1997–1999: Formation, Saetia and breakup Saetia initially formed in February 1997 when each of its members were attending
New York University. The band had numerous members throughout its existence, with frequent changes in membership. The band's first bass player, Alex Madara, was affected by a severe allergic reaction which placed him into a coma for eight days, finally resulting in his death on December 14, 1998. Their drummer, Greg Drudy, was the original drummer of the band
Interpol prior to their current popularity. He operated the record label
Level Plane, which was initially started so Saetia could release a
7-inch single to sell at shows. Other members of the band continued their musical careers in numerous outfits, some of them joining screamo bands such as
Off Minor,
Hot Cross and The Fiction, as well as the bands
Errortype: Eleven and
Instruction. The group would eventually break up in October 1999. Saetia's final, posthumous single, "Eronel" (also a title of a
Thelonious Monk composition) was released under the Witching Hour label in 2000. The single contains three songs recorded by Steve Roche and mixed by Pat Kenneally. In 2001, Level Plane issued
A Retrospective, a discography album that compiles every recording the band has made, including recordings taken from one of the last shows the band played at ABC No Rio.
2016: Posthumous releases In 2016, Secret Voice, the label of
Touché Amoré vocalist
Jeremy Bolm, released
Collected, a two-disc, 180-gram vinyl set that includes every studio recording by the group.
2022-present: Reunion In April 2022, Saetia, consisting of Billy Werner, Jamie Behar, Adam Marino, Colin Bartoldus, and Chris Enriquez (drummer of Spotlights, Julie Christmas and On the Might of Princes), announced via Instagram that they rehearsed for the first time in 24 years. In August 2022, the band parted ways with guitarist Jamie Behar over abuse allegations, which Behar described as "mean texts and snide remarks. No physical violence." In November 2022, they brought back Steve Roche (on drums) and new member, Tom Schlatter (on guitar) and played live at four locations in New York and Pennsylvania. On January 3, 2025, Saetia release its first new music in over 26 years. The first release was track "Tendrils", which is the first of the three tracks from the upcoming
Tendrils EP. On October 25, 2025, Saetia announced the prompt removal of their discography from Spotify, stating that the platform "does not at all align with the band’s values or ethos." The band cited concerns regarding Spotify's "ICE recruitment advertisements," low artist compensation, and the subsidization of controversial content as primary reasons for the departure. == Style and legacy ==