Conversations with Sturtz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sturtz.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Sturtz formed as a band about 5 years ago. We all met in various ways (open mics, album release parties, and jazz nights) and started jamming together in a cabin shortly before things shut down for Covid. When everything did shut down, we became a Covid pod and spent a lot of our time working on our debut album. Now we’ve been touring on that for a couple of years, and we’re excited to bring another album into the world on September 29!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As previously mentioned, our initial friendship and life as a band was met with a global pandemic. Although this slowed our ability to play out in the world, it did allow us to grow closer through working on an album and having lots of time to rehearse new music with one another.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Sturtz is a local acoustic band with a genre that’s difficult to define. We love playing out and meeting community members, and I’d say we’re known for our pairing of silly, sarcastic banter with serious, introspective songs. A show with Sturtz is sure to bring you a variety of emotions.

Right now, we’re about to release our second studio album out into the world (Hyacinth), and we’re really proud of this set of songs. The album is nostalgic and real, painting a picture of what it’s like to be in your 30s today. We had the pleasure of working with Ben Wysocki at his studio in Denver to record the album. He is primarily known for his work in the Fray, but has also been a great contributor and supporter of the local indie scene through producing and recording records with local bands. This is the first time we’ve had an outside voice in our musical process, and it has added a lot to the sonic structure to these songs.

The last few years of writing and touring together have helped refine our sound as a band, and we’re excited to bring new sonic elements and production styles to this set of songs. In Hyacinth, we all stretch out a bit with expanded instrumentation, but we’re still remaining our roots as an acoustic band. Look out for the album on September 29th – we’re really proud to be releasing this into the world!

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
We were all very different!

Andrew is from Northern Michigan and could be found around the house belting Beatles songs. He played his first shows as a teenager, mainly singing covers at the time. As a kid, Andrew loved musical theater, swimming in lakes, and playing sports.

Will is from Nederland, Colorado, and grew up in a musical house in the mountains. He went to school in Boulder and was pretty quirky and shy. He fell in love with bass in middle school jazz band, and he’s been playing ever since.

Jim is from Pennsylvania and was really shy growing up. He enjoyed hockey and skateboarding as a kid, and he didn’t start playing music until he was about 17 (although he appreciated it throughout his child and teenage years).

Courtlyn is from Grand Junction, Colorado, and she was a bit of a perfectionist growing up. She loved school, playing cello in orchestra, and promoting her environmental values.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sturtzmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sturtzmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sturtzmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8p3lh7KFo1ip6LlbN2Hp6w
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7CpVh407U9IwU5pYRVkscG?si=1IBG4Bk-TG-wWsq06Gphew

Image Credits
Joni Schrantz
Kim Cassidy
Thom LaFond