Words and photos by Kenzie Trikouros.
Based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Crown Euphoria brings the garage-shoegaze sound to the area’s music scene.
The band played at The Crypt, a local DIY venue, for their 4/20 show, marking Crown Euphoria’s last show at The Crypt. The venue retired in May of this year.
This bittersweet moment did not put a damper on their electric stage presence.
Crown Euphoria has played in the New Brunswick basement show scene at various DIY venues and other cities in Jersey for years.
Their first EP, New Faces of Nothing, vigorously rocks through four songs and captures the influences that define Crown Euphoria’s sound.
Background
Steven Rotunno, Mike Walton, Patrick Heeb, and Dean Springhorn have been playing together since high school. The four have been best friends for years.
Steven said, “We first formed the band sophomore year. We have known each other for so long that we melt so well together.”
Patrick and Steven have even known each other since kindergarten.
“We get one another,” Steven added.
Originally the guys were going to be a Beatles cover band.
Steven shared, “The first day of the band we were going to be a Beatles cover band because I used to sing one Beatles song into Pat’s ear in Spanish class.”
Patrick laughed and responded, “So annoying.”
Mike called Steven his “personal Beatles jukebox.”
Mike also added, “Not even 34 hours later we reconvened and decided that was a terrible idea.”
Steven is the lead singer and plays rhythm guitar. Patrick plays drums. Mike plays bass and Dean plays lead guitar.
“They love it when I play guitar… their eyes get all bright and wide,” Dean joked.
Mike and Dean were also in a band together in middle school.
The name for the band didn’t come from thin air. Dean told me someone in their high school owned a Crown Victoria, a decommissioned police car.
“I was like, ‘Guys, we should be the Crown Vicks.’ Obviously, they didn’t like it,” Dean shared.
The disagreement of Crown Vicks led to the renowned name they are known by today.
“Think about it, every great band has a silly name. Like Pink Floyd. What is that name?” Mike jokingly said.
“When you hear ‘Crown Euphoria’ you only think of the band,” Patrick added.
Songwriting Collaboration and Inspirations
“Melancholia” is their most popular song on Spotify, but the band says “Carpe Diem” is the most popular at the basement shows.
Crown Euphoria collaborates when it comes to songwriting. It could start with one easy piece, and everyone else adds in.
“Dean could come up with a simple guitar riff and then we’re like ‘Oh yeah, that sounds cool. We can add on top of that,’” Steven said, “I come up with a backing track, Mike comes up with a bass line. Pat comes up with a drum line.”
The band works together coming up with melodies and lyrics that come naturally.
Patrick added, “I’m not just a drummer. Mike’s not just the bass player, Steven is not just a singer or guitarist… We take on all the roles.”
“Dean is just the lead guitarist,” Steven said amusingly.
These guys love to joke, which only adds to Crown Euphoria’s spirit. When I interviewed the band, I brought over some banana bread I baked the morning of.
Mike is a culinary student and on the record said, “This is great banana bread.”
Steven, Patrick, and Dean said the same. Thank you to the guys of Crown Euphoria for trying my banana bread; if anyone wants the recipe, let me know.
Since “Melancholia” is their most popular song (and my favorite), I decided to get a deeper dive into the song.
Steven wrote all of the lyrics for this song before the band was even a band.
“I wrote that song in my bedroom when I was, like, 14,” he said.
The intro takes you into Crown Euphoria’s world with rhythmic energy and compelling beats. I can’t help but nod along.
“Melancholia” is about a kid going through the struggles of being bullied in school. Steven pulled from experiences of his own to write the melancholic lyrics we know today.
The “halls of fire” refer to the hallways of a school. The line, “whisper stories of bygone days” is a reference to longing for better times.
Patrick added that the song is all about honesty.
“Melancholia” was their first single and made its way onto New Faces of Nothing alongside “Carpe Diem,” “Shine Through,” and the title track “News Faces of Nothing.”
Patrick said, “Our first EP sounds very 2000s garage-rock revival mixed with ‘90s alternative rock.”
Each band member takes inspiration from the legendary musicians we know and love.
Dean is inspired by Jimmy Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.
“Over the years, I’ve tried to hone in my style to fit what these guys want to do,” Dean said, “My style has become more indie and shoegaze, but I still stick to my roots.”
Steven has always listened to and been inspired by the Beatles and ’60s rock, along with Pink Floyd and progressive ‘70s rock.
The band draws inspiration for their new album from all types of music they enjoy ranging from local bands to major artists.
The guys are currently working on a new album and hope to have it out by the end of the year.
Thematically this album will deal with college experiences and maturing through personal growth.
Crown Euphoria at The Crypt and Beyond
Crown Euphoria’s last Crypt show was on April 20th of this year.
For this 4/20 show, the band wore their wizard robes and jokingly referred to themselves as “weed warlocks.”
Before their set, Dean had a wardrobe malfunction.
He realized he couldn’t strum the guitar with the large flowy sleeves.
“I sprinted upstairs and had Liam [Muhler] duct tape my sleeves,” Dean said, “They started calling for me from the basement like, ‘Dean Springhorn please report to the stage,’ so I ran downstairs.”
“Dean emerged from the crowd and we started our set,” Mike added.
The Crypt and Crown Euphoria are intertwined as Patrick lived in the house and the band would use the basement for practice.
“It felt melancholic,” Steven said, “We have played at The Crypt six times and it’s like our second home.”
Patrick said, “When you say ‘The Crypt,’ people have a very vivid image in their minds.”
The New Brunswick basement show scene creates a sense of community for both those who are new to the scene and those who have been veterans of the scene.
There’s always a handful of people confidently attending shows alone, and they always find some friends or make new ones.
Josh Skoudis, another former housemate and founder of The Crypt, has gotten to know Crown Euphoria since the early years.
Mike said, “I have known Josh since elementary school, and he started this place [The Crypt]. He has been a huge inspiration for me and everyone else.”
Crown Euphoria made its name here, so naturally it is a bittersweet goodbye for the band.
The energy at New Brunswick basement shows is unparalleled. Steven and the others agree that being in one of these venues brings you closer to the people, literally and figuratively.
The band performed at Rutgers Day this year on April 27th. Open to the public, the event highlights Rutgers University’s various campuses, clubs, and activities.
This wasn’t exactly their typical show, audience, or venue.
“At the end of our set, we play the title song from New Faces of Nothing, we walk into the crowd– we part the sea,” Steven said, “That crowd engagement is almost like a drug. It’s intoxicating. It’s something you can’t find anywhere else.”
At Rutgers Day, Steven sat on the edge of the stage instead of the typical parting of the sea.
Mike added, “I’ve played in different bands… compared to a bar or festival, nothing compares to a basement show. Yes, the energy of the crowd is there. But the environment is what makes it.”
When asked to describe the scene, Patrick said, “Dank basement surrounded by people; you can’t move.”
Dean strongly agrees with the use of “dank” to describe the scene. The dictionary definition of “dank” is “being uncomfortably wet,” and, speaking from experience, is a perfect description.
He said, “Every time I am done playing I need to shower. I look down at my pedals, I don’t have very many, and they’re covered in mud.”
With so many performances under one band’s belt, it can be hard to pick a favorite.
Crown Euphoria performed at Mike’s Deli in 2022, a now-retired DIY venue in New Brunswick, where they played an entire Arctic Monkeys’ set.
Opening with “Do I wanna know?” captivated the audience for the entire show.
“I researched Alex Turner for months. I put a whole character on. How he acts, how he talks,” Steven said, “When I showed up I realized we were all pretending to be Alex Turner. I kept the act up for six hours. I was Alex Turner.”
Mike says the energy at Mike’s Deli was high and the crowd was insane.
“They were crowd surfing, it was wild,” Dean added.
Mike also sells grilled cheese sandwiches at shows.
He said, “I run a grilled cheese stand in the basement show scene. They are so good.”
Dean also highlighted a performance at the Black Lodge in 2023 where they all wore suits. The show, “Lodgefest,” was a charity event.
“All of the coolest bands played that bill,” Patrick said.
The lineup also included Necto and Something Odd, two local and iconic New Brunswick bands.
What’s next for Crown Euphoria?
As previously mentioned, Crown Euphoria is working on a new album with nine to ten songs that seamlessly blend into each other, promising a cohesive musical journey.
The band also plans to release a new single, not included on the new album.
Crown Euphoria draws in fans with their infectious energy and unwavering passion for their music.
Thank you, Patrick, Steven, Mike, and Dean for sitting down with me! You guys are awesome.
Follow Crown Euphoria on Instagram and Spotify for new music.
Words and photos by Kenzie Trikouros. If reposting, please credit @kenzcat3.jpeg and @almostfamouszine
