"Don't turn it up so loud."

That offhand piece of advice for other bands from guitarist Clay Bergus could easily double as a life lesson -- and a metaphor for Deep Blue Something's journey. Long before the Denton-formed band climbed the charts with its 1995 hit "Breakfast at Tiffany's," the five members were UNT students figuring out how to balance life between rehearsals, classes and gigs.

The Pipes brothers, Todd (’94 M.A.) and Toby (’94), teamed up with fellow musicians-turned-friends — Kirk Tatom (’94), John Kirtland (’14) and Bergus, to form the band in the early 1990s, when Denton’s music scene was on fire.

Their work ethic -- playing gigs whenever and wherever they could -- plus the city's creative energy, launched Deep Blue Something onto an international stage. Their single climbed the charts in the U.S. and overseas in 1995, landing the band on MTV, late-night talk shows and tours around the world. Now 30 years later, and with a new album out this summer, the band reflects on that hectic time.

"Before the song hit, I thought we were kind of done, actually," Todd says. "Everybody was wrapping up their degrees and starting to move on, and we didn't know how long we could keep the band together."

Then, suddenly, The Edge, a Dallas-Fort Worth alternative radio station, added it to its rotation, followed shortly by Q102. Recording companies showed up in droves, and the rest was history.

The band recalls it as an exciting time, but their schedules filled up quickly.

"I felt like we were so busy that it didn't really get to sink in. We were just working and working," Todd says.

"We were probably more excited the first time we ever heard ourselves on the radio with a random song from one of our first demos," Toby says.

Early Denton Days

Denton's quirky mix of college-town energy and musical experimentation gave the band its foundation. Whether it was late-night rehearsals at a storage unit, playing to a field of cattle or performing on Fry Street, Denton provided both support and freedom.

"It was a really good environment to be creative," Bergus says. "There was always somebody to play with or some new band to see. You just felt like anything could happen."

A Well-Timed Break

The band continued touring across the globe, and when they came back to start a new album in the U.S., they found the music scene had shifted.

"Alternative music was leaning a lot more rap/metal," Todd says. "It was a bit weird trying to figure out where our sound fit in."

They also recall how the industry itself was changing. With file-sharing applications like Napster and LimeWire, record sales plummeted. They didn't break up but found other interests -- working a plethora of day jobs -- and slowed down rather than struggle through an uncertain time in music.

"We would sneak out and play a charity show, and that reignited our desire to do it a bit more frequently," Todd says.

The band reunited in 2014 and has been going strong since.

Full Circle

Today, the members of Deep Blue Something are spread across careers and different locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but continue to tour. Their new album, Lunar Phase, their first since 2015, was designed to reflect their original sound.

"When we got together to work on the album, I told the guys, 'Let's really make an effort to not try to sound current,'" Todd says.

Soon they'll be starting to work on their next album, which is slated to be released on Record Store Day 2026 next April.

Staying Grounded

The members admit they didn't always have it figured out. In their 20s, perfectionism often got in the way.

"We were all guilty of taking ourselves too seriously," Toby says. "I think we're having a better time now than we ever did because we don't carry that pressure."

The band's perspective now allows them to share advice with musicians today: pursue your passion, but don't neglect the rest of your life.

"You're not going to be 22 forever," Todd says. "If you pursue other things, you'll run into experiences that inspire your art. That's what keeps it fun."