Over the Castle Drops an Album Before Its Members Head Off to College

Twin sisters, Loren and Jenna Hardy — members of the Castle Rock-based alternative-rock band Over the Castle — first performed together at a fifth-grade talent show. Then, in middle school, they started an act with two other girls called Blush Band. Over the years, the group's name changed to Over the Castle, and members have come and gone. Throughout it all, the Hardy twins have kept rocking.

In December 2016, they welcomed their current lead singer, Maya Stone, into the fold. Six months later, they added drummer Jason Kaplan, when their former drummer left for college. In years past, the group played mostly covers, like “Gold on the Ceiling,” by the Black Keys. But with the new lineup, they began writing songs together.

“I feel like [it’s] rare to find people that you write with really well,” Stone says.

For the past year, they focused their efforts on writing original songs, which culminated in their first full-length, Up for Air. The Hardy sisters and Stone are all seniors in high school; Kaplan is a junior. “Our songs reflect the different experiences we’ve all had through high school,” Loren says. “There’s one about Maya’s trip to Peru last summer, some experiences with friends and other relationships that we’ve put into our songs. If anything, in a couple years we can look back on this album and remember certain memories from high school.”


The project gave the bandmates the chance to combine genres, from hard rock and metal to alternative rock. “It allowed us to all experiment with something and create our own niche in the music world,” Jenna says.

The album was finished in January, but the bandmates decided to wait until spring for its release, amid their high school graduations and looming departure for college. “I feel like the spring is always a memorable time of the year — especially this spring, for us,” Stone explains.

The group will continue to perform this summer, and in the future, the bandmates hope to return during breaks from college to play gigs as Over the Castle.

“I think because we’re young, people don’t expect much of us,” Stone says. “Then when they do hear us play, they say, ‘Wow! You guys are good for your age!’ And we’re like, ‘Yes!’”

Over the Castle album release, 7 p.m. Friday, May 4, Herman’s Hideaway, 1578 South Broadway, 303-777-5840, $10.