Philadelphia siblings Sam and Louise Sullivan have reimagined The Strokes’ deep cut “Trying Your Luck” as the lead single from Familiar Strangers Vol. 1: Is This It, a 25th-anniversary tribute compilation arriving December 4 on boutique label 22Twenty, with a portion of proceeds supporting youth mental health nonprofit Sounds Of Saving.
Here’s why this matters right now: 2026 marks a quarter-century since Is This It was released. Stereogum reported that 22Twenty is marking the milestone with this compilation, billed as the first in a planned series — and it lands exactly one month from today. The Sullivans, riding high on their 2026 album Love & Devotion, were a natural fit to open the set.
Pre-Saves Open for Debut Album Release
- Familiar Strangers Vol. 1: Is This It drops December 4 via 22Twenty — pre-saves are live now.
- The Sullivans’ four-track rendition of “Trying Your Luck” leads an 11-song tracklist of deep cuts and singles alike.
- A portion of proceeds goes to Sounds Of Saving; the sources note the exact amount is not disclosed.
A 4-Track Dream: How the Sullivans Rebuilt “Trying Your Luck”
The original “Trying Your Luck” is propulsive, almost mechanistic — one of the album’s most driving deep cuts. The Sullivans recorded their version on a 4-track, and that constraint shows. Stereogum describes the result as surprisingly dreamy and minimal, stripping the song down to its bones. The title “Trying Your Luck (4-track)” isn’t just a format credit; it’s the aesthetic.
Rather than reaching for “Last Nite” or “Someday,” 22Twenty let the deep cut “Trying Your Luck” carry the campaign.
22Twenty Bets on Familiar Strangers for Is This It’s 25th
Is This It turns 25 in 2026 — Stereogum itself released its own Is This It compilation years ago, and the source notes this new set probably won’t match that one, though the material merits repeated treatment. Eleven artists, eleven songs, one boutique label.
| Track | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | “Is This It” | Jermango Dreaming |
| 02 | “The Modern Age” | Tommy Oeffling |
| 03 | “Soma” | Rubber Band Gun |
| 04 | “Barely Legal” | Kaycie Satterfield |
| 05 | “Someday” | The Motor Show |
| 06 | “Alone, Together” | Budge |
| 07 | “Last Nite” (Feat. Sleap-e) | Baseball Greg |
| 08 | “Hard To Explain” | Son Of The Challenger |
| 09 | “When It Started” | Dejima |
| 10 | “Trying Your Luck” | Sam And Louise Sullivan |
| 11 | “Take It Or Leave It” | Cameraman Never Dies |
Out-of-space.ch and deadsetlive.com both note the compilation is the first in a series — meaning 22Twenty is treating anniversary IP as a franchise, not a one-off.
Why Sounds of Saving Anchors the Compilation’s Mission
The key detail is that a share of the proceeds goes to Sounds Of Saving, a youth mental health nonprofit focused on music. Deadsetlive.com flags that the announcement doesn’t specify the amount or how proceeds are calculated — so treat the charitable figure as directional, not precise.
For the Sullivans, whose own album Love & Devotion is already one of the year’s best, the lead-single slot puts their reinterpretation at the front of a compilation benefiting youth mental health.
What Comes Next on December 4
The compilation arrives December 4 on 22Twenty. Volume one leans on Is This It‘s 25th, but the source material doesn’t say which Strokes album anchors a potential volume two. What’s known: the Sullivans’ “Trying Your Luck (4-track)” is out now as the lead single, and as always, if you’re listening to Is This It without “New York City Cops,” you’re not really listening to Is This It.
