Philly’s psych-rock duo Kewl Haze (not the strain—though just as potent) are turning the haze up to 11. Their full-length debut, ‘Suburban Sherpa,’ promises a four-year labor of love that’s equal parts danceable, dreamy, and deliriously fun—a perfect antidote for the woes of adulting.
“We’d have a couple of beers before studio sessions and just talk about life,” says Dan Scott Forreal. Derek Sheehan adds, “A lot of life happened while making the record, some hectic and difficult, but we laughed our asses off. We kept a lighthearted lens on everything we wrote.”
The pair—multi-instrumentalists, producers, songwriters, and mix-engineers—crafted ‘Suburban Sherpa’ in a mix of home and professional studios. The result: 11 tracks of genre-bending psych-rock, full of miasmic grooves, shimmering synths, and euphoric energy that’ll appeal to fans of modern psych-pop and shoegaze alike.
The album’s earlier single, Used to Have It All, captures that signature Kewl Haze magic. Written after a cross-country trip, it transformed from its playful working title, “Ariel Pink Storms the Capitol,” into a Tame Impala–meets–MGMT–meets–Flaming Lips spectacle—think slap bass, punchy drums, and dreamy analog synths.
Now, the spotlight shifts to the new single, Stereo Junkie. It’s a sugar rush of classic rock riffs, danceable beats, soaring harmonies, fuzzed-out guitars, and breathy vocals—a track that feels ripped straight from Manchester’s Hacienda in the late ’80s, updated for today’s beat-obsessed crowd. Conceptually, it’s Kewl Haze serving up their music as a potent drug for diehard rock fans—but beneath the fun, it’s grounded in hard-won lessons from witnessing friends and family wrestle with overindulgence.
If you’re ready for a mind-expanding trip through shoegaze, psych-pop, and danceable rock, ‘Suburban Sherpa’ is your ticket. Stereo Junkie might just be the anthem that hooks you for good.
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