same Chapel Hill scene as the state's indie rock wave, but pointed backward to 1930s jazz instead of forward.
Music
Career & impact
They introduced a mass audience to early jazz forms and remain one of Chapel Hill's most unlikely national successes.
Sources
This is an original Drake Magazine editorial profile built from verifiable public record. It is not an exclusive interview, and no quotes, awards or recordings have been invented.