Superheaven

An ancient axiom reminds, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Living up to this truth, Superheaven not only relies, but also thrives on the interplay of its four members — Jake Clarke [lead vocals, guitar], Taylor Madison [lead vocals, guitar], Joe Kane [bass], and Zack Robbins [drums]. The music unfolds like an unspoken conversation between the respective players (and old friends), revolving around post-hardcore grit, full-bodied and fuzzed-out distortion, and hazy alternative melodies. Muscular riffs make indentations in a perpetually droning soundscape, fissuring into fits of catchy catharsis and hypnotic jamming without rival.

After a pair of quietly influential albums, hundreds of millions of streams, and countless shows, a longstanding sonic and spiritual union underscores the band's third full-length offering and very first release for Blue Grape, the self-titled Superheaven.

"The sound depends on the four of us," affirms Jake. "For Superheaven to come through, we need everyone's personality in the pot. When we all get in a room, it's truly special. Individually, we add our own spin to it, but we collectively want the same thing. That's the motif. I feel intertwined with the other guys. This is a huge part of our lives."

"We appreciate it more than ever too," adds Taylor. "The appreciation makes it easier to connect."

Superheaven's own connection crystallized back in 2008. Following a series of independent releases, the Pennsylvania group unveiled Jar during 2013. At the time, it slowly but surely built a foundation for the band. The musicians leveled up with 2015's Ours Is Chrome — hailed by Brooklyn Vegan as one of the "50 Best Punk & Emo Albums: 2015-2019." The latter boasted the likes of "Poor Aileen," which gathered 25 million Spotify streams. Superheaven played intermittently throughout the ensuing years, whether at a benefit alongside Turnstile and Tigers Jaw, at Outbreak Fest 2022 in Manchester, UK, or at Sick New World 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. Ten years after the initial release of Jar, the record unassumingly took on a life of its own fueled by fan rediscovery. "Youngest Daughter" surged on TikTok and eventually eclipsed over 128 million Spotify streams followed by "In On It" with 22 million Spotify streams and "Life In A Jar" with 8 million Spotify streams. In the midst of a sold-out Jar tenth anniversary tour, the boys discussed new music, kicking around demos.

2024 saw them hit their stride as they wrote and recorded Superheaven. This time around, the guys worked out of Zack's Metal Shop Studio in addition to reteaming with co-producer Will Yip [Panic! At the Disco, Quicksand, Scowl] at Studio 4 Recording. The process harnessed the strength of their chemistry.

"It was fluid," Jake notes. "All of our minds are in sync, so we knew how we wanted the record to sound. We like quality production without over-producing," he laughs. "The tones are organic. There's nothing fake."

They initially teased this chapter with "Long Gone." Beyond surpassing 1 million Spotify streams, Revolver christened it "a serene, grunge-gaze groover full of blown-out guitar melodies," and Vice professed, "It's Superheaven doing pretty much what you love about them but downturned and… heavier." They drew listeners deeper into the magnetic pull of Superheaven with the follow-up "Numb To What Is Real."

On the single "Cruel Times," humming distortion wobbles like shaky ground beneath strangely soothing verses. Six-string leads snake through a sea of power chords until an arresting refrain takes hold, "I can't wait for you to see what we all see now."

"Musically, I had the initial idea, and we were messing with it a lot," recalls Taylor. "It finally came to fruition as we were recording. My wife and I have been together for almost twenty years. Neither of us had a stellar childhood. In those circumstances, it's unusual for a couple to have such a good relationship, but we do. We help each other deal with everything. We really understand one another."

A spacey clean intro dissolves into a deft palm-muted rhythm on "Stare At The Void." The drums practically simmer in the background as a celestially catchy chorus echoes, "It's like I'm under my own sky. It's like a new shade of blue."

"I'm not a social guy," Taylor admits. "I find it difficult to even have conversations with most people. It's not that I'm nervous. I'm like, 'What do you want me to say?' 99% of the time I'm uncomfortable even one-on-one."

Strains of feedback get caught in the undertow of a trudging riff on "Humans For Toys." While uneasy guitars toss and turn, the vocals practically hover above a heavy stomp.

"With an opener, you've got to come out swinging," Taylor smiles. "I have a pretty pessimistic view on the world. When you think about all of the fucked up things consistently happening, it's brutal. As I'm waking up, someone on a different continent could be screaming with their legs blown off."

Then, there's "Sound of Goodbyes." From the jump, the words cut deep in a moment of begrudging acceptance, "I came to terms with a heavy heart."

"It's primarily about Superheaven, our lives, and how I felt," Jake reveals. "When we took a break in 2016, I remember being like, 'This is a cool life.' Then, we decided to pull back on touring. I didn't have any direction besides this life, and I was saying goodbye to it. I tried to put some optimism in the song though."

Elsewhere, Zack handles lead vocal duties on "Next Time," uplifting an undeniable chorus. The finale "The Curtain" illustrates their mastery of dynamics. The slow burn of smoldering riffs and an ironclad drum groove melt into a mantra-like chant, "I don't wanna waster another day."

The record ultimately embodies what the band has been since its inception. "This work of art is Superheaven," Jake declares. "It's a statement that we're trying to push forward. It's the best representation of who we are at the moment."

In the end, Superheaven are still simply four friends making music as loudly as possible.

"Not only do we get to do this band in 2025, but we really zeroed in on what we are," Jake leaves off. "We can play our instruments and be proud. I know if we continue to put the music first, everything will fall into place."

"We just want to write good songs," Taylor concludes. "It seems like a lost art, but we treasure it. If you listen to this, I hope you think, 'Damn, they still got it.'"

• • •

BOILER

Superheaven not only relies, but also thrives on the interplay of its four members — Jake Clarke [lead vocals, guitar], Taylor Madison [lead vocals, guitar], Joe Kane [bass], and Zack Robbins [drums]. The music unfolds like an unspoken conversation between the respective players (and old friends), revolving around post-hardcore grit, full-bodied and fuzzed-out distortion, and hazy alternative melodies. Muscular riffs make indentations in a perpetually droning soundscape, fissuring into fits of catchy catharsis and hypnotic jamming without rival. Following a series of independent releases, the Pennsylvania group unveiled Jar during 2013. At the time, it slowly but surely built a foundation for the band. The musicians leveled up with 2015's Ours Is Chrome — hailed by Brooklyn Vegan as one of the "50 Best Punk & Emo Albums: 2015-2019." The latter boasted the likes of "Poor Aileen," which gathered 25 million Spotify streams. Superheaven played intermittently throughout the ensuing years, whether at a benefit alongside Turnstile and Tigers Jaw, at Outbreak Fest 2022 in Manchester, UK, or at Sick New World 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. Ten years after the initial release of Jar, the record unassumingly took on a life of its own fueled by fan rediscovery. "Youngest Daughter" surged on TikTok and eventually eclipsed over 128 million Spotify streams followed by "In On It" with 22 million Spotify streams and "Life In A Jar" with 8 million Spotify streams. After a pair of quietly influential albums, hundreds of millions of streams, and countless shows, a longstanding sonic and spiritual union underscores the band's third full-length offering and very first release for Blue Grape, the self-titled Superheaven.