Q+A with Sweat on their new album, recording, and why 7-Eleven should sponsor them
Pittsburgh rock band Sweat recently released their incredible sophomore album, “In Dreams.” The 4-piece prog rock band has been playing energetic shows since the band formed in 2019, including opening for national act Metric at the Roxian Theatre. The band recorded their new album at Mr. Smalls.
Over a phone interview, I talked with the band about their new album, recording, and why 7-Eleven should sponsor them. Band members include Sue Pedrazzi (she/her) – organ and lead vocals, Richard Stanley (he/him) – guitar and vocals, Dan Hernandez (he/him) – bass, and Kayla Schureman (she/her) – drums and vocals.
Recording a New Album at Mr. Smalls
Josh: Congratulations on your new album, “In Dreams.” It was recorded at Mr. Small’s recording studio. How was that experience?
Dan: That was great. We spent a lot of time getting these songs together and hammered them down as much as we possibly could before we went into the studio. I’m part of the rhythm section, so your responsibility is to get it done fast and as cleanly as possible. I think there’s just so much more going on with producing and mixing with this album that needed extra attention. That’s a really big part of the new album.
Josh: How did it feel to hear your original songs in the studio?
Sue: I really thrived there. It’s a beautiful building. It has these stained glass windows, and it provides a great atmosphere. Especially when you record organs, there’s a certain spirituality to it.
Dan: Our new music video was shot there. We worked with Nate Campisi, he also did the first record. We’ve become really close friends. So, there’s this unspoken understanding about things. It’s just kind of a family operation at this point.
Opening for Metric
Josh: What was it like opening for Metric at the Roxian Theatre?
Dan: Roxian was great. I’ve never played somewhere where you pull up and there’s people waiting to bring your gear in. It’s cool playing venues like that with national bands. Because a lot of people have no idea you’re a local band. That’s something I’ve always considered to be one of the highest compliments.
Kayla: Yeah, that was great because they don’t usually pull in local openers. It was nice to get integrated with a national act here in Pittsburgh.
Sweat Concert Experience
Josh: What’s it like at a Sweat concert?
Sue: That’s a really good question. To be at a Sweat concert means that you can expect to get an experience thoughtfully put together. A lot of thought not only goes into our songs but also in how we present them and the succession of the songs in a set. It’s very honest. I feel like when I sing, I really mean what I say. If I don’t, it’s not gonna translate. I’m really trying to communicate something to the audience that doesn’t necessarily have to be through words, because you don’t have to understand every word I sing, but more so on an emotional and energetic level if that makes sense.
Kayla: I joke with the band that I’ve only ever played a Sweat show to three people. Just because I’m not out front with the people.
Original Songs On the New Album
Josh: How did you choose to kick off the album with “Open my Eyes”?
Kayla: I think it has an intro that draws you in. It’s kind of this big sweeping invitation. I think it builds tension.
Josh: I really like the chorus on “Hillary.” How did that song come together?
Sue: That was the first song we wrote for the new album. We came up with that chord progression. I remember Rich played that on guitar and everybody liked it. And then I remember sitting down at home at my synthesizer. Rich came over and he heard that and was like, ‘What the hell is this?’ and I was like, ‘That’s Hillary.’ We sat down together and spent a couple hours making a demo at my house.
Dan: We were practicing two or three times a week.
Sue: Yeah. Some songs come together differently and sometimes you just have this song that just happens in a half hour. It comes from this place of shared creative energy. It just happens. And then sometimes there’s songs that you might work on for months and months and months. So,”Hillary” had a little bit of both of that. There was this spark.
7-Eleven Inspiration
Josh: I love the B3 organ in “7-Eleven.” The lyrics were really interesting with how you made 7-Eleven as a metaphor.
Sue: We have a thing for 7-Eleven. We have really fun memories there from being on tour. We all have matching 7-Eleven socks. We would go in there and buy snacks and drinks. I was listening to something that Rich was playing and 7-Eleven just came out of my mouth. Yeah, metaphorically, it’s a little bit more of a vibe than just singing about the corner store. I mash it with things that are going on in my own life.
Josh: They definitely need to sponsor Sweat.
Sue: If 7-Eleven only knew that they could change our lives again.
Josh: “On My Own” has an epic jam. Have you played it live?
Kayla: We’ve played it live many times.
Dan: We went on a short tour with Ruby the Hatchet, and I remember we wrote it shortly before that. It’s a lot of fun to play.
Sue: I think we all love that song, right? It shows our prog side or maybe our psychedelic side a little more. I think it’s the perfect example of this intersection that I think we have gotten to be pretty good at over the years. Where we intersect somewhere at digestibility and pop appeal but then also total prog monster influences.
Songwriting/Deciding What Songs To Record
Josh: It feels like everybody brings different parts to the songwriting aspect.
Sue: I think everybody is very dedicated to their own parts and intentionality of it. I know that Kayla is extremely devoted. She would spend five days a week for multiple hours on the drum set working on new parts. I hope that dedication comes across.
Kayla: But it helps when they’re good songs. (laughs)
Sue: We’re pretty picky. These are the 10 songs that excited us most. I don’t know how many songs we tossed in the process.
Josh: It’s really tough to let go and never know if the song will be released.
Dan: We have a comprehensive Google Drive somewhere that is just absolutely packed to the gills.
What’s Next
Josh: What’s next for the band?
Sue: It’s been a big push to get the album out. We’re gonna see what’s in store for next year. We were so immersed in making this album. We just need that sponsor. You can print that we’re waiting for 7-Eleven.
To listen to Sweat, you can find them on streaming platforms. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news about the band.
Check out last month’s artist of the month here!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
