Q&A: Revolver On Collaboration, Maturity & Personalization In “Chroma”
CAPTURING THE HOPE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS — Revolver’s newly released album, Chroma, reflects what many of us are feeling these days as we march from spring into the optimism of the upcoming summer. The dreamy acoustics and psychedelic vibe gives Chroma both a familiar and nostalgic feel, evoking the dulcet tones of other solo acts such as Bon Iver and Iron & Wine.
With Chroma, Revolver dives into themes like new love, recent heartbreak, and what it means for someone to bloom in a dark world. The mind behind Revolver describes the album as “a synthed-out, psychedelic throwback; a floating, floral soundscape, equipped with the sentiment to match.” I’m inclined to agree — listening to Chroma puts me into a pleasant trance, as if I’m floating in a pool without a care in the world.
Revolver is a solo project created by recording artist Erik Schwarzenberg, started as a way for him to experiment with songwriting and producing in his own home studio. Born and raised near Baltimore, Maryland, Schwarzenberg has been involved in music nearly his entire life. Starting with drums and then eventually expanding into singing, songwriting, and producing, Schwarzenberg started Revolver as a way to connect with other artists as well as explore his own roots.
When listening to Revolver’s earlier albums, it’s easy to track the progress and growth Schwarzenberg has gone through over the years. Stab, Revolver’s first release, has a DIY punk feel to it, with punchy guitars and lively lyrics that capture the raw emotion of a young man.
Revolver’s second release, Same Place, keeps that same “warbly” vibe, but also dives into a deeper experimentation with recording and production. Chroma is Revolver’s third release, and carries a more mature weight to it, feeling like a more cerebral experience than his other albums.
After the release of Chroma earlier in May, Schwarzenberg is showing no signs of stopping any time soon. When he’s not working on Revolver, Schwarzenberg plays drums in Little Lungs, a Baltimore-based band with an exciting EP coming out this summer. Schwarzenberg also enjoys collaborating with other artists and creating thoughtful and compelling projects.
Read below to learn more about Revolver and the making of Chroma.
LUNA: Tell us a bit about your background! What first got you into music?
SCHWARZENBURG: Well, I first started playing when I was around seven. My cousin would loan me some marching band percussion he had from his high school, and I’d go home and bang the hell out of them. Shortly after, my mother signed me up for drum lessons, and I’ve been learning how to play different instruments, sing, and record ever since.
LUNA: In your own words, how would you describe your sound?
SCHWARZENBURG: Psychedelic, dreamy, and a little harsh.
LUNA: Your new album Chroma just came out — how do you feel about it?
SCHWARZENBURG: I’m very excited to share Chroma. It feels like my most refined work yet, and I really felt myself grow into a recording artist through making it. Before, I was recording myself more casually. Now, I’m recording at a more serious level, and looking to do that for other people, too. Sonically, there was a focus on textural synthesis: using keyboards to sculpt a subtle, hazy soundscape, and vintage psych-rock guitar.
LUNA: What was your favorite part about making Chroma?
SCHWARZENBURG: The songwriting process this time. I was so excited about writing. I wrote about 70 songs for this album — I just couldn’t stop. It was unique to my process, and hopefully I’ll do it again sometime. But only if that volume feels natural. I believe that everything in making music — from the writing to the actual making of the record itself — should be natural. The exciting part is when it happens like that, with that many ideas.
LUNA: What’s your favorite track off Chroma? Can you tell us a little background on it?
SCHWARZENBURG: It’s a song called “Good.” I sought to recreate this spiraled-out headspace I sometimes find myself in when I’m deep in my worries. The sentiment I had when I wrote it was that I had a habit of pushing away good opportunities in my life [out] of fear. The backbone of the track was sampled from another Baltimore band I recorded, with their consent of course. I’m starting to collaborate with other artists and bands I record, in addition to making music for Revolver. This is the first Revolver track in which I’ve done that, in a way, and it makes me favor this track a bit more than the rest because of that.
LUNA: Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to music?
SCHWARZENBURG: My old drum instructor is one of them. He was very persistent with me. He saw what I feel when I play music before I could even feel it. I think starting so young was both a blessing and a challenge in that sense. I remember working through a drum set concept book at a lesson. It was David Garibaldi’s Future Sounds, and I was having such a hard time, getting so frustrated with this groove. My instructor got me into this meditative place, where I could just feel the groove, and then suddenly I nailed it. It was like fireworks were going off in my head. I don’t really know how to explain the feeling. Since that moment, whether I’ve picked up a guitar, or keys, or am singing, I still find that feeling.
LUNA: How does living in Baltimore influence your sound?
SCHWARZENBURG: I’m so happy to be affiliated with such a great city. I think that my experiences, conversations, and shows in Baltimore have shaped me into the musician and person that I am today. Right now, I’m actually living in a small suburb outside of the city. I’ve spent a lot of time in Baltimore, and what I’ve realized from my songwriting and recording practice is that it helps me to be more connected to nature. It benefits the music and my lifestyle right now, and I’ve been embracing the slower pace lately.
LUNA: Any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?
SCHWARZENBURG: So many things I want to say here. I play drums in a band called Little Lungs, and we have an EP coming out this summer that I recorded and produced, and Mat Leffler-Schulman at Mobtown Studios mastered. Another project I’m really excited for is recording and co-producing Nina Gala’s next record. She’s very dear to me, and her music is so captivating — it’s going to be something to look for, too. More so [now] than ever, I’m looking to connect with other like-minded artists and musicians. I really love recording, mixing, or producing on other records, too. I’d love to be doing more of that in addition to Revolver.
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