In the early ‘90s, Seattle-based rock band, Sweet Water, began their musical journey together and have since continued to create a lasting legacy founded in music, friendship, and creative exploration.    

Bandmates Adam Czeisler (frontman), Rich Credo (guitarist), Cole Peterson (bassist), and Chris Friel (drummer) spent their early years growing up together and attending the same schools before eventually forming the band and breaking out into Seattle’s roaring grunge scene.    

Czeisler recalls the impact of Sweet Water’s pivotal first show together: “We ended up getting our first show opening up for Pearl Jam. Before they had the name Pearl Jam, they were called Mookie Blaylock, and it was at the Off Ramp,” he explains. “And then Alice in Chains was headlining. We were the first opener, and it was like our first show as Sweet Water. It was exciting.”

Following their performance at the Off Ramp, the band quickly rose within ranks of the punk rock genre—the rest is history. 

“That was kinda the beginning,” says Czeisler. “Then people started coming to our shows, and that’s how we started making a following. Eventually we got a record deal with Atlantic Records through all those demos that we did.”    

Between the ‘70s and ‘80s, punk rock made its way from the underground to the airwaves. The sub-culture formed around an authentic, non-conformist attitude toward music, emphasizing punk’s alternative roots and style. Czeisler spoke to the significance of the punk rock movement, and how the genre still holds credence today. 

“If you look at it in the broad sense, it’s reflective of society,” says Czeisler. “Especially in the ‘80s, when things were really buttoned up, […] that’s when punk rock came out, because you can’t keep young people down, right?

“And also you can find your tribe, that’s another thing,” added Czeisler. “You know, things have changed so much because of social media. You can find your little groups in other ways, but music is still pretty powerful. So, you know, if you can find your group, and it’s connected to music, which is emotional, I think that that still has a lot of relevance. So, I don’t know if punk rock always has to be hard and fast, it can be just DIY. That’s probably, I think, the most important part, actually.”  

On September 18, 2025, the band released their seventh full-length studio album, Shine On, on Golden City Records. The record takes the band to new heights, both creatively and emotionally, digging into deeper aspects of their style, musicality, and songwriting.  

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, Czeisler shares the initial spark that set the project in motion.

“A couple things—one was pandemic time,” he explains. “Prior to that, we had been going into a practice place, and we were working on different song ideas, but you know we didn’t have anything done. And then what happened is Rich [Credo], our guitar player, was like, ‘We’re gonna make a record,’ and we were like, ‘What? We don’t have any songs.’ And you know, he’s kinda the driver of the band, and he’s like, ‘I booked the time.’” 

Czeisler continued, “And then we ended up laying down like 16 tracks of music, which was crazy. We had no idea. We were like, ‘I guess we do have a few.’ No lyrics, it was just the music, but still it was definitely motivating. It was exciting.” 

But when it comes to what really sets the record apart, Czeisler says it was the band’s shared ambition to explore every avenue, take chances, and push the songs as far as they could go— without the added pressure of a studio schedule. 

“Me, Cole [Peterson], and Rich live within walking distance of each other, which is amazing. We’re so lucky,” says Czeisler. “And I have this little home studio. So, during the making of the record, Rich would come over almost every weekend, and Cole […], and so it felt like this family affair.”

And it was there, in the comfort of Czeisler’s home studio, that the magic of the record really took hold.

“It was very collaborative,” says Czeisler. “Like Rich, one day, for ‘State of Grace,’ actually— that wasn’t one of the 16 [tracks] we laid down in the studio—he came up with that soon afterwards and literally came to my house. He was like, ‘Hey, Adam, I’ve got a song I wanna show you.’ He came over on Saturday morning and played me that super cool riff, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, we’ve got to record it right now!’ So, I put the microphone up, recorded it, and that acoustic track was what we used in the record.”  

Speaking on the album’s title track, “Shine On,” and the first song he wrote for the record, Czeisler opens up about his inspiration behind the song, and its message of isolation and longing.  

“It was late summer, pandemic, there was smoke in the air. In Seattle, sometimes, we would get these wildfires that would come down from Canada or California, and it was one of the first times that that had really happened. So, the sun was like this red ball and I just remember looking at that red ball and going, ‘Oh my God, is there someone out there?’” he recalled.

He continued, “‘Shine On’ is really just about when things do become hard or outside of you, the pressure’s all kinda building in. It’s this idea that you have this light within you and don’t forget. Let that take you out of this. You don’t really need someone else, you don’t need an external person or whatever; you have it within yourself.” 

Czeisler also talks about some of his other favorite tracks on the record and what he’s most looking forward to playing live. 

“My personal favorite is actually ‘Lush Trees.’ It’s the last song on the record,” says Czeisler. “That one was just like such a wild, cool, musical journey. It’s got these soaring moments, and the words came super quick for me.

“We played ‘Kick in the Head’ live, and it’s super fun because it’s really intense, kinda rocker, and everybody likes that,” he adds. “’Out of Control,’ we did that at practice, and it was awesome. It starts off quiet, and then it goes heavy, then quiet, then heavy, and it has a lot of dynamics, so those are always super fun to play live.” 

Ultimately, Czeisler hopes the record takes listeners on a profoundly moving and meaningful musical journey. 

“Well, the thing that I was really going for, more than anything else, is beauty. Like, I wanted it to be beautiful, and so that’s one aspect,” Czeisler says. “And then I think a sense of wonder, too. But the beauty—there’s a lushness to the record.” 

And in terms of the band’s continued success, Czeisler shares what he believes is the secret to Sweet Water’s endurance as a group.

“Well, a couple things,” says Czeisler. “One, never being satisfied with what we’ve done. So, we’re always thinking, ‘Okay, we can really do it next time.’ Really wanting to make a great song, a great record, and so that’s super motivating. So that’s one thing. And then, I think we just like each other. I mean that’s honestly a big part of it. And not only do we like each other, but we’ve kinda gotten to that point where we have our roles, if that makes sense, sort of like a marriage. You sort of figure out how to work together well. So, we work pretty well as a team, I would say.”  

In addition to working well as a musical team, Czeisler goes on to express his sincere sense of gratitude, for a lifetime of friendship, forged in rock music. 

“We enjoy spending time together, so all that collaboration was fun for us to do, besides making the music,” Czeisler continues. “And then I think, lastly, the older I get, at least, the more I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so glad I have this in my life.’ […] If you don’t have a creative outlet, I just don’t understand that. I would be very sad without it. And the ability to get together with people, and get on stage and play, it’s such a gift. We have it because we put in all that time many years ago, but it’s just something that I don’t even close to take for granted now.”  

So what’s next for Sweet Water? When it comes to upcoming plans or long-term goals for the band, Czeisler would love to see the group take their music on the road—perhaps further than ever before. “I’ll tell you my dream or goal,” he says. “I really want to play festivals in Europe. Rock festivals, in the summer.”

Czeisler also hints at the possibility of a future album, down the line, and what fans might expect to hear. 

“We still have some of those 16 [tracks] still left so… turn the crank for the next record,” he jokes. “And we kind of purposely kept some of the more rocker, traditional ‘90s rock songs out of the record because of the way it was shaping up, and so maybe the next one will be more straightforward, kinda rock songs. We’ll see.”   

Photos courtesy of Alex Steininger/Sweet Water | Interviewed on September 12, 2025