Tag: Low Phase

The Pursuit of Happiness — King Ink Starts New Chapter and Finds New Sound on “Good News” Single

King Ink’s Sean DeWard, JD Waldvogel, Becca Coberly, and Evan Coberly. Photo – Live Aperture Concert Photography

King Ink is ready for a new start.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan band celebrates meeting the right person and planning for the future on its latest Heartland-rock single, “Good News.”

“Lyrically, it’s a mix of finding the right person and feeling secure in that,” said JD Waldvogel, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist.

“The big thing I want people to take away from listening to us or seeing us live is joy and happiness. We played a show recently where they asked for our bio, and it said, ‘We play bright alternative rock.’ And then on the pamphlet, they said, ‘King Ink—bright rock,’ as our descriptor. I said, ‘I’ve never heard of that genre, but I think we’re starting a new one.’”

Waldvogel captures that positive attitude and upbeat sound with bandmates Becca Coberly (guitar, bass), Evan Coberly (guitar, bass, saxophone), and Sean DeWard (drums) on “Good News.”

He sings, “Cut to you, cut to me / Living in harmony / Not gonna waste my chance / Let’s rewrite history / Hope you’re fine with hyperbole / And maybe in your eyes / Maybe you can see through my disguise / The whole damn world is our stage / Let’s start a new page.”

“I really wanted to feel that from a song, which is just like a sense of joy and a sense of things are good, and that is OK,” Waldvogel said. “I also wanted there to be a sing-along part in there. That song has been a benchmark, or a signpost, saying, ‘Where do we want to go from here?’”

To learn more, I spoke with Waldvogel, Becca Coberly, and Evan Coberly about the band’s background and latest single.

Continue reading “The Pursuit of Happiness — King Ink Starts New Chapter and Finds New Sound on “Good News” Single” →

Higher Love — Low Phase Explores the Evolution of a Relationship on “So Pretty It’s Perfect” EP

Low Phase’s Miles Ferguson, John Bomer, and Caleb Waldvogel. Courtesy photo

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.

Continue reading “Higher Love — Low Phase Explores the Evolution of a Relationship on “So Pretty It’s Perfect” EP” →

Words of Encouragement – The American Hotel System Shares Inspirational Anthems on ‘Can You Hear It?’ EP

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The American Hotel System offers a highly cathartic listen on “Can You Hear It?” From left: Hailey Petty, CT McCallister, Jake LaMotte, Samuel Overman and Jacob Betts. Photo – Jake Orr Photography

For The American Hotel System, a new EP offers inspirational messages of hope, growth and perseverance.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan alt-rock quintet digs deep into past experiences and personal reflections to share words of encouragement on Can You Hear It?

“I think these songs are the most hopeful for me. It’s a great reflection of the journey personally that I’ve been on between all the crazy stuff that’s happened with the band … but also my personal life with my relationship with my wife, my son and my health,” said Jacob Betts, the band’s vocalist and guitarist.

“I feel like these are the songs we’re supposed to be singing right now, and I’m eager to see who we cross paths with. My prayer is these will hit people where they are.”

On Can You Hear It?, The American Hotel System instantly hits listeners with six anthemic tracks, which explore emotions and situations dealing with desire, mental health, love and pride. The EP’s insightful lyrics, fiery electric guitar solos and epic pop-rock instrumentation offer a highly cathartic listen within an arena-sized sound.

“This is our label debut; it’s a new era for us. This is the first time we’ve been able to work with such an amazing team of professionals behind the scenes,” said Betts, who’s releasing Can You Hear It? with his bandmates via SONO Music Group.

“We’re trying to say something here, and asking this question, ‘Can you hear it?’ Well, that encapsulates the whole thing we’re going for. Not just with the theme of ‘Can you hear these things? This longing that you’re longing for,’ but here’s what we have to say.”

Continue reading “Words of Encouragement – The American Hotel System Shares Inspirational Anthems on ‘Can You Hear It?’ EP” →