Crooked Spies to celebrate new album at Nite Owl

By Rachel Woodward, December 1 2017 —

Local four-piece rock group Crooked Spies have re-emerged with their second album, High Plains. The album follows a two-year hiatus since their first release, Treason. The band will showcase their newest sounds at an album release party on Dec. 15 at Nite Owl alongside local groups Free the Cynics and Ghost Factory.

High Plains is a high-energy work that shows the growth the band has undergone in the past two years. The album was recorded and produced with help from Mark Troyer of Evergreen Sounds. Brothers Dylan and Steven Evanik of Crooked Spies say that the album’s process presented them with an opportunity to document their experiences in a more organic and creative way.

“[For Treason], we literally just had 10 songs that we had written and we just said, ‘Hey, let’s put this on an album.’ So there wasn’t a really a lot of thought in terms of making a cohesive piece of work or art,” Dylan says. “Whereas [for High Plains], we had two-and-a-half years between Treason and now so we developed a lot as songwriters. It was nice to be able to pick and choose what songs we think are going to fit really well to say what we are trying to say.”

High Plains was teased with the release of the single “Waiting,” which came out last year. The album holds more diversity in song structure, with each track standing alone in its own way. The album’s energy is undeniable, providing listeners with an upbeat and charged collection of tracks that stay fresh with each listen. Steven says that both brothers brought their own influences to the album, alongside bassist Aaron Samson and drummer Mark Lawlor.

On Dec. 15, the band is crossing paths with Free the Cynics and Ghost Factory to celebrate their album’s release. The band hopes that the event, hosted at Nite Owl, will give them an opportunity to celebrate their work and begin working their newer tracks into a live setting.

“We want to celebrate. It’ll be funny to see how the songs turn out with the first time playing them live,” Evanik says. “Very few people have heard these new songs, so it will be interesting to go from something where people are singing along to maybe intensely watching and trying to take in something new when they really enjoy our music. The party is a big part but it’s awesome to be finally getting this album out after close to two years of work.”

After High Plain’s release, Crooked Spies will tour Canada’s West Coast and participate in the BIG Winter Classic in Calgary this new year.

Release party tickets are $10 on Ticketfly or $15 at the door. Find Crooked Spies on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music.