Surgeons in Heat has new album, new lineup
As Surgeons in Heat was completing its third full-length studio album last fall, the Milwaukee band went through a pretty significant change: Two of its four members left.
But just in time for its “Bored Immortals” album release show this past June, Surgeons’ lone original member, singer and guitarist Johnathon Mayer (who’s also in the local band Jaill), and ongoing bassist Ryan Reeve (NO/NO), solidified the group’s lineup, with Sam Reitman (Midnight Reruns) on drums and Brad Kruse (Hugh Bob & The Hustle) on keys.
“Having a guy who is just playing keyboards is awesome; we had a guy before playing guitar and keyboards,” Mayer said. “And Sam is an incredible drummer. We play really well together. In terms of what we sound like, we’ve definitely expanded our fullness.”
That’s been Surgeons in Heat’s trajectory across its nearly decade-long existence, with “Immortals” showcasing some of the most creative and ambitious arrangements of the band’s discography. At times, the songs recall the grandeur of Grizzly Bear, the spacey cool of Mac DeMarco and the meticulous craftsmanship of Spoon, while possessing their own distinct quality.
“Immortals” is a terrific headphone listen, but the newly reconfigured Surgeons in Heat also is a terrific live band, even though there aren’t all that many chances to see the group this year. We talked with Mayer ahead of the lone local show on the books right now.
Band name backstory: My friends Ben and Zach were not musicians, but they said if they were ever in a band, they would be called Surgeons in Heat. When I started a band in Milwaukee, I asked if I could use the name because I thought it was funny and goofy. And it’s very Googleable.
When formed: 2009, when I moved to Milwaukee from Neenah. I was going to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a friend was playing bass in a band and a big reason for me to move here. We got together, worked on stuff and booked a lot of shows. Our first EP ended up being really minimal; we were a three-piece rock band and recorded with minimal overdubs because we wanted to sound like what you heard if you saw us live. Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield and Prince were all inspiration for the male falsetto vocals.
Making “Bored Immortals”: We had been playing about five of the songs for a good year, year and a half when we started recording at Silver City Studios with Josh (Evert). When two of the guys left during the recording process, we kind of pieced together the rest of the songs, so there’s maybe not as much of a live band feel (to the second half). And there’s more jazz influence, more of a psychedelic vibe to it in general. It’s more complex.
Standout new songs: “I’m Just Doing The Best That I Can” sounds really good on the record, and even though it’s hard to play a slower song in a bar, we do it anyway because its a good track. And “Holding On So Loose,” I played this reverse guitar riff and had a friend, Sean Hirthe from Soul Low and Paper Holland, record some saxophone, and we’ve never had sax on our releases before.
Next gig: Opening for GGOOLLDD, 7 p.m. Sept. 23, the Cooperage, 822 S. Water St. $15 at the door and eventbrite .com.
Watch two exclusive performances from Surgeons in Heat at jsonline.com/ music. Sound Check appears on or around the 15th each month online and in the Journal Sentinel.