There comes a moment in life when the old ways of being no longer work. You want something different, something more, but you can’t quite name what you need. It’s like staring into the eyes of a version of yourself you barely recognize, familiar in form, distant in feeling. It’s within this dissonance that transformative change begins — a slow, imperfect creation of something new forged through the shedding of old restraints.
This emotional friction sits at the heart of Karyo, the debut EP from Stovetop Gemini, releasing May 9th. The Denver-based alternative hard rock band, featuring lead vocalist Michael “Mick” Pittman, lead guitarist Alexander Hammes, drummer Spencer Dickey, and bassist Gavin Varner, officially came together in August 2024. With a sound steeped in ‘90s grunge nostalgia and a deep commitment to intentionality, the group brings raw emotion and precision to everything they create. As such, each track on Karyo is crafted to tell a story and together they form a cohesive and powerful reflection of the band’s collaborative vision.
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Karyo explores the tension between two deeply human forces: the yearning for what you want and the reckoning with what you truly need. Lyrically, it delves into the psyche of the inner child, the keeper of the core truths, ingrained patterns and inherited beliefs.
“It had a real-life application in the parallels of wants and needs from young childhood to now,” Hammes said, speaking to the emotional throughline woven into every song. With unflinching honesty, Karyo guides listeners through the turbulence of transformation, capturing the raw process that real growth demands.
“Levitation” opens the EP, and as Pittman described, it “eases you into the spiritual transformation”. The track begins with delicate waterfalls and birdsong, creating an almost meditative space. But, as melodic solos weave their way in, that stillness begins to stir — subtly yet quietly electric. “Levitation” doesn’t just introduce the EP. It beckons you inward, inviting you to begin the slow ascent into yourself.
“Guerrilla” follows, jolting you from the ambience with screeching notes and jagged chords. You’re in the thick of it — sirens wailing, tension mounting and unsure which way is up. It feels like wading through some long-forgotten battlefield, the ground now overgrown with weeds and heavy with the memories of battles long past. The transformation hinted in “Levitation” comes to fruition, the gentle stillness that opened the EP torn to pieces and left behind.
“Dizzy” comes next, free from the weeds, but now heavy with the weight of everything that’s been unearthed. Smoldering with a slow-burn intensity, the track pairs deliberate, rhythmic beats with gritty lyrics. It’s restrained, yet volatile, captured in the haunting line “Light as a feather/ Cloaked in lead.” Of all the tracks on the EP, “Dizzy” bears the heaviest emotional toll, pressing on the listener with a quiet yet relentless anger. Dickey reflected on this creative shift, sharing how “creating different music offered a new challenge” and pushed the band into unfamiliar yet growth-inducing territory.
“Miami Tweed” flows in like the sunlight after the storm, immediately lifting the energy with its upbeat tempo and quickened drums. It’s the EP’s dance track complete with tropical undertones and a hint of reggae bounce. Described by the band as their moment to let loose, “Miami Tweed” invites you to find joy in the mess, to move through the process of growth not just with struggle, but with release, catharsis. As Varner put it, the group “did not want to be set to one genre,” and in “Miami Tweed”, that intention is beautifully realized.
Lastly, “Orchid” rounds out the EP, offering an emotional yet uplifting sense of resolve. It moves with a tenderness that feels reflective, like looking back at the wreckage and realizing you’ve made it through. There’s a warmth in the melody, a calm in the rhythm, and beneath it all, a quiet strength. As Hammes’ final riff swells, it doesn’t just close the chapter; it celebrates it. “Orchid” feels like acceptance. It’s the steady breath after the breakdown, the calm clarity that follows chaos.
Karyo doesn’t just showcase Stovetop Gemini’s sound — it reveals their soul. With its visceral honesty, genre-bending experimentation and emotional intelligence, the EP becomes more than a debut: it’s a declaration. One that says growth is messy, art is personal and music still has the power to pull you closer to yourself. Through each track, the band doesn’t offer easy answers or polished resolutions. Alternatively, they offer presence. And in doing so, Karyo becomes a mirror — not just of the band’s evolution, but of your own.
All Photography Courtesy of Casey Mason