For this week’s Open Mic Monday, we’ll be talking a bit more about process than performance and taking a very deep dive into the brain of one of Albuquerque’s most talented self-produced solo artists. Henri Sweets has been playing guitar and singing since he was 12, but his background in music goes back to his childhood and fond memories of family studio jam sessions. He says he only picked up the bass and drums about five years ago – which is shocking, because he’s already become a one-man music factory who plays all his own instruments when he writes, records and produces countless melodies in his own home studio. In 2018, he started a production company with his buddy Mario – who was his best friend at the time – and together they laid down tracks covering a ton of musical ground: instrumentals, techno, dubstep, you name it. Mario passed away in 2023, and ever since then Henri has dedicated everything he has to making music, and he’s really good at it. In the age of YouTube, Spotify – and now AI – people might not be exaggerating when they say they listen to everything. But few artists possess the ability to create art in as many genres as Henri does. Now all of this sounds pretty normal, and Henri seems like a pretty normal guy when you get him talking about his craft. He displays obvious knowledge of theory when explaining his music in detail, and his face brightens up when he talks about it. But change the subject to writing and he might tell you the most unique and powerful song origin story you’ll ever hear. Fortunately, Henri Sweets is as kind and friendly as his name implies, and he’s happy to let us pick his brain a bit about what compels him to create so many songs with such interesting subject matter. For real, don’t skip over the section where he discusses his lyrics. It’s one of the most intense anecdotes about art I’ve ever written about.
Would you describe your sound for us?
I am a human living the human experience – just like everyone else – and I want to present the human experience through my music and provide a safe space for people who also feel like they might not belong. My music is all about promoting the underachievers.
I have a lot of ’90s and early 2000s influences in my music, so my sound could definitely be explained from an era standpoint or a generational point of view. I would say my genre is definitely alternative, but lately I have been veering more into the metal side of things. There are definitely some punk aspects, but all my music starts off as alternative when I start the writing process. I like to write songs acoustically, and then I’ll translate them in the studio. Recording and writing each instrument and cadence uniquely into the song provides an experience that becomes more rewarding the deeper you listen. Sometimes it takes me minutes to write a song, and sometimes I’ve taken years. Each song has a unique birthing process, and it’s always a different experience, which keeps things fresh and keeps me out of “the block.”
What’s your favorite venue to play and why?
My favorite venue to play wouldn’t necessarily be a venue. I’ve played and opened at house parties, and those are some of the best atmospheres you can play, especially when it comes to building a local presence as a musician who is trying to get themselves out there more.
What are your lyrics about?
I do my best to keep things relatable, but I usually take inspiration from my life, other peoples lives and even things such as simple observations or metaphors. At the end of the day, the song is a poem for me, so I like to put as much meaning into my lyrics as possible.
When I was 17, I wrote a song called “Brain Ded” about a reoccurring dream that I would have. In the dream I was in my childhood bathroom and I put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. All I could see was a white blinding flash and I could hear a loud pop, but I didn’t feel anything. I looked at the wall and saw my brain matter and blood all over the place, and I could see my family standing over me freaking out about what just happened. I couldn’t move or say anything and my vision blurred to black. I saw a white light, and as I walked towards it, I could hear what sounded like thousands of people crying and wailing. And I could hear a voice that sounded like a woman and a man at the same time – as if it had multiple voices. It told me not to be afraid and to come into the light. I would ask the voice if it was God, and it would say, “No, I am the devil.” I took these lyrics from the dream directly and realized it had a lot of meaning metaphorically to what I was feeling:
“A bullet to my head is all I need,
To feel something.
There’s so much blood but I can’t feel a thing, Maybe I’m brain ded.”
I was going through a lot during that time in my life, and I dealt with severe depression and suicidal tendencies. I just couldn’t feel happiness, and sometimes I couldn’t even feel pain. There were times I wanted to feel pain because it was all I felt, but I eventually became numb to the pain. I couldn’t feel anything.
What bands of genres influence your music?
For genres, I’d say alternative, grunge, punk and metal. There are a ton of bands that I’m influenced by, and generations of artists that have inspired me, but I would say Chris Cornell [of Soundgarden] is a big one for me. When it comes to singing, he has been a big influence on my vocals, and so have artists like Layne Staley [of Alice in Chains] and Aaron Lewis [of Stained]. My father is also a singer and guitar player and so is my grandfather. Without them, none of my musical talent would be possible, so they also were a big influence on my music. My grandfather built a studio in his basement where the family would get together to play guitar and sing songs. Experiencing that as a child was magic to me, and I’ve chased it ever since.
What’s the best show you ever played?
The best show I ever played was at a house party in Colorado. Back in the day I had a few singles, but I would play a ton of cover songs. I used to play downtown in Denver on the street, and was just getting used to the gigging experience. I was very nervous, of course, but I found the atmosphere to be surprisingly welcoming. At that time in my life I was struggling with finding myself, and I really didn’t feel like I belonged in the world. That show was the first time in my life that I felt like I belonged, and it was truly an amazing experience. Being able to give the crowd something that brought them so much joy had brought joy to me, too.
I have a lot of upcoming metal and alternative projects with darker and heavier themes. They will be available on all streaming services as soon as they’re released, but I’m proud to say this is some of the best music I’ve ever made and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Listen Up:
Sweets just wrapped up a new track he’s releasing any day now, and it’s definitely worth sticking around to hear it. In the meantime you can browse his body of work on his YouTube channel and on all major streaming platforms. If you want to contact him, or keep tabs on his music visit Henri Sweets on Instagram.
His video production skills aren’t too shabby, either. You might want to dive into his catalogue with Henri Sweets’ 2025 track “Marrionettes” here.
From lighter, clean alternative riffs to distorted guitar and hardcore metal vocals, get your mind blown by the studio track “Anhedonia” here.
If you’d like to hear the song literally inspired by Henri’s dreams, check out an acoustic performance of “Brain Ded” here.
Take a little spin on the “Merry Go Round” with an extremely catchy song and live video here.