SONG PREMIERE: Scranton indie folk duo Sweetnest traverses the darkening ‘Forest’
Over half of Pennsylvania is made up of forests, covering the Commonwealth in an expansive green canopy of natural beauty that supports a dynamic ecosystem of vegetation and wildlife while also providing a peaceful landscape for exploration and recreation.
As the fall foliage crumbles and the sun sets earlier behind the barren trees of the valley, though, the scenic route becomes a treacherous journey of darkened corners, disappearing trails, and strange sounds warning of the dangers closing in. Wandering the forest can be as captivating as it is treacherous, a poetic dichotomy captured in Sweetnest’s new single.
“’The Forest’ is a song about human nature and duality, kindness and cruelty, trust and mistrust, love and hatred, happiness and sorrow, strength and weakness, pain and healing,” vocalist/ukulele player Amanda Rogan began.
“The beauty of human nature and also the ugliness. The warmth and the cold. The idea of loving something but also being able to be destroyed by it. The sweet laughter you share with loved ones and the laughter in ill will. The ultra-rich gorging themselves while others starve. People taking advantage of others. People giving, people taking.
“That being said, the forest is also a stunning landscape that can be a place where you allow yourself to get lost. Can we actually use the forest to our benefit to break away from ordinary daily life? Can we let our imaginations run wild and drop everything we know? The truth is, it is up to you. Where do you place your power in this forest? In the world? What do you use your energy for, and who are you to others? Are you able to acknowledge the darkness in the world and still continue to dance to the song of life?”
Premiering today exclusively on NEPA Scene, the track isn’t just a walk through “Penn’s Woods” – it’s a sharp turn down an unexplored path for the Scranton-based indie folk duo, whose other half is guitarist Matt Malone.
“This song stands out from others we created most clearly in the darker vibe. Typically, we write music that is gentle or softer overall, but what we really love to create is an energy you can tap into. We love to paint with sound and blend and let the layers of our music draw you in and hold you in that space,” she continued.
“It is also different in the sense where I began writing it almost three years ago and lyrically completed it years later after some experiences. I think that is where it took a darker turn. ‘The Forest’ still encompasses who we are because we are not simply one thing, one genre, writing on one emotion. Music is the space where we can go and make choices that feel right to us and to the songs. We don’t believe in boxing ourselves in. Too many people get caught up in a certain image, and that just isn’t who we are.”
Off the beaten path
Who they are has been defined by the soft, soothing, warm, and dreamy sounds on their debut album, 2018’s “Until Now,” a split EP with A Fire With Friends called “Bearings” (2020), and the singles “Baby” (2019) and “Heal” (2023).
“‘Heal’ was received extremely well by our listeners. They loved the bouncy, quick and bright nature of the song. We took a risk throwing in trombone and a fuller band feel. ‘Heal’ is a song that is about looking back on a time where you were struggling from an improved state – a happier state, accepting who we have been in the past, and I think the message resonates with people,” Rogan said.
Over the next year, they continued writing their second album and working on adding additional members to Sweetnest, a desire that can be heard in the broader sound of their latest material.
“We want to be able to have more intimate shows where Matt and I play acoustically, and bigger shows with a full band. We’ve been very fortunate to be able to add people to our Sweetnest fam that we care for and can work with naturally. Outside of Sweetnest, in day-to-day life, we are just regular people. I’m a caregiver and music teacher. Matt is a tech professional and a teacher as well. It has been a real challenge finding the time to dedicate to music and our own creativity, but we are doing our best to prioritize.”
One can often bleed into the other, as the loss of her previous job at the end of last year ended up changing her life “completely in a very traumatic way” and partially inspiring “The Forest.”
“Sometimes speaking up in the workplace can backfire and people can be very cruel and inhumane. Individuals in charge are often left unchecked and unchallenged, and the more money you have, the more power you have. Unfortunately, this stems into other areas in society as well, so that is all tied into the second verse of the song,” she emphasized.
“‘The Forest’ started with a simple baritone ukulele riff in my bedroom one night. I was overwhelmed with certain emotions at the time, hence the lyrics ‘can hardly focus.’ I also struggle with intrusive thoughts and anxiety, which I think some people may relate to.”
Compositionally, Malone wanted to make it “unnerving” to listen to.
“He wanted you to feel hunted and lost. He wants you to feel alone and scared. By the end, you don’t know if it’s the same person that went into the forest or something else entirely wearing your skin,” Rogan described.
“Nature has always been near and dear to my heart, as I was raised in the country and was outside daily. I walked nearly a mile to my bus stop every morning in all weather. I played outside with my dogs and loved to explore the woods by myself. I appreciate the beauty and also the danger that nature holds. It is very peaceful, but there are also animals killing other animals, humans stalking and hunting unsuspecting animals. You can also get lost in the woods; it gets colder and darker as the sun sets. But yet it still maintains all of its visual and spiritual beauty despite all of the darker aspects. It is, in ways, a metaphor for life. We love to get out in nature, especially with our dogs. I personally have a deep love and admiration of water. I’ll use any excuse to jump into a creek or lake. The forest can be an escape for people too.”
It took a year, on and off, to really dive in and complete the single, and listening back to it now, Malone is still surprised by the result, wondering how they were able to create such a complex piece, even with the help of producer Joe Loftus and engineer Jay Preston (of Esta Coda) at JL Studios in Olyphant.
“We would work on it, then sit on it. Not listen to it, then come back to it. That’s how we like to do a lot of our songs. ‘The Forest’ started with something small, a little riff idea on a uke, but then it started to evolve. As we added to it, we didn’t feel like we were creating it from scratch – it felt like we were trying to complete something that already was in existence,” Rogan recalled.
“Matt and I are both very into intricate layers of sound, the kind of sound that each time you listen, you hear something new peek out. I am also a visual artist – primarily oil paint – and my paintings reflect this as well. Matt only makes things more interesting because of all the pedals he experiments with. All of us would contribute, but he would come in with an idea on some niche pedal he just got, and we would all mold it after he tracked something. I worked privately with Joe and created the layering of percussion in the chorus, as well as whistles that ended up sounding like screams and breaths they would add throughout the song. It is amazing to hear the track finished and it is unlike any of our other songs.”
Through the trees
The pair see JL as a creative safe haven, and with so many other local musicians recording there, collaborations become a natural part of the recording process.
“Joe and Jay make the studio feel like home when we go. They are incredibly talented and masters of their craft. When we get together, it feels like there is something magical that happens. They are remarkable at adding in instruments and implementing our vision. We are consistently blown away by the quality of music that JL produces,” she complimented.
“They always help instrumentally in one way or another, and – we’re not sure if he knows this – Ed Cuozzo [of University Drive] wanted to put down a rough drum track that we layered into the song during the outro. They are the reason we achieved the sound we did, via different effects and ideas.”
This synergetic spirit is alive outside the studio as well, as Rogan often joins fellow Scranton indie rocker James Barrett and his band on stage as a backup singer, most recently at Good Things Are Happening Fest this past summer.
“We have so much fun on stage, the JB band and I. They are my friends and colleagues in ‘real life,’ and we truly enjoy the energy of all of us together on stage. I’ve always enjoyed working with James and contributing to vocals on his albums. He is a sweetheart, and I value him greatly. I have always been a big fan of community. Having a web of artists working together is just magic, and I will always be interested in collaborating.”
While this year proved difficult and Sweetnest didn’t have the chance to play many shows of their own, they did get to open for Nashville indie folk outfit Birdtalker at the Sherman Stage at The Renegade Winery in Stroudsburg last month.
“That experience was absolutely surreal – easily the most surreal experience that I have ever had, as I have been listening to and admiring Birdtalker’s music for years. Their songwriting is stunning, and to be on the same stage with them really blew my mind. I tried to play it cool while meeting them and interacting with them, but on the inside, I was jumping up and down and screaming. We were able to speak candidly with Zack and Dani, and Zack called us his peers – I thought I’d just die. I had been joking for weeks that this was, in fact, my retirement show because I’ve officially peeked, playing with one of my favorite bands in the world. The show went wonderfully, and we had so much love and support from friends and fans that attended.”
All the more reason to finally finish that full-length album.
“We think it will come out this spring. We also really want to play more shows and get our full band complete. We want you to have a special experience when you go to a Sweetnest show. That has been difficult to create, but we are definitely getting there. Matt and I love playing acoustically together as a duo, but we love having the option to play with drummer Justin Malinowski and bassist Madison Kaminski. We may also be adding a few of our dear friends from Purple Lung.”
Hiking deep into the metaphorical woods and coming out the other side better than ever, they’re also happy to take those experiences and pass on what they learned to their students at Rockology Music Academy in Wilkes-Barre.
“I want them to know that, when they’re with me, they cannot do much that is wrong. They can play anything they want, and I’ll teach it to them. Teaching them, in part, teaches me, and I’m very grateful to be a part of their lives,” Malone shared.
“For me, I personally love to help boost my students’ self-esteem and show them they are capable of anything,” Rogan left off.
“I love to help give them a voice and really hear them. I really treasure the bonds I form with my students of all ages. I think music is such a healthy outlet for emotions, stress, growth, etc.”
Photos by Jason Riedmiller Photography/NEPA Scene
