Denver-based trio SIR describe their own sound perfectly as “sexy alternative pop rock.” Even their emotional new track, “So Cold” is driven primarily by sweet, soulful vocals that flow with ease and a strong beat that’ll have you bobbing your head along in no time. The group, made up of Sarah Angela, Kim O’Hara and Luke Mehrens are breathing a new, unique sound into their local music scene while working on their new album – one that fans will be able to hear more of in the coming months.
While SIR gear up for the release of their new album soon and their performance at The Underground Music Showcase in Denver later this month, get to know them a little better and listen to “So Cold” below.
Interview by Shannon Shumaker
Can you tell us a little bit about SIR for anyone who might not be familiar?
What’s up Prelude Press! SIR is Sarah Angela (usually referred to as SA), Kim O’Hara (Keems), and master of all beats: Luke Mehrens. We are a Denver based, touring band who loves to be out on the road together. Our music is beat and lyric driven… we call it sexy alternative pop rock.
As a local band here in Denver, what are some of your favorite things about the city’s music scene? What makes Denver a great city to create music in?
Denver sucks, don’t move here! Haha, thats not true at all. It’s amazing. We love it and are so proud to call it home! It really is like a music mecca, and part of our Colorado culture is caring about music and going to shows. We have so many amazing venues, not only to play in, but to go hear OUR favorite bands as they tour through! We are exposed to so many different types of music here, and that definitely influences our creativity.
How do you feel your hometowns have affected you as musicians and a band?
The three of us were born into a cult, on a farm in Kansas. We thought we invented music until we escaped in 1999. Thats not true at all either, but start the rumor if you want! Our hometowns… let’s see… SA is from Portland, and grew up listening to a lot of r&b and soul. Luke was born right here in Denver and has always loved the rock scene. Keems grew up in Mexico City and was influenced by a lot of latin, world, and grunge. We are all self taught musicians, and all multi-instrumentalists.
You’ve already had a pretty busy summer with the release of your music video for “Go” and your newest single, “So Cold.” Could listeners expect some more new music in the coming months as well?
Yes! We spent a few months in LA recording an album, and we have just began to release it, song by song. We’ll have our entire album on iTunes for preorder next month and be releasing it shortly after. Every song marks a time period, and we are ready to get back in to the studio and keep writing more!
What inspired your newest track, “So Cold”?
Ya know, sometimes you go through a break up and you just have to write about it. In this case, we lost a band member. It was a devastating point in time- loosing recordings, songs, and it did set us back- in some ways. Ultimately though, it made us join forces even harder and realize that we weren’t really playing the type of music we wanted to be playing. This song is about that experience, that person, and in the end, we just felt like saying “Poor you, full of hate and darkness. You are just so cold.”
When you’re working on new music, what are some of your biggest inspirations? Do you have any major goals in mind for new material right now?
We pull from everything we listen to. Some of our current favorite bands are Phantogram, Russ, Odesza, Alt J, and Kendrick Lamar. As far as new material, we are always trying to find that perfect combination of multiple genres. We want the hip hop beats, heavy rock endings, the edm feel good, the r&b melodies… and we want the words to mean something. We’ve already began writing for a new album and can’t wait to get back into the studio.
Later this month, you’ll be playing the UMS here in Denver! What can fans expect from this upcoming show?
We are going to throw down. Come out to it… and lets have a party! We will be playing on Thursday, July 27th at 10-10:40pm at the Skylark Lounge on 140 S. Broadway.
Do you have any other plans for live shows the rest of the year? Maybe hitting the road once more?
This summer we have been doing a lot of private house concerts and Denver shows, but once October comes, we’ll be locking the trailer on and out on tour for a while. You can always find our tour schedule at thesirband.com or on our Facebook page.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Word of mouth is ultimately what will make or break us, so if you like what you are hearing, please help us. Following us on social media (@thesirband), throwing songs in your spottily playlists, and bringing friends with you to shows does amazing things for us. Thanks for reading- and holler at us- we’ll holler back.
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