Sweet Reaper Interview

Interview with Seth Pettersen, singer, songwriter for Sweet Reaper

Shock Treatment: As a songwriter and musician, what band or musical act made you want to pick up a guitar and learn how to play and write your own music?
Sweet Reaper: One of the first memories I have of music really taking control of my whole being was when I was about 4 years old, watching The Pound Puppies Movie. There’s a scene where the Pound Puppies do a cover of Danny and the Juniors’ “At the Hop,” and I remember it resonating with me in a really strong way. I realized even then that music does something to you—it made me lose control. I ran around the room, completely excited.

My mom was a piano player growing up, so she taught me a few chords on the piano. My cousin Kathy was going to UCSB for a while when I was a kid, and she’d come over occasionally and show me a couple guitar chords. Once I learned a few, I didn’t really know any cover songs, so I just sat there with your basic C and G chords and started writing melodies. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but in essence, that’s how I began songwriting.

ST: Tell me about how Sweet Reaper started. Is this the sound you intended from the beginning of this project or did it change once things started rolling?
SR: Sweet Reaper started around 2015, after I broke my ankle skateboarding on my way to work. I was out of work for a long time recovering from surgery, and during that time I was home with my instruments—guitar, bass, and a drum machine. I recorded a record called Sweet Reaper, but it was released under my solo name, Seth Pettersen.

After I healed up and the record came out, I asked Sasha, my wife, and Danny, one of my best friends, to come jam some of the songs. We played together a few times and eventually played a house party in Ventura. At that point, it was still just under my name. Shortly after that show, I realized how much fun it was playing with those two and decided we should just call ourselves Sweet Reaper. I was kind of done playing under my own name—no one knew how to spell it or say it, and honestly, it just felt boring. Once we started jamming as Sweet Reaper, the songs took on a different shape. They became more aggressive but still melodic—more up-tempo and more thoughtfully arranged. Danny brought a lot of dynamic movement to the bass, and Sasha was just an animal on the drums. I also think part of the change came from wanting to impress them. Whenever I came in with a riff, I really wanted it to be something they’d be excited about, so I stopped bringing in anything I didn’t fully believe in.

ST: Pretty much everything Sweet Reaper has put out has been released by the fine folks at Alien Snatch! Records. How did you hook up with them?
SR: This all came together right around the beginning of COVID. We had just recorded our third record, Closer Still, and thought it would be really cool if someone put it out on vinyl. We didn’t have high expectations, but we noticed that Alien Snatch! Records out of Berlin had released stuff by Radioactivity, who I was a huge fan of.

As kind of a shot in the dark, Sasha reached out to Daniel at Alien Snatch!, and he ended up being into it and wanting to release the record. That was incredibly exciting for us. After Closer Still came out, he asked if he could also put out our first two releases, which really sealed the relationship. That led to Alien Snatch! putting out all three of our full-lengths, followed by our Microdose EP. So when it came time to release Still Nothing, it was a total no-brainer—we’d already planned it with Daniel well in advance.

ST: Tell me what a Sweet Reaper live show is like? What would you like your live audience to walk away thinking after seeing you perform?
SR: A Sweet Reaper live show is pretty no-frills. The three of us just show up and try to play as hard, fast, and as well as we possibly can. We always get a little nervous, but we give it everything we have. What you’re seeing is us trying to present the truest version of our songs.

We’re very much a songwriting band, so we don’t focus on creating an over-the-top live spectacle. We just want to play the songs loud, fast, and tight. I hope people walk away thinking this is a band that knows how to write a song and gives it their all onstage. I also really hope there’s movement in the crowd. That back-and-forth energy between the band and the audience is what I live for—the wilder the crowd gets, the harder we push back.

ST: What typically inspires your lyrics? Can you perhaps tell me about a time where lyrical inspiration occurred at the weirdest time?
SW: My lyrics usually come from whatever’s happening in my life at the time. Writing has always been really cathartic for me—it’s how I process things I might not even fully understand yet. A lot of the time, I’ll look back at lyrics later and suddenly realize exactly what I was working through, even if I didn’t know it in the moment.

The best lyrics often come from the most unexpected places. I think of it like getting struck by lightning—when a song is good, it usually comes together fast. Ideas hit at weird times. I’ll dream about lyrics or be talking to someone while words are forming in the back of my head.

One example is our song “Sidekick.” The idea came after I bought a Fender Sidekick amp from Goodwill. I brought it home, started playing through it, and found myself singing “Sidekick.” It started out as a song about the amp, but it quickly turned into something else. I ended up writing it about my wife, Sasha, as a way to honor her and how important she is to me. She’s way more than a sidekick, but the word became a kind of shorthand for our bond and what we mean to each other.

ST: You released your new LP Still Nothing last year to much critical praise. Can you tell me a bit about how the recording process went?  

SW: It’s been really exciting seeing people respond to Still Nothing. It’s a record I’m incredibly proud of because it represents where we are right now as a band. Our writing feels more natural—we don’t have to overthink it anymore—and it really feels like we’ve leveled up.

The recording process was different this time. The album was recorded at two different times, with two different engineers, at two different studios. The first half was recorded with our friend Kaanan Tupper using his mobile 8-track setup, and the other half was recorded with Joel Jerome, who handled all of our other Sweet Reaper recordings.

I actually love that the record has different textures and tones. It’s not the same drum sound on every song—it has variation and nuance. We record live as much as possible and only add a few overdubs. Everything is kept pretty simple, with a focus on capturing energy and momentum in the studio.

ST: Speaking of Still Nothing and lyrical inspiration, the song “Thought Police” off of the new record is one of my favorites. Can you tell me the inspiration behind it? SW: “Thought Police” is my interpretation of where American society seems to be heading. It feels like we’re moving backward in a lot of ways, with more restrictions on what people are allowed to do, say, or believe. Some of it feels uncomfortably close to fascism.

The idea came from wondering how far that mindset could go—how long before people aren’t even free to think their own thoughts. I imagined a future where someone could be punished simply for what goes on in their head. It’s a simple idea, but it comes from a real concern that, if we’re not careful, we could end up somewhere like that.

ST: So after interviewing many bands in my years, I’ve noticed most fall into two categories that I like to call: knob jockeys or show junkies. In other words, people that would rather just tinker around and record or people that just want to play out. Which do you feel you mostly fall into? 
SR: As much as I love playing shows—and I’ve played some really great ones—I think I might love recording even more. I’m a total knob jockey. Messing around with tones, layers, and recording ideas makes me incredibly happy. I feel like a kid in a candy store.

When I have free time at home, my goal is usually to record something. I love trying to capture the energy as close to the moment of creation as possible. The closer you are to the song’s conception when you record it, the better it usually turns out. If I absolutely had to choose between recording and playing live, it’d be tough—but gun to my head, I’d say I’m more of a studio junkie than a show-goer.
ST: What does 2026 hold for Sweet Reaper
SR: 2026 is shaping up to be a big year. On a personal level, I’m set to graduate from nursing school in May, but before that we’re playing our album release show in Ventura on April 3rd, which I’m really excited about. We recently joked during practice that we’re going to make five more records before calling it quits. Hopefully that holds true. We already have the album names—we just need to write the songs.

ST: Where can people go to listen to your music and buy your records?
SW: You can find our music pretty much everywhere online. I recently uploaded Still Nothing in its entirety as one full video on YouTube, which I think is a fun way to experience it. We’re also on Bandcamp, which is the best place to support us directly. We’re selling cassettes of Still Nothing there, though the vinyl isn’t available on Bandcamp, yet.

In the U.S., vinyl is available through Green Noise Records. For international and European orders, Alien Snatch! Records offers great worldwide shipping options. I’ve got plans to put more stuff up on Bandcamp soon, but between school and everything else, it may take a little time.

Alien Snatch Records 

Alien Snatch Records Bandcamp