The Holland-area rock band unveils “Dear Fate” June 3 at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids before hitting the road; aims to never play ‘the exact same show twice.’
Wanting to “Release As Much Music” As It Can: Jake Kalmink of The Fever Haze. (Photo/Tori Thomas)
The Fever Haze is, in a word, loud.
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Indeed, this Holland-area rock band would love to carry the mantle of The Who when it comes to loudness.
Ready to Tour: The Fever Haze performing at Bona-Who? fest in mid-May. (Photo/Tori Thomas)
To quote the group’s own website, this is “a band from West Michigan who play too loudly and sing songs about the euphoria and heartbreak of youth.”
But sheer volume isn’t the only thing that distinguishes this band, which releases its second album – the nine-song “Dear Fate” – at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids on Wednesday (June 3).
Frontman Jake Kalmink is “a firm believer in never playing the exact same show twice.”
And perhaps to help keep things fresh, the five-piece rock band usually only fires it up together as a group at its live shows, communicating by emailing song ideas to each other and cramming on their own for upcoming gigs.
But make no mistake, this young band – Kalmink (vocals, guitar), Nicholas Richardson (guitar, keyboards), Jimmy Versluis (drums), Eric Beck (guitar) and Mike Greene (bass) – is tight, confident and well-balanced, with a sibling-like camaraderie.
AUDIO: The Fever Haze, “Daddy-O”
“Being in this band,” says Greene, “is like being contractually obligated, but to all your brothers.”
Influenced by everything from Led Zeppelin to Kanye West, The Fever Haze began a few years ago as a Kalmink solo project, with the singer-guitarist adding, subtracting and shuffling players until settling on the current lineup.
New Album: The Fever Haze is on the cusp of releasing “Dear Fate.”
The band’s 2014 debut release, “I’ll Be in the Same Place You Left Me,” incorporates members’ varied influences with straight-ahead rock, acoustic tracks and songs featuring horns and various keyboards.
The Fever Haze’s mature-yet-fresh-sounding songs are propelled by chief songwriter Kalmink’s compelling vocals.
“I try and never make myself write,” insists Kalmink, who recorded, mixed and mastered the new full-length album, which will be released on vinyl and CD, and digitally on June 5. “I only write when I feel like I need to.”
Growing up “listening to classic rock nearly 100 percent of the time,” Kalmink cites Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young as musical inspirations, along with newer artists such as Conor Oberst and Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos.
Guitar Rock: The Fever Haze at Bona-Who? (Photo/Tori Thomas)
A somewhat shy, nail-biting musician who graduated from Zeeland East High School, Kalmink has become “a lot more charismatic on stage” as he’s gotten older. “I’m pretty awkward still, but a lot less.”
He also has a solo side project, Jake Kalmink & Further Closer, which he says exudes a “folk/alt-country sort of sound.”
But The Fever Haze is a priority.
“Our plan is to record and release as much music as we possibly can, as well as tour and play locally,” Kalmink says. “We’re trying to keep busy and catch the eye of more and more people.”
The band plays its album-release show on Wednesday at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids with Bears & Company, Good Day Good Sir and All is Well also on the bill. Tickets are $10, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Get more information about the show on the Facebook event page.
The Fever Haze also plays Luther Fest in Ann Arbor on June 19, then heads out on a July tour that will take the band to Tennessee, Texas, Missouri and Illinois.
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
