Sheer Mag

Formed in Philadelphia in 2014 by Christina Halladay, Matt Palmer, Kyle Seely, and Hart Seely after their time at SUNY Purchase, Sheer Mag develops a direct rock that fuses the energy of punk, the grit of 1970s hard rock, and catchy power pop hooks. The band first drew attention with a trilogy of EPs—I in 2015, II in 2015 and III in 2016—later collected on Compilation (I, II & III) in 2017, a set that lays the groundwork for its aesthetic: rough guitars, tight rhythms, melodic hooks, and slightly hushed vocals. Sheer Mag quickly moves from the DIY circuit and small clubs to festivals and larger tours, while keeping songwriting anchored in nervy, upfront rock. The debut album Need to Feel Your Love was released in 2017, followed by A Distant Call in 2019, where the band further refines the balance between punk tension, classic rock riffs, and a sense of melody. After several drummer changes over the years, Sheer Mag continues its journey with Playing Favorites in 2024, released by Third Man Records. In the contemporary American rock landscape, Sheer Mag occupies a distinctive niche by this approach to cohabiting urgency, melody, and seventies references without slipping into pastiche.