Toad The Wet Sprocket - Come Back Down

What this video is

Released in 1990 as the lead single from 'Pale,' Toad The Wet Sprocket's second album and Columbia Records debut, 'Come Back Down' arrived during a pivotal transitional moment in American alternative rock — post-jangle pop, pre-grunge mainstream explosion. The band, formed in Santa Barbara, CA in 1986, was gaining traction on college radio but had not yet achieved mainstream visibility. The video's monochrome,…

Why it matters

Represents an early artifact of the American alternative rock college-radio pipeline that would define mainstream rock by 1991–1994. 'Come Back Down' is a key document of Toad The Wet Sprocket's pre-breakthrough period, showcasing the melodic, introspective songwriting style that would later earn…

The director

Piers Plowden is a director who began his career as a production designer for commercials while studying at film school, before transitioning to music video direction. He went on to direct over 100 music videos, earning MTV and CMT award nominations. His…