#Sweet HayaH #TheSupremeTeam
Artist Name: Sweet HayaH
Who are you?
The band makes indie that doesn’t rest in just one genre, instead creating a retro-soul-rock feel and blending them seamlessly. “Can’t Get Comfortable” promises to be an indie darling, with just the right amount of a hint of reggae tamped down with traditional alternative elements to truly stand out. The band is decentralized, vocalist Nehal Abuelata quick to defer, “I don’t think I ever really consciously envisioned becoming a ‘front woman’.” All bandmates are equally important: Devin Moreno (Guitar), Kosuke Okamura (Drums), Austin Geiger (Bass), and Ryosuke Sakurai (Trombone) all have esteemed positions in the band alongside vocalist Nehal.
Nehal is noticeably proud when she elaborates on that special dynamic with the band and what it allows them to create:
“Every core member (current or past) has played an instrumental role in defining the super eclectic sound that we’ve come to perfect today. It’s still a sauce that merges Retro-Soul, Reggae, Funk, Earthly Rock, and a dash of Afro-Latin sweetness…We’ve never followed trends, we’ve never cared to define our genre very seriously, and we always focused on making sure the music is FUN for ourselves, for each other and for our audiences. What matters is the energy that flows through us and carries onto the crowd or pours out of the records and individual songs we put out. What matters is the intention, the emotions, the authenticity of the messages, the exchange with the listeners.”
On living with intention, Nehal touts mindfulness, adding that to pay attention to what events and energies are swirling around their environment is to draw the right type of inspiration. Music is whatever-you-believe-in’s way of communicating, and Nehal knows this, pointing out music provides a soundtrack for making sense of an otherwise-silent life. She concludes, “It’s about elevating positive messages when we can, and finding ways to capture music and moments that can help heal or simply a reminder to enjoy the HayaH (Arabic for ‘life’) when given the chance.”
Where are you from?
San Jose, CA-based band, Sweet HayaH, goes back over a decade in the young members’ shared lives. The local heavyweights are getting ready for a post-pandemic push following the release of their single, “Can’t Get Comfortable” on July 27, 2022. The group has steadily become the apex of professionalism, beget from experience and alive and vibrant in the members individually and as a unit. They all had their own projects going on before their band formed, and each brought some of themselves to Sweet HayaH’s sound.
The music scene in the bay area is a wonderful thing. It breaks down regionally, and the east bay and south bay are most famous for their scenes. Sweet HayaH is an east bay band in the south bay. They veer into several indie rock genres, incorporating elements like blues and funk. This is about the sound in the east bay. Where they are, in San Jose, indie rock has a place, but there is a large emphasis on electronically produced genres including hip hop. Their analog sound sticks out in the best way and resonates with the people there. They always have venues to play at in the south bay and are always accumulating new fans.
Sweet HayaH released their first EP in 2012. They’ve completed several self-funded tours, played across the Bay & beyond, released multiple albums, and then they took all that and carved out a comfortable niche for themselves in the South Bay music scene. Nehal notes they won’t be playing as many shows in the coming months, “since we want to focus on releasing more music and start writing new songs.”
How can we follow you?
Sweet HayaH on Spotify
Teaser for new single, out July 27
Song Title: Can't Get Comfortable
Listen to Sweet HayaH:
Source: supremepr.us…
