Steel City Start-ups: Sweet Earth

by Jeff Kehl

This article is from our December 2011 issue. The full issue is available for download.

Pittsburgh is home to many local bands. They all want to make it big, but let’s be honest; most of them are terrible. Luckily, I didn’t interview a single one of those bands. Instead, The Cut got to sit down with local band Sweet Earth and find out a little bit more about this five-man jam band.

Today, Sweet Earth is a powerhouse of musical sound powered by five men: Drew Dahmen on keys, guitar, and percussion; Luke Daller on bass guitar and synth bass; Sean Morgan on drum set, percussion, and keys; Christian Hoffman on guitar and keys; and James Mason on drum set, percussion, and guitar. No, you’re reading that right. It is entirely possible that from one song to the next, every member of the band will move to a new instrument, and that’s just the way the band likes it! Christian described the band as making “jam band music. It’s like a mish-mash of all the other genres. That’s the best way I can think to describe it.” The first song might sound like something out of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the next a hard rock medley, and the next like funk-jazz fusion. Though each song might have its own style to the point that it might even sound like a different band has taken the stage, as Sean put it, “We want you to know you’re listening to Sweet Earth.” If that sounds insane, you’re exactly right, and that’s how they like it! “We want to make music that has no limits,” Sean continued.

However, the Sweet Earth of today is not the same as Sweet Earth from years gone by. The band, originally Luke, Drew, and Sean, was a metal band called Cataclysm. “We were terrible,” Luke admitted. A few years and few new members later, the band was reborn as Sweet Earth, with a sound comparable to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, “Only our lyrics weren’t as good,” Christian laughed. It was around this time that Sweet Earth recorded and released their first album, Dreams. The album was recorded in eight days. “It was our attempt at making an album,” Christian explained with a little hesitation, “I would take it off of iTunes if I could.” It was in the coming years that Sweet Earth decided to reinvent themselves. Not only did they add a fifth member, James Mason, but they also decided to entirely drop the vocals in their music, choosing to become a purely instrumental band.

Over the last year, Sweet Earth has done a lot of touring with their new sound, appearing at festivals such as the Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown, PA, where they opened for Greg Almond; Rootwire in Logan, Ohio; SummerDance IV, hosted by Lotus; and The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival, hosted by The Werks. “One of the coolest parts,” James reflected, “was getting to perform on stage at a festival we had been at already [before the band formed].” After laughing over a few stories from the different festivals, Luke took a moment to remind everyone, “It’s not all fun.”“We wish we had roadies,” Christian chimed in. “Some of that equipment is heavy!” With a new summer touring season months away, Sweet Earth has returned to Pittsburgh, performing at a number of venues like Rex Theater down on East Carson. The band made sure to point out though that they no longer play their old music, sticking strictly to their new sound, which they plan to debut en mass in early 2012 with the release of what they consider their first legitimate album, Calibration. In a very different approach from Dreams, Calibration was recorded over several months with special attention paid to the flow of the album and how articulate the music sounded. The album will feature
eight of the 16 songs Sweet Earth had originally prepared for the album.“With each song sounding so different, we tried to find which ones actually sounded like they belonged on the same album,” Sean explained. Not to worry, though, the other eight are still being played at gigs, and Sweet Earth assures that they will make it onto an album in the future. “Probably an LP,” Christian added.

While coming off an amazing year, Sweet Earth is already planning their growth into 2012. “We just wanna grow,” Sean explained. “Eventually, we’d even like to have a substantial tour of our own.”The band has even talked about the possibility of relocating to California in an attempt to help Sweet Earth reach the masses. “California is kind of like the promised land,” joked Drew, with Sean adding, “We want to be successful, granted our equipment doesn’t all break first.” One of the band’s biggest initiatives for 2012 is making it into the lineup at the All Good Music Festival.

With all of that said, I can only add that this article does not do justice to Sweet Earth. The band has such a rich story along with an unbelievably versatile sound that captivates and moves everyone listening, that only by seeing them live is it possible to truly appreciate them. If you want a taste of what I’m talking about, checkout Sweet Earth on their website, www.sweetearthmusic.com, or on Myspace. If you like what you hear, I highly suggest seeing them during one of their many shows around Pittsburgh, and if you really like what you hear, Luke, Drew, Sean, Christian, and James all ask for your vote for Sweet Earth to appear at the All Good Music Festival 2012 by going to their website and filling out the All Good “Wish List.”