Here’s an exclusive Impact interview with the guys from the local band The Fever Haze. Check them out at our Free Show with Secret Grief, Hampshire, and McCarthy and The Red Scare tonight at 7pm in the basement of SnyPhi,

JK = Jake Kalmink, Vocals, Guitar, Song writer, Front man, Booking man, Best man
AP = Alex Perez, guitar, former bassist
BM = Brian Mulhern, Drums
MG = Mike Greene, Bassist, new guy
NR = Nick Richardson, guitar

How did you guys form?
BM: Ive been in the group for about 10 months now. I met jake at a party for the coffee shop lemonjellos late june. At the time they had just lost their drummer Cam morgan and I mentioned to jake that I was interested in playing. That was pretty much it.

AP: jake was making these songs that were unlike what he had done before up to that point in time. I believe that he decided that he wanted to make more of it than just a few songs and that’s when it all started. Eventually he wanted to form a band and jake and I were always making music separately and never together, until eventually he wanted me to play a show, and a few years later I’m still here, playing shows.

JK: It started off as me wanting to write rock ‘n roll music, and everyone kind of just came together over time through friendship/mutual friendships.

NR: Jake started writing some music by himself and he wanted to collaborate with some friends who he played music with before. Alex Perez, former drummer Nathan Coles and I were the first to join up and it ended up just becoming a band from there.

What’s the story behind the band name?
AP: He (Jake) wanted to name the band Snow White and the poison apples, but that name was taken. Then he wanted to name the band Fever dream, and once again, that name was taken and somehow he took the Fever Haze from that.

JK: I wanted it to be called Fever Dream but it was taken. But it’s supposed to kind of display the feeling of how out of it you feel when you’re sick with a fever. Dorky, I know.

Talk a little bit about your debut LP.
BM: The debut LP is something the original FH crew has been working on for a little over 2 years. Not due to writing inability, but with regard to the fact that the most of the previous members either had school, work, or lived out of town. Within the last 6 months jake has really gotten his ass in gear and produced a killer sounding record I can’t wait for people to hear. The LP has so much variety from punk riffs, to deep soul tonality. It’s great. Also, in may we have two songs being pressed on a 7″ (Noserings/Love song for a modern 20 something).

AP: There is a lot to talk about, but most noticeably and maybe importantly is the amount of time and how much change has occurred with the songs and the band itself since the idea of making a full length. It’s only fitting that listening to the album in full is just an emotion roller coaster. Maybe more like a pendulum, constantly going back and forth between emotions from song to song and even within the songs.

JK: I wrote most of the songs almost two years ago now. It’s finally almost out. I’m really excited. It’s called I’ll Be in the Same Place You Left Me. 11 tracks about life and love and loss.

NR: The LP is something that has been in the works for years now and it’s undergone multiple changes. Every single time Jake goes back in and reworks it, it gets even better and we’re hoping to finally release it this summer so the public can get ahold of it at our summer shows.

You toured to New Jersey and back last summer. Are there any interesting stories from the road?
AP: The first thing that comes to me is from when we were in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and we decided to go out for seafood for dinner. There was only one lady working in the front and I believe one cook in the back and in between the songs playing over the speakers there would be silence, except we could vaguely hear yelling coming from the back and then our waitress would come out from the kitchen smiling and it was an eerie smile. Eventually we started to think she poisoned the food. If she did it didn’t work, and it tasted pretty good.

JK: We played this rad coffeehouse in West Chester, PA called Fennario coffee with an incredible band called The Reflexes.

NR: Ah yes, The Dockside Fever Haze tour. As much as I usually hate car rides, it was a ton of fun seeing the country. I’ve never really left the Michigan, Indiana, Ohio tristate area before and it was nice to finally get to travel and see the world. We played with some rad bands and made a lot of great memories with our really good friends The Dockside Fever who we toured with.

Favorite/least favorite part about touring?
AP: My favorite part was seeing new places, places you didn’t know existed and doing something worth remembering there. The worst part has to be the car rides, but they’re inevitable, and sometimes enjoyable.

JK: Favorite – Truck stop impulse hat buys.
Least Favorite – Being the only guy who has to pee a lot.

NR: Favorite is playing shows in towns that I’ve never been in before and seeing the world.
Least Favorite is having to stop all the time because Jake has to pee a lot.

Who are your favorite artists to play or tour with?
BM: I personally enjoy playing shows with Secret grief. They always rip the stage in twain.

AP: Secret Grief is always so much fun to play with, not only because they are a lot of fun live, but because they’re really great guys. We toured with dockside fever and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I love every one of those guys and they’re some of the most genuine people I have the privilege of knowing. And getting to watch their set late at night after a long day would just completely fit my mood. They’re a pure rock and roll band, what’s not to love about that?

JK: Secret Grief, The Dockside Fever, Small Parks, Hampshire, Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts, The Skinny

MG: Obviously any of the bands in the Triple Deke Records family with us – Secret Grief, Hampshire, Small Parks, and Wayne Szalinski are some of my favorite bands to be around period. We recently met a band called Gardens from Chicago and they are some of the coolest guys. We’ll be playing some shows with Gardens in July and I’m super excited for that.

What’s the dynamic in having three guitarists in your band?
BM: With regard to the three guitarists…I just play the drums.

AP: The harmonies on the guitar parts makes the songs have such a colorful sound. Live the songs sound almost like a recording because of the intricacy some of the songs incorporate.

JK: There’s the aspect of everyone at once which can be really loud and feels great, and then there’s a lot where nick and/or Alex have to lay off a bit because it can get crowded in the sonic space. It also allows for a lot of cool harmonies.

NR: It allows us to really create an insane sound with harmonies comin out the butt. It lets us be really loud when we want to, and tone it down when we need quiet. There are times where I’m not playing at all and then there are times when I’m playing with all 3 of my distortion pedals on. It’s a great dynamic.

MG: Having three guitars to play live really allows for us as a band to write more layered and structured music than we would be able to otherwise. It’s great being in group that has the ability to sound the same live as we do recorded — I don’t think that every band can say that and it’s really a point of pride for me.

You’ve had about a dozen lineup changes in three years. What’s the deal with that?
BM: The line up changes from my perspective convey the evolution and directionality of the band. This conversion is often a result of situational changes in the members with regards to time, availability, and desire.

AP: Life.

JK: Flaky people, big boy jobs, I’m really annoying.

NR: Some people join up not really committed to it, others move on with jobs and don’t have time for it anymore.

Mike, what’s it like being the new guy?
MG: I can’t say that I felt like “the new guy” for very long at all. I was really lucky to step into a band that has been an established project for a couple of years now and also have a primary songwriter that was willing to work with me and listen to my ideas (whether they’re good or not!)

The question I ask all of my interviewees: What’s your favorite dinosaur?
BM: My favorite dino is the Jr. variety… Get it? Like…Dinosaur Jr.?
You’ll get it later.
Brian

AP: The pterodactyl, most definitely. I did have to google how to spell it though..

JK: Dinosaur Jr.

MG: Stegosaurus.
Most specifically, Spike.
Let’s be honest.. Little Foot was a bitch.

NR: Yoshi from Super Mario.
I just found out the other day that he’s apparently a dinosaur.

Interview by Kevin Glide

Today’s Jam of the Day gives off a Pee Wee’s Playhouse vibe, if Pee Wee’s Playhouse was in chemically induced retro 8bit nightmare world. Check it out and stick around after the song for a mad science lesson. tUnE-yArDs’ new album drops May 6th.

With the semester wrapping up, MSU’s A Cappella groups on campus are showcasing their musical talents with only one instrument – vocal chords. This playlist takes you through some notable favorites to some tracks that may surprise you. Keep in mind, every sound in this playlist is made by the human voice, and that’s acca-awesome. *puts hand to ear and lays down a soulful Timberlake-esque riff*

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN:

In The Still Of The Nite – Boyz II Men
Officially the most commercially successful R&B group – and officially the smoothest voices that ring in my heart – Boyz II Men straight up throw down in this track. Smooth harmonies and solid “ba-doo-doo”s thrown in there? I can dig.

Somebody That I Used To Know – Pentatonix
Pentatonix are heavy hitters in a cappella currently, making extremely artistic videos to accompany their insane harmonies. Composed of three main singers, a bass who can sing lower than the Mariana Trench, and a percussionist making noises out of his mouth that I’ve never heard produced in the natural world, Pentatonix is the full package.

Teenage Dream – Glee Cast
I watched the first 2 seasons of Glee – yeah, I said it, what of it? – and this is easily my favorite song from what I’ve heard. This was one of the first episodes featuring Darren Criss, straight out of the great state of Michigan *woop woop* as a regular character on the show. Go ahead! Pick a note and “dun-dun-dun” along with dudes singing Katy Perry! Yeah! Okay!

I Thought She Knew – NSYNC
First, I’d be lying if I told you this isn’t in my top 10 most played on iTunes. Second, listen to this song. So smooth. No Strings Attached had obvious 2000′s hits such as Bye Bye Bye and It’s Gonna Be Me I loved as a kid, but along with age comes appreciation of these dirty harmonies and squeaky clean synchronization. THIS IS RAW TALENT! YOU HEAR ME BIEBER? TALENT!!!

For the Longest Time – MC6 A Cappella
Can’t make an a cappella playlist without this song. Ya just can’t.

Africa – Perpetuum Jazzile
Yeah, your high school choir may have performed this. You know why? Because it’s AWESOME. Perpetuum Jazzile has an unreal amount of talent, and is one of the more professional groups in this list. You can’t beat the rain and thunderstorm sound effects made at the beginning of the song. Choir people, you know what I’m talkin’ about.

*puts hand to ear, throws down juicy riff, ending in a minor note, makes a disapproving face, and makes it major. smiles, thumbs up, drops the mic*

Written by Alex Byers