TERAH BETH BALTZER VARGA and Justin Varga played their debut show as Hey Lover on their wedding night. In a serendipitous twist of fate, the duo—who moved to Portland from Tennessee in 2004—were given all of their first equipment.
"We had no gear or anything, but one of Justin's friends was moving back in with his parents. We got an electric guitar, we got an amp, we got a PA, we got all the cords," says Terah Beth. "It just fell in our laps, in a way."
For the past two years, Hey Lover have toiled away at their forthcoming third full-length, Sinking Ships. Listening to their music delivers the same kind of joy that comes from savoring a mouthful of Pop Rocks: It's uplifting, sweet, and a little bit explosive. Their self-titled 2007 debut ran on unbridled punk—the album begins with a scream from Terah Beth. 2011's Tennessee slowed down for more tempered, romantic garage-pop without abandoning Hey Lover's surging undercurrent of frenetic energy.
Sinking Ships is their first with bassist Tim Janchar, a longtime friend of the husband-wife duo who put out their first two full-lengths on his and his brother's local lo-fi label, Hovercraft Records. Adding bass to Hey Lover's riotous commotion of guitar and drums has grounded the band's sound, allowing Justin freedom to "noodle" and experiment with more nuanced guitar work. Justin, the primary songwriter, describes his creative process: "Stabbing out in the middle of nowhere; tinkering until something catches my imagination." This hasn't changed much on the new record, though the execution of big ideas has evolved with Janchar in the mix.
"The first album was faster, more full of crazy energy, the second one was more refined," says Terah Beth. "My drumming is a lot different with the bass. I don't feel like I have to do that much, I just have to keep the song going."