The leaves in the Front Range are just barely forecasting fall, yet Sqwerv has placed their up-and-comer status on the fast track with two albums released already this year. Not only did the band release these two separate albums, but the albums are entirely separate, differing from one another in many ways and creating a companionable dichotomy within the Sqwerv playbook. Hors d’Oeuvres and Mirage, released in full in June and September, are a complimentary contrast to one another and succeed in showcasing Sqwerv’s aptitude in recording processes, along with their adaptability as a band in an ever-changing music industry.
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The first of the releases — Hors d’Oeuvres — actually came as a trio of releases that totaled ten songs, all of which were written and produced in an intentionally minimalist format. Created in the comfort of their own home, hanging on the couch, smoking a joint, the album features short tracks meant to capture a specific do-it-yourself atmosphere. Mixed and mastered by keyboardist Jack Marty, Hors d’Oeuvres was created all by themselves, from start to finish. “We wanted to try to record something minimalist that kind of had a live energy,” said guitarist Guy Frydenlund, “as if you were in on one of our practices.”
Meanwhile, the strategy of splitting the album into three parts and releasing three and four songs at a time was intended to offer fans new music throughout the year while the band was on tour. The result was the spaced-out releases of Hors d’Oeuvres 1, 2 and 3, each of which, Frydenlund said, went together and shared their “specific moods.” Following the release of Hors d’Oeuvres 1, Sqwerv threw a beach-themed release party at Globe Hall, packed to the brim with pool noodles, inner tubes and beach balls. The nearly sold-out crowd took the theme quite literally, with “lots of good energy” filling up the room.
The second album, Mirage, features Sqwerv’s more composed songs and takes the listener on a new journey with each track. Take “When The Dust Settles,” for example, which is the album’s longest tune and the most true to the band’s essence, according to Frydenlund. They even went as far as using the studio as a theater, adding ocean-like noises to the track to create an entire experience for the listener. Mirage was both exciting and challenging for Sqwerv because of its heavy composition and technical requirements. Unlike Hors d’Oeuvres, which features a live and improvisational element, Mirage is “more of a display of vocals, lyric-writing, ability to compose, and desire to take people on longer journeys.”
The album’s journey continued at its release party at Cervantes’, where Sqwerv choreographed a show to accompany the music’s debut. The performance involved “the elements of theatre that are inherent” within the album. Bassist Caden Kramer “wrote a narration that followed the tracks and interwove the storylines,” Frydenlund said. Featuring an actor wearing a mask and cloak that changed throughout the night according to what was happening, Mirage’s release was undeniably theatrical, experiential, and above and beyond industry standards.
The pair of albums — one meant to share a taste of the live experience, the other intended to add a complexity that only the studio can achieve — were not the only milestones Sqwerv celebrated this year. They were on the road for seven weeks, their “longest tour yet” through the Midwest and East coast. “We’re really happy with how it turned out and the reception we got,” Frydenlund reflected. “The biggest highlight was the opportunity to open up for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic at the Ogden,” he said. “It was the biggest crowd we’ve ever played for and some of the greatest energy we’ve felt.”
Keeping that momentum going, Sqwerv will be hitting the road again for their first Southwest tour this fall, bringing their new sounds, styles and experiences to Arizona, Utah and California. They’re slated to headline Lost Lake for a two-night run during New Year’s Eve week and will be working on yet another album, their fifth one to date. With their successes so far this year — with the help of the folks at recording studio The Keep, the team at Cervantes’, and everyone who works to keep the Denver music scene alive — Sqwerv will ride their wave into the new year with more music and more milestones.