The Pennsylvania outfit continues to evolve while staying true to its artistic roots.
Lehigh Valley’s indie rockers Smooth Retsina Glow continue to embody the ethos of “expect the unexpected,” pushing the limits of their artistic boundaries with every release and live show.
Known for their evolving lineup and diverse soundscapes, the band, led by Colin Wolf (guitar/vocals), Natalie Expraxia (vocals), and Quincy Wellen (drums), consistently offers new, refreshing experiences for fans.
Wearing their love for music proudly on their sleeves, this talented band continues to deliver legendary performances that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Supported by rotating bass players like Grant Wagner, Billy Voight, and Devin Wachter, Smooth Retsina Glow has risen to the occasion on every stage they’ve graced thus far. On the recording side of things, they haven’t slacked either.
Building on the momentum of their single “Against Any Odds,” they released “Never Conform” in June 2024, which they quickly followed up with “Fervor” in August. Both tracks have resonated with fans and critics alike. Their latest studio album, “Through the Needle’s Eye,” dropped just in time for their high-profile performance at Bethlehem’s Musikfest, cementing their status as one of the most exciting indie rock acts to watch.
In many ways, the simple yet upbeat energy of Smooth Retsina Glow’s release “Fervor” underscores the easy bliss that pervades their releases. “Fervor” is an electrifying blend of indie rock energy and thoughtful songwriting that grabs the listener’s attention with its driving rhythm and layered sonic textures. Emotive guitar work pairs seamlessly with the distinctive vocal delivery of Colin Wolf and Natalie Expraxia, resulting in a work that feels incredibly polished, emotionally raw, and unfiltered.
Amidst lineup changes and more, Smooth Retsina Glow continues to impress, whether on the stage or in the studio.
Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Smooth Retsina Glow’s latest release, “Fervor,” from their new album, “Through The Needle’s Eye,” on all major streaming platforms.
Welcome back to Buzz, Colin from Smooth Retsina Glow. It’s great to have you back! It’s no surprise that we loved “Fervor.” We had to ask for this release as well! What was the inspiration behind “Fervor,” and how did you all feel after hearing the completed version for the first time?
Fervor is currently our most popular track on streaming services and points the way to the future in the direction we want to go in musically. For starters, it is what your readers would call an " odd time signature" (5/4) with chord voicings that are extended, and the way that song progresses musically is a little more unusual, but it doesn't throw the audience off.
It was the 2nd song recorded for the album, and it was just before our other co-vocalist, Natalie Expraxia, joined. Initially, I toyed with shelving the song for some time because I wasn't sure it would work properly, but thankfully, Quincy reminded me to use it. Natalie's lead vocal took the song up another level.
One challenging thing, to put it lightly, is to have something sound-wise" that is your own," but I think due to the sonic textures, music components, and everyone's area of expertise, we did succeed on that- and that seems to be reflected through the album!
What was your favorite part of the creative process for making this release, and what’s your favorite part of the creative process usually?
It was actually a little more challenging to write - which I thought couldn't ever happen to me! Roughly the summer and early autumn of 23, after two members of the previous lineup had been fired for a combination of drugs and professional/musical incompetence and the third was politely asked to step down due to his work schedule, I began experiencing what your readers will term a "writer's block" which I thought would never happen to me. But it can happen to any writer, cliche as the saying is.
Eventually, with an influence change and occasionally taking time away from active writing, one can feel reinspired, and I believe that eventually came to fruition. Also, it can be good to write on a deadline because it occasionally gets the inspiration flowing differently.
Another thing I've learned is that it helps to have an excellent personal and creative relationship with your groupmates, and even though none of them knew each other at all before very recent history, working with this current lineup has been highly gratifying from a creative or music perspective, and it's an exciting prospect taking something Ive written and knowing something could change drastically in the arranging aspect of it, which makes it truly a "group" effort.
Also, now that I know them musically, I'll know how to play to their strengths creatively moving ahead.
What are you most excited about for the rest of the year?
Currently, we are riding out the year concert-wise; virtually all the dates we have been booked up, and we are starting our booking for 25!
But this latest album has undoubtedly proved to be the most cohesive sonically that we've done so far; there is a real kinship amongst the musicians, something the previous lineups didn't really have to the proper degree, and we also have been approached by promoters more and more in regards to featuring our music to college radio, or the stations we don't have presently to feature select tracks- like Fervor- to give it the push it deserves.
Rage Rock Radio has started to lend their support to us, and they are already giving us that extra push that we didn't have before. Here's hoping for a big splash on that front!
What was it like creating “Through The Needle’s Eye,” and if your fans could take one thing away from this album, what would you want it to be?
As far as creating that specific track, it is a good contrast because even though our brand of rock has changed, we still have parts of the set where the guitars are overdriven( but we'd never go a death grind route in the foreseeable future!), and it also features odd time signatures - specifically 3 in that song!
As far as what we'd like our audience to take away, essentially, this is a new lineup with a new sound, unlike what we've done previously, and this time around, every member is a group player in the fundamental sense of the word.
Everyone involved in this record brings their respective strengths, as a group needs to, and in a little under a year, we've succeeded in reinventing our sound.
What’s next for Smooth Retsina Glow, and is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?
For starters, even though our bass subs that we have are always great to work with, we'd love and need to get another full-time bassist, especially if touring ever presents itself as a possibility - so anyone in the Lehigh Valley in PA, if you want to join a prolific band that does a wide variety of original music, select covers, and work steadily, this job is for you!
So that is one aspect we will push more toward to find the right member because that will only further what we've established already.
The rest of the year consists of our usual quota of shows, and we are starting to book work in 25. And you can expect a new single in 25 soon enough!
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