Low Phase understands the evolution of a relationship.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan band chronicles a budding romance and its growth over time on So Pretty It’s Perfect.

“I’m getting married in September,” said Caleb Waldvogel, the band’s lead vocalist-guitarist. “The whole EP is covering the beginning parts of our relationship and then falling into that decision. It’s been really inspirational. When you plan a wedding, you go through a lot of the relationship and a lot of the timeline.”

That timeline stretches across the EP’s six tracks, which include vulnerable lyrics, heartfelt vocals, and hopeful instrumentation. Waldvogel and his bandmates, drummer Miles Ferguson and bassist John Bomer, soar thematically and sonically on their indie-rock release.

“The three of us have been best friends for over a decade, and we’ve been playing music together for that long,” Bomer said. “We’ve known [Caleb’s fiancé] Jenna for as long as they’ve been together, so seeing that relationship come to a full bloom has been inspiring. We wrote a lot of these songs on the EP in the winter, but I think they’re turning out to be summer jams.”

As newly minted summer jams, the songs on So Pretty It’s Perfect will stand the test of time.

“The EP’s title is supposed to reflect the end of our story,” said Waldvogel, who met his fiancé in high school. “Everything you’ve been through, everything you’ve said, everything you’ve done has all been perfect. You created it with this other person and it’s all been worth it. Take a second to look at that timeline—it’s so pretty and it’s so perfect.”

To learn more, I spoke with the band about the EP ahead of a July 12 show at The Pyramid Scheme.

Q: How did the three of you meet at Rockford High School?

John Bomer (JB): Miles and I were in the same grade in high school and Caleb was one grade below us. Miles and I did marching band together. Miles’ older sister Marley had a band that Miles was in and she asked me if I wanted to play keys with them. That innocuous decision turned out to be what led me down this path of making music. Eventually, we met Caleb through mutual friends, and we’ve played in many different bands. In high school, we had a band, and then after that, I moved away for a little bit, and the two of them had a band for a while. Then we played in a band with Caleb and his fiancé Jenna, and after that was Low Phase.

Q: What led to Low Phase’s formation in 2020?

Caleb Waldvogel (CW): Right when COVID hit, we did a lot of writing during the first two weeks of quarantine. We thought, “We’re gonna have all this time,” so all of us were writing stuff. The two of them have an electronic project called Michirado, and they were doing a bunch of that. I was writing a bunch of songs, too. The songs I wrote didn’t fit in the project that we were in at the time.

My fiancé went back and forth between wanting to go to college and wanting to pursue music. She decided she wanted to pursue graphic design, so she went to school. We said, “Well, we have all these songs … but we can’t be this project anymore. It has to be something different.” I remember we would send stuff back and forth to each other all the time. Every day, there would be something new. Even if it was just a chord progression, we’d send it back and forth. And within five minutes, Miles would say, “I’ve got the drum tracks already.”

Q: What inspired the band’s name?

CW: This was a big struggle. One of the old projects that we had was called Spark Plug. We went with Spark Plug for a second, and my fiancé made this graphic that said Spark Plug. I can’t remember why we didn’t end up going with that, but there must have been a reason we didn’t do it. There are not a lot of really good band names, and I feel like we’re notorious for that for the most part. [Low Phase] was pretty neutral with two syllables. It was easy and phonetically it’s nice. There must have been some sort of reflection that we felt from what we were creating that pulled that phrase from us. I don’t think that’s where we started, but I think that’s where we ended [up].

JB: I remember a couple of weeks when we would text each other band names every day, and none of them were hitting. I don’t remember who came up with the name Low Phase, but that was the one we actually agreed on.

Q: How did you build momentum as a band after that?

CW: We played a lot of shows. We had a timeline that we wanted to follow with this project. I remember thinking, “For the first two to three years, we’re gonna play every and any single show that we can.” That’s where the momentum came [from]. If you’re gonna start a new project, play in any city that you can for any amount of people, and that’s what we did. We really put in the work. Starting a band is one of the hardest things to do. Those first two to three years are really difficult, but you keep going. We’re always told this and we tell people this, too: “Don’t quit too early.” It’s such a longer game than people think it is.

Q: What did you learn while working on your debut EP, Star Dog, in 2023?

Miles Ferguson (MF): My father, Joel Ferguson, has been recording us and helping us out since our early high school days. There was nothing new there. It was just this collection of songs. And like with this EP, we had a few songs, and we had some extra songs, too. We ended up going with five on there because they felt like the most polished and ready to go. It was a fun experience, and it always is working with my dad. Caleb and John have been working with him for so long, too, it’s like a family.

Q: On So Pretty It’s Perfect, “Reason” is an emotional plea to connect with someone and share your authentic self with them. Caleb, how does this track reflect the start of your relationship with your fiancé?

CW: It’s about the blossoming of a relationship and how scary it is to fall into that. The director of our music video said it’s love avoidance, and I think he nailed that. It’s almost manifesting these awful things that could happen, but it’s coming out the other side and realizing, “It’s OK to fall into this [relationship]. Even though it’s comfortable, that’s a beautiful thing and a beautiful place to be at. We started dating seven years ago, but I’m still very in touch with that feeling. I hadn’t felt it for a long time, but I felt it with her, so I’m not going to forget that.

Q: Sonically, “Reason” is an ode to your favorite ‘90s bands. Which ones have influenced you the most?

MF: Smashing Pumpkins is a big one, especially the big, crunchy guitars that come in at the chorus. Having that second boom of sound happen is very ‘90s.

JB: Third Eye Blind.

CW: They’re some of our favorite bands, and that sound—that’s why we like this project. It’s what comes most naturally to us.

Q: The video for “Reason” features a couple learning how to be together through ups and downs. How did director/producer Josh Dominowski and producer Darcy Glazier help you develop the video?

CW: Josh is one of our favorite creatives in Grand Rapids, and he went to the same high school as us, too. He has his own project called The Cosmoknights, and we’ve played together a bunch of times. He has the most creative mind across the board. I’ve never seen somebody excel in so many different media, expressing himself clearly and honestly, through the whole spectrum.

We gave him full creative control and a budget. He said, “I want Darcy to come on,” and then he showed us Darcy’s work. We said, “Yes, of course, this is perfect.” They’re both incredible people, and we said, “If this is what you want for the budget, then take it and run with it.” I didn’t tell him anything about the song; I let him develop his own plot with it. I also said, “It would be fun to have some live shows of us playing.” I think that was the only input I had, but everything else, that’s all them.

Q: “Fast Food Napkin” explores the experience of being in a new relationship, taking risks, and making plans for the future. How did an actual fast food napkin become a blueprint for making plans with someone?

CW: I love this question, but I hate to have somewhat of a boring answer. At the beginning of my relationship with my partner, I had constant nosebleeds—typically once a day. To deal with that, each of us had to stuff fast food napkins in our center console in preparation for when the time came! I guess they sort of represent the consequences that come with living with such carelessness and freedom, but that’s a stretch.

Q: “Fast Food Napkin” has a fun, energetic feel. John and Miles, how did you help develop such an infectious sound for it?

JB: We’re really excited about this one because it’s super energetic. Miles has a fun part on it that drives the song. I got to write a fun bassline. I think Caleb told me to go nuts on that one. He said, “I don’t want a standard bassline. I want something where you’re really working for it.”

MF: We’ll have a video on deck with that one as well. One of our good friends, [Isabel Dowell] is a photographer, and she directed and filmed the music video. Her partner Chase [Mulonas], who plays with us as well, is editing it.

Q: “I Saw You First” is a heartfelt tribute to being with the right person and building a new life with them. Caleb, what was it like to share this song with your fiancé?

CW: I remember showing her because I had the morning off, and I remember writing that first verse. There are a lot of old takes in the demo when I was first recording it. I was not able to make it through a sentence, and I would pull away from the mic and start crying and come back to it. She came home and I was a mess. She said, “What is going on?” and I said, “Nothing, I was just writing a song.” I showed her the song, and obviously, she had a very similar reaction. It’s all new, but it’s all the big stuff that you wanna do, and you want to ask them, and you wanna never let it go.

We’re also planning to do a music video for this song. The video is going to be our wedding, so we have to wait for that one.

Q: “I Saw You First” reflects on a spectrum of emotions ranging from fear to nervousness to anticipation. How did you capture those feelings sonically on the track?

CW: A lot of that is Miles and John taking that side over. They are very good at paying attention to emphasize certain lines or lyrics, or giving them space. That’s something I’ve learned from them. I remember when we would write parts for this [song], Miles would ask, “What’s the lyric there?” And then he’d play a snare [drum] there and say, “I want to emphasize that feeling or word.” It’s a nervous song, not that you’re supposed to feel uncomfortable, but you’re supposed to be asking every question. Sonically, hats off to them for being so good at their instruments and being good musicians and writers.

JB: Caleb wrote that bass lick in the beginning of the song. He wrote that for guitar initially and then he asked me to try it out on bass. And we really liked how it sounded, so I ripped the middle of that and made it into the riff at the end.

Q: “It’s Killing You” encourages a loved one to share their fears and struggles with you. What was it like to explore that vulnerability in the song?

CW: That was a very vulnerable topic to explore, especially in the context of an art form that is so public. This one was the story of my personal growth. By the end of this song, I felt much more comfortable exercising that strength in communication and vulnerability. I owe that journey to my partner, Jenna!

Q: How does your songwriting process start for an EP like So Pretty It’s Perfect?

CW: With songwriting, it usually starts with me sending a demo of a song to everybody, and then they’ll both put their parts in there. We’ll keep shooting it back and forth, and finally, when we feel comfortable enough, we’ll get to band practice and start figuring the song out. For this EP, we’ve been starting from zero to 100 with a song at band practice. We’ll come with nothing and then end with something, and that was refreshing and fun for us.

Q: What new creative insights have you gained while writing together?

JB: When we were starting to play music together as teenagers and best friends, we had to learn to try as many things as we could and not be afraid to tell each other when something wasn’t working. That was the biggest part of it because when you’re young and you’re new friends, you don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. But now we completely understand there’s a degree of separation between the final product and our friendship, so nobody’s taking anything personally.

Something we’re also really good at is trying every crazy suggestion. Honestly, I have the craziest ideas that usually don’t work, but Caleb and Miles are absolute champions at giving them a shot anyway just seeing how they sound. And then they’ll say, “Yeah, we don’t think this is working,” and I’ll say, “I totally agree with you after hearing it.” I think the things that we do best are trying new things, even if they don’t work out, and not being afraid to tell each other when something isn’t working out, but also directing that same energy toward if something is working out, we’re gonna let each other know.

Q: Tell me about the recording process for So Pretty It’s Perfect. How did the EP come together at Planet Sunday Studios?

MF: We didn’t have a lot of time. It’s been harder to get into the studio with all of us there. We’d have a day or two to finish a song. I think that helped creatively, too, because we weren’t sitting there forever trying a billion things in the studio. We tried a couple of things, and if they worked, they worked, and if they didn’t, they didn’t. That was the experience with this EP. It was like we’re in, then we’re out, and then that’s gonna be the track.

JB: It was a nice exercise in having crunch time. We tried to have as much ready as possible before winter … but there was always something last-minute. We could spend the rest of our lives tweaking a synth on a song.

Q: You’ve been working with producer Joel Ferguson since you started. How has that partnership grown over time?

JB: We’ve been working with Joel for so long, and it feels natural. When we started working with him, we were literal children. We were 16 and Caleb was younger. We learned a lot from him on how to approach the end goal that we had in mind. When we were younger, we just let it happen, but now we’re much more pointed in the studio. We have a better idea of where we want to get to, and Joel has taught us how to get to that end goal. It’s always good working with him. It feels like a family.

CW: The older we get, the blunter he gets with [us]. When we were doing one guitar take, one of us was playing it, and then we finished it. Joel leaned back and said, “Well, I wouldn’t have done it that way,” and we said, “Damn, so how would we have done it?” He’s the most comfortable person we’ve ever worked with because it’s the family aspect of everybody together.

Q: What can people expect from your July 12 EP release show at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids?

CW: We’ll play the whole EP, probably in order. We’ll throw in another four or five songs of older stuff or some covers. Our live guitarist Marley Ferguson is in California, and she’s the director of a rock camp there. Sadly, she’s gonna miss this one. Our friend Chase Mulonas is filling in for the summer, so for  the month of July and one show in August, he’s helping out there. Camden Ferguson, who’s Miles and Marley’s brother, is going to play trumpet. We’ve talked about having some additional help for some of the songs.

Q: What will Phabies, The Cosmoknights, and Dovetail help bring to the show?

CW: We’ve shared stages with everybody but Dovetail. The Cosmoknights are the greatest performers I’ve ever seen; they’re just so much fun to watch live. We’ve played with Phabies a bunch of times. We started coming up around the same time as them, but maybe they were a little earlier. Phabies’ Laura [Hobson] is one of our favorite songwriters in Grand Rapids, and they’re just really good friends.

[The members of] Dovetail are newer friends, and we’ve become very fast friends with them. They have some projects outside of Dovetail that share the same members. But the few songs that we’ve heard from them are incredible. They’re actually our neighbors, and we found that out recently. We will go on walks with our dogs, meet up, and hang out for [a little bit]. But it’s really a bunch of friends whose art that we love … and it’s cool to be able to have those two things.

Q: You’re performing at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival on August 3. What will it be like to share the stage with The War and Treaty, Third Eye Blind, and other acts?

CW: The lineup is super cool. We had never heard of this festival, but we had some buddies who played it the year before. We said, “Yes,” [to playing the festival], and then they said, “The War and Treaty and Third Eye Blind are playing.” Third Eye Blind was a big inspiration for this EP. We all got the [email] notification on our phones, and we were all at work, but we said, “Holy shit! You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Q: What plans do you have for this fall?

CW: The August 3 show is going to be the last [one] for a couple of months. The wedding is in mid-September … but for August, September, and October, we probably won’t play anything. We want to be able to focus and enjoy the wedding because they’re my best men for it. They’re just as involved in this wedding, and I’m sure they’re feeling the same way and thinking, “I don’t want to have to be stressed about selling tickets for the show … or going on Instagram and posting all these reels.”

Q: What’s up next for you after that?

CW: I will always be writing, but it probably won’t be until really late October, if not early November, that we start gigging around and getting right back into it. But we do plan to tour, and I want to tour a lot next year. We’ll get started on booking it in November because it takes a long time to do that. We will tour wherever we can … and I would like to hit Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin this coming year. But if somebody invites us on a tour to go somewhere else, we will definitely do it.

Low Phase performs July 12 at The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Avenue Southwest, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Doors open at 7 pm. For tickets, visit TicketWeb.