Kewl Haze Premieres Their Full-Length Debut ‘Suburban Sherpa’

Kewl Haze’s debut album, Suburban Sherpa, is the result of a four-year creative process led by longtime collaborators Dan Scott Forreal and Derek Sheehan—multi-instrumentalists, producers, songwriters, vocalists, and engineers who worked across home and professional studios to complete the 11-track release. The record blends various flavors of dreamy, psychedelic rock from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Forreal comments on their creative process:

“We would have a couple of beers before studio sessions, talk about life, and that led to an openness in the studio. A lot of life happened in the span of making the record, some hectic and difficult situations, but we laughed our asses off. We took a lighthearted outlook on everything we wrote about.”

Guided by a simple creative rule – “if it’s cool, it stays” – the duo mixed genres without constraint, blending hip hop drum breaks and analog synths with country guitar textures and layered folk harmonies. The result is an eclectic sound that reflects both artists’ unique backgrounds and a desire to move beyond the limitations of their earlier projects.

Before forming Kewl Haze, Sheehan led the dream-pop band Weekender, whose music received significant college and online radio airplay, appeared in prominent indie playlists, and was licensed for multiple television programs. The band toured extensively and shared stages with a wide range of established indie artists. Forreal previously fronted Colorado-based psych funk group Miscomunicado, performed with several touring acts, and later relocated to Los Angeles to study music production and mix engineering at UCLA.

Though they grew up together and hung out in the same local music scene, Forreal and Sheehan didn’t begin collaborating until later. Their partnership began with exchanges of unfinished demos, which quickly evolved into a collaboration. The duo recorded primarily in their home studios, with additional sessions at Silent Partner studio alongside drummer and producer Matt Barrick. The album was mastered by Quentis Stolzfus at the same facility.

Lyrically, Suburban Sherpa reflects themes of self-development, creative freedom, and adulthood. Tracks such as “Surfing On That Paradigm” explore the conflict between imagination and responsibility, while the opener, “Deep Breathing,” sets a buoyant tone, shimmering with atmospheric colors. “Play To River” stands out for its overlaid surfaces and expansive arrangement. And the closing track, “Caturdaze,” concludes the album with a cathartic amalgam of classic pop elegance and modern psychedelic rock.

At once experimental and structured, Suburban Sherpa marks a confident and fully realized statement.

Kewl Haze ‘Suburban Sherpa’ album artwork