2NU (pronounced "two new", and later 2NU2) is an American pop music group based in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

. Their music consists of

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

performances accompanied by beats and sound effects. They are best known for their single "This Is Ponderous", which reached #46 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1991. Original band members included Michael Nealy (lyrics), Jock Blaney (lyrics, lead and background vocals), Phil DeVault (keyboard,

synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the ea ...

, guitar), Tom Martin (bass). In 2009, their song "Crossroads" was featured in a television commercial for

Johnnie Walker Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's ...

Name

When "This Is Ponderous" began getting radio play in 1990, the band had not formally come together. A DJ introducing the song said it was from a group "too new" to have a name, and "2NU" came from that.

Discography

Albums

*''Ponderous'' (1991) *''2NU2.com'' (2000) *''Raging Skies'' (2017)

EPs

*''This Is Ponderous'' (1991) *''Command Z'' (1999)

Singles

References

External links

HomepageJohnnie Walker commercial featuring "Crossroads"
American spoken word artists Musical groups established in 1990 Atlantic Records artists 1990 establishments in Washington (state) Musical groups from Seattle Musical groups disestablished in 1991 Musical groups reestablished in 1997 {{US-pop-band-stub