Party goodies and introspection copiously consumed together are the breakfast of champions for Philly-based psych-rock duo, Kewl Haze (not to be confused with the cannabis strain). The twosome’s full-length debut, Suburban Sherpa, can black out all of your adult problems.
Kewl Haze’s clandestine chemists Dan Scott Forreal and Derek Sheehan—both accomplished multi-instrumentalists, producers, singers, songwriters, and mix-engineers—toiled away in home studios and in professional studios, perfecting the 11-song album. The long strange trip took 4 years; at times, concerned friends and family; but it is sure to delight fans of dance-y, miasmic, genre-jumping psych-rock.
In addition to partaking in other indulgences while recording Suburban Sherpa, the guys fully indulged their genre-busting tendencies with the mantra: “Let’s try it, if it’s cool, it will end up on the record.” A lot of cool stuff made the cut to achieve the duo’s hazy, lysergic, and uplifting sensibility. The paisley 1960s, the groovy 1970s, the Madchester 1980s, and the weirdo 1990s all swirl around on the 11-song album. “A hip-hop drum break, an 1980s analog synth, a country guitar thing, a CSNY vocal harmony, an acoustic guitar with a swampy electric beneath—that taken all together sounds like us,” Forreal laughs.
Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of the band’s upcoming single “Stereo Junkie.” With its burst of fuzzed-out guitars hitting like the rush of a psychedelic trip, the song makes heady use of soaring harmonies and breathy vocals accompanied by a dazzling array of instruments and musical effects. Reminiscent of early Tame Impala with hints of Beck, the song grabs your attention in the way it seamlessly blends 60s psych with danceable beats and indie rock cool. The result is a deliciously intoxicating anthem that rocks along with cheerful exuberance.
Dan Scott Forreal and Derek Sheehan describe the inspiration and process behind the tune:
Stereo Junkie was one of the first few songs the band wrote together, and it quickly emerged as one of the leading singles as well as a foundational song on the album. The track is essential to the identity of the band that we were carefully sculpting and molding as we got further into the writing and recording process. The production was very involved, as we dove deep into pushing the limits of both the equipment choices and the delivery/performance of each element. This song is critical to the Kewl Haze experience with its unique blend of 60’s and 70’s creamy fuzz guitar (Hendrix/Clapton) blended with an 80’s/90’s American and Britpop sound (somewhere between Tom Petty and The La’s/Stone Roses), just one of numerous genre intersections unique to Kewl Haze.
LISTEN:
