Over the past year since No Echo first featured them on the website, Philadelphia's Fever have focused on the essentials. "We have been playing a pretty good amount of shows and spent a lot of time writing and getting ready for this release," vocalist Drayden Raber tells No Echo. "We haven't done any runs yet, but we are hoping to get a few weekenders going and out-of-state one-offs. Really, we've just been focused on honing the sound and making this one impactful."
Fever's efforts have led to Mine to Keep, a newly released EP that improves on their previous self-titled EP. "Musically, I really wanted to focus on mixing a few mosh parts into the mix without losing the driving force of the fast parts," the singer explains.
The lyrics got equal focus. Drayden describes himself as being in a period of transition, and the new EP became a way to put that experience into words. "I put a lot of effort into making my lyrics impactful and meaningful on this record," he says. "I really tried to encapsulate what my goals for myself are in the coming years. Set a standard."
"1/28/82" stands out as one of the EP's most personal tracks, named for Raber's mother's birthday. She had her own history in hardcore before he was born, a connection he only came to understand after joining the scene himself. "I tried to pay homage to my mom in my younger years, really holding it down," he says. "She was a hardcore kid before she had me, and I didn't learn the extent of that until I got involved in the scene."
Including that tribute felt fitting, considering how Raber sees Fever's latest work. "Incorporating her into what I believe to be the best thing I've been involved with to date was important to me."
Another, less expected influence on his writing came from J.R.R. Tolkien. "I also read all of the 'Lord of the Rings' books during the writing process, which really put a fire under my ass to make my lyrics meaningful and creative," Drayden says.
Fever have already started testing the new songs live. Drayden points to their first post-release set as the band's strongest musically, but a show at Philly DIY space Cousin Danny's still stands out for drawing their most active pit. "Shoutout Madman," he adds.
When it comes to what else deserves attention, Drayden lists Suicide Eyes, By My Blood, Joystick Fury, Judgement Day, The Big Hurt, Commodore, Hindsight, and Cheddabreed. He also singles out No Pressure's latest record, despite usually steering clear of pop punk.
The vocalist also credits Takedown Records for supporting Fever's latest chapter. "Getting that stamp of approval is huge and is something we don't take lightly," he says. "Shoutout Hellfest too, because why not? That fest was awesome, and mad respect for making it happen in the end."
As for Fever's next move, Drayden doesn't complicate matters:
"More. Shows."
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Mine to Keep is out on streaming outlets, and the CD version is available via Takedown Records.
Fever on social media: Instagram
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