One of New Jersey’s best-known rock bands has recently released an album of lost work.

“The Lost Album” by the Smithereens was released earlier this year after being hidden away.

“I was doing some reflection and I was looking back at some old tapes, and I said, ‘wow,’” says guitarist Jim Babjak.

Babjak is a founding member of the alt-rock group. He reflected on the recording sessions for the album back in 1993.

“It brings back a lot of memories. It was at a time when we were trying to survive,” he says.

The Smithereens were between record contracts back then and briefly set out on their own. But the recordings were quickly shelved when the next record deal came about. The masters were even destroyed in a warehouse fire.

But the group still had high-quality recordings of the songs and decided out put out the 12-track “lost” album.

“The recording is raw because we were producing it. It’s like leaving the children in charge of the school, you know?” says Babjak.

The release comes five years after the death of the Smithereens’ beloved frontman Pat DiNizio.

The founding members of the group continue to tour with guest lead singers.