24 July 13th–July 19th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | change and acceptance and loss and grief. It’s about the life of someone trying to be spiritual. So it’s someone dealing with darkness and trying to find the silver lining and basically reflecting and trying to cheer yourself on, and to hold on to that bigger cause or bigger dream that keeps you moti- vated through these very third-dimen- sional, Earth-type issues.” He adds that ultimately the record is a “progression and us being OK with presenting this kind of music.” Miller says that it’s not about light versus dark, per se, but how these ideas often come together. Like the album’s title track and lead single, which represents a similar journey about embracing these big ideas. “I couldn’t even listen to that song for a long time,” Miller says. “And [Bender] said he wanted to maybe make it a single and I didn’t want anything to do with it. And then there was a reworking of it. I thought, ‘Maybe this is cheesy, but it could help people because it’s such a personal song for us.’” The same proved true for another of the album’s tracks and a personal fave for both Bender and Miller. “There’s one song that we love that’s the darkest song on the album,” Miller says. “It’s called ‘Generation of Patience,’ and Brett would probably say that that’s like a really spiritual song. I see it more ... tack- ling social and economic change in the political realm. But I think it reads both ways, and I think that’s cool. So even if it does have this spread of spirituality that people can relate to in their own way.” The end result of this whole approach in bridging ideas and sentiments is that the members of Bogan Via feel like this may be their most authentic record to date. “I think this album is just the most open-minded in that sense that I wasn’t trying to put any face on,” Bender says. “It’s bare-bones; it’s us purely and inno- cently not overthinking things.” Miller, meanwhile, believes that the record feels more breezy and welcoming despite its subject matter. “So I love the dark stuff and the melan- choly stuff that we’ve released,” she says. “That’s my favorite type of stuff. But this album is lighter and it’s sweeter and it’s just nicer in general. With this album in partic- ular, it’s just presented in a more friendly manner, where we might have used a lot more metaphors and gotten a little darker and had those undertones of dissatisfac- tion or anger or whatever. We’re presenting in a softer and fluffier way.” Miller goes on to explain that this shift is “probably directly because of this journey that Bret has been on. He’s coming at basi- cally everything in his life with more light.” It’s also helped address their frequent habit of shelving songs. “’Brave Now’ is one of those songs that we came back to and we’re like, ‘Wow, why did we sleep on this? This is an emotional song,’” Miller says. “It’s an inspiring song. But it really does feel like the time is now.” The final lesson, then, is that not every song has to be perfect, or sound or feel like one thing or another. It’s about finding the larger value of each song. “Trust your intuition more,” Miller says. “Don’t just live by someone else’s feeling for what your life should be, right? Just use what you feel is important.” For his part, the workaholic Bender is learning to follow a different rhythm. “But after the first two months of real- izing that the song tempo had changed, I was like, ‘OK, why not just even go even slower? Let’s really take our time,” he said. “It’s totally against my natural rhythm of everything, but it’s been working out.” That’s why the duo have an extended release cycle planned. The single “Everything’s OK” will drop on July 14, with two more singles planned for August and September before the final record release on Oct. 20. Because, sure, there’s no telling when the next record may come, even as Bogan Via continue to work full steam ahead. That means they just have to make the most out of the music they do release. “I want to squeeze every little bit you can out of it and just drag it on for months and months because it’s going to be over before you know it,” Bender says. Bogan Via, alongside MRCH and Proper Pet, will play a release show for “Everything’s OK.” The free show is set for Friday at 6 p.m. at The Clarendon Hotel, 401 W. Clarendon Ave. For more info, head to goclarendon.com. “IT’S BARE- BONES; IT’S US PURELY AND INNOCENTLY NOT OVERTHINKING THINGS.” Bogan Via’s new album “Everything’s OK” has been a work in progress. Maddie Miller All’s Well from p 23
