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members
Rory Rodriguez vocals
Mike Karle synthesizer
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biography
As if refracting feeling from a mirror image, HURTWAVE bounce bright sonic transmissions off dark emotions. The Orange County, CA duo—Rory Rodriguez and Mike Karle—integrate alternative energy and pop ambition into synthwave-spiked soundscapes perfect for a midnight drive. Now, they introduce a 2020 series of EPs with Night Therapy, Vol. 1 [Spinefarm].
In many ways, their moniker encapsulates this singular style.
“All of the music is very emotional,” affirms Rory. “That’s exactly where the name HURTWAVE comes into play. It’s dreamy and ethereal, but it’s very honest. The sound is quieter, but the emotional aspect is louder.”
As early as 2014, Rory and Mike planted the seeds for the project. In between posting up millions of streams and playing to packed audiences as one-half of Dayseeker, the two musicians traded nascent ideas for what would become Night Therapy, Vol. 1. They recorded initial demos on Garage Band and drew on influences as diverse as Khalid and The Midnight. During early 2020, they hit the studio with producer Daniel Braunstein to officially commit these ideas to tape.
“Dayseeker leans more into the hard rock and post-hardcore worlds,” says Rory. “Mike and I also have a love and affinity for pop music that’s not as aggressive sonically speaking. So, we developed a separate identity to go anywhere we wanted to musically. We love sad eighties pop and those ambient digital elements. Writing sad stuff for me is really cathartic. It actually feels good.”
The first single “Sever” careens through a haze of airy keys towards a lush crescendo. Underlined by a staggering beat and broad strokes of guitar, the track culminates on a hypnotic hook. Right out of the gate, it garnered plugs from The PRP, The Noise., Discovered Magazine, and more.
“It’s actually the first song we had written together,” recalls Rory. “It’s a good introduction. It has an upbeat pop structure, but it’s pretty heavy. I wrote it about a girl I had been seeing and talking to for a long time. However, we had a lot of issues. She said she was interested in something long-term; her actions showed something differently. You’re just not having awesome feelings regarding the relationship.”
“Bleach” follows on its heels. An orchestral electronic hum and colorful keys bleed into a provocative and poetic question “What’s it like to burn in heaven?” before an eerily entrancing chant.
“It’s about a girl I dated who was heavily depressed,” he admits. “She was suicidal, but she’s still alive, thankfully. I wrote this one from her perspective. She told me there were a lot of moments in her life where she contemplated drinking bleach to take her life.”
In the end, HURTWAVE fashion a lasting connection through this sort of honesty.
“We want the music to be something that can help people if they’re dealing with a difficult time in their lives,” he leaves off. “If you need to listen or vent, we’re here for you. Hopefully, it can be therapeutic if you’re battling through something.”