Evil Sweet: “It’s Like a Conversation.”

Scotty O’Brien-Curcie and Zach Castro are the singer-rapper songwriters that are Evil Sweet. They bill themselves as an indie pop-rock band, but they like to switch styles with each new EP release. Listen to their EPs, and each will surprise you.

Their most recent release 4 the Singles, as with their other recordings, is available on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music, and bandcamp. O’Brien-Curcie is the lead singer and Castro is the guitarist and rapper. The breadth of their musical styles is mirrored in their influences: Great Britain’s Arctic Monkeys, and Oasis, Alaska’s (via Oregon) Portugal. The Man, hip-hop artist Mac Miller, and Australia’s Tame Impala. That is quite a palette from which to draw. Those influences are surely there, but I hear momentary incursions of blues and classical strings as well. When I asked the duo where the neo-psychedelic sound of Tame Impala was in the mix, they clarified that Kevin Parker’s ambition and shifting sound were an inspiration for their own experimentation.

About their song-writing process, O'Brien-Curcie and Castro say they work collaboratively on all their songs. Having begun writing together in 10th grade, their composing process has evolved into “a conversation:” a completely organic experience. They also effusively praise the contributions of their supporting musicians, their "team" as they put it, that have fleshed out the band’s sound on all their recordings.

They have a new single ready for release, and they are thrilled to be working with their first professional producer, Nick Sorrentino, at Westfall Studio where they are completing a new EP. We are excited that they will premier those songs on Long Island Stage.

Once Covid restrictions are lifted, look for Evil Sweet on the Island at the Velvet Lounge, Portside, and Cigar. “Performing live is an addiction,” they said. Long Island Stage thinks that’s an addiction we can all live with!