Written by Max Bennett, Photographed by Marisa Stancroff, Graphic design by Dan Scott Forreal
A new music project from the minds behind now-defunct regional acts Weekender and Miscomunicado is set to arrive this spring—and its debut album has been more than two decades in the making.
Derek Sheehan and Dan Scott Forreal make up the Philadelphia-area’s newest psychedelic rock outfit, Kewl Haze.
The duo is planning a spring 2026 release for their debut album, Suburban Sherpa, and has already unveiled its first single, “Used to Have It All,” now streaming across all major platforms.
From West Chester’s DIY Scene to a Long-Awaited Collaboration
While the project officially began with demo-trading between coasts in 2020—and gained momentum after Forreal relocated back to the western Philadelphia suburbs—its roots stretch much further back, to the West Chester music boom of the early 2000s. That era was fueled by DIY venues, skate culture, and the national rise of local legends CKY.
“With the skate crews and the music crews, it didn’t matter how old you were.” — Dan Scott Forreal
“I played my first show in sixth grade,” Forreal said. “In high school, it was like, ‘freshmen don’t hang out with seniors.’ But with the skate crews and the music crews, it didn’t matter.”
Sheehan was on a similar path. His first show came around the same age.
“We were all playing at different DIY venues in West Chester and up and down the Main Line,” Sheehan said. “Downingtown, pretty much all the way to Philly—we were playing shows from middle school through high school.”
Parallel Paths That Nearly Crossed
Both musicians were deeply embedded in the local skate and punk scenes, circling one another in different bands but never collaborating directly—aside from occasionally sharing bills. Ironically, both were drummers, one of the most in-demand roles in any local scene.
“We never actually played together, never actually collaborated on anything.” — Dan Scott Forreal
After graduating from Great Valley High School, Sheehan went to college. Forreal followed three years later, eventually dropping out to form Miscomunicado in 2011 before relocating to Colorado. Sheehan continued playing in various projects before forming Weekender in 2013.
Forreal later moved to Los Angeles, where the two reconnected—initially from opposite coasts.
Discovering a Shared Psychedelic Vision
“We were keeping tabs on each other’s music,” Forreal said. “Of our high school scene, we were the only two who went the psych-rock route.”
That shared trajectory led to idea-swapping and, eventually, an in-person jam session in 2018 when Forreal returned east.
Their first true collaboration became “Deep Breathing,” the opening track on Suburban Sherpa—a hybrid of a song Sheehan had previously written and their first co-written piece.
“The first track on the album is basically a remix,” Sheehan said. “I always told Dan it’s really fuckin’ weird—but also fitting.”
After Forreal moved back to the Malvern area, the duo wrote “Used to Have It All.” Initially, the plan was to release a short EP.
That plan quickly dissolved.
“We just kept writing. We kept expanding our boundaries artistically.” — Derek Sheehan
Among the album’s more unexpected influences, Forreal cites Mac Miller and Wu-Tang Clan.
“With Wu-Tang, it’s the drums,” he said. “With Mac Miller, it’s more the production approach and songwriting techniques.”
Refusing to Be Boxed Into a Single Sound
Despite its psychedelic rock foundation, Kewl Haze resists genre confinement—something both members felt limited their earlier projects.
“Those bands had to live in very specific lanes. This one doesn’t.” — Derek Sheehan
Their production approach often pulls from specific instrument tones rather than wholesale stylistic borrowing.
“You might be writing a dream-pop song but want the drums to sound like Queens of the Stone Age, while the guitar feels more like The Cranberries,” Sheehan said.
Yet the result never sounds fragmented.
“One thing that helps is that each of us has a very distinct sound,” Sheehan said.
Capturing the Magic of the Moment in the Studio
A defining element of Suburban Sherpa is how the tracks were recorded—often chasing the spontaneity of late-night inspiration.
“Sometimes there’s just magic in that take.” — Derek Sheehan
“That first take at 12:30 in the morning—we were wasted, tripping, deep in the creative zone,” Sheehan said.
Of course, that risk comes with uncertainty.
“You listen back the next day and think, ‘That sucked,’” he laughed. “Or you realize it was better than you thought.”
“And that’s the take,” Forreal added.
Bringing Kewl Haze to the Stage
Bringing Kewl Haze to the StageWith the album complete and awaiting its spring 2026 release, Kewl Haze is assembling a live band and dialing in gear.
“You know the song, but you don’t know how it’s going to unfold.” — Dan Scott Forreal
Several musicians have expressed interest in joining the live lineup, with rehearsals expected soon. And while fans shouldn’t expect note-for-note recreations of the album, improvisation will be central to the live experience.
“There’s more magic when the live version becomes its own thing,” Sheehan said.
Forreal pointed to the Grateful Dead as a guiding philosophy.
Suburban Sherpa arrives spring 2026 via Paper Cup Music and will be available on vinyl and all major streaming platforms.
Kewl Haze
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