The Spyrals new album, Retrograde, harkens back to their earliest sounds while stepping into the future. After over a decade of releasing music, Jeff Lewis finds the throughline to what makes The Spyrals. It’s loud, live and real. After self-recording multiple albums in practice studios and garages, the band entered Station House studio in Echo Park, Los Angeles in early 2024. Coming out of months of jamming, the band carved out a collection of songs. From blues vamps to spaced-out bliss, the psychedelic roots shine through on the group’s fifth LP.
Formed in San Francisco in 2009, the early formation of The Spyrals was known for their live performances. Playing around the Bay Area in the fertile SF scene, they gained notoriety with support from Aquarius Records Store in the Mission District and other SF staples. The 2012 self-titled record solidified the band’s reputation as purveyors of West Coast psych rock.
Followed by Out of Sight and The Curse, Lewis relocated to Los Angeles. In 2020, Same Old Line was recorded with a new lineup and released with Fuzz Club Records. The album was well received by critics and fans and added a more prominent country and blues sound to the band’s catalog. With the addition of Georgia Feroce on keyboard/bass and vocals in 2021, a new sound started to develop. After touring with drummer Dash Borinstein and hours of recorded jamming the trio was ready to record.