Local Spins profiles the Grand Rapids band releasing its new EP on Saturday, while also debuting tracks from Kyle Brown, Hand of Giants, Nick Veine, Galactic Sherpas and more.
‘So Pretty It’s Perfect’: The new EP from Low Phase. (Courtesy Photo)
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As with any band that pushes its creative boundaries after years of writing and performing, Low Phase has hit its stride musically with the aptly titled, “So Pretty Its Perfect.”
In its sixth year as a band, the guitar-driven Grand Rapids indie-rock outfit’s latest six-song recording emerged from a “more collaborative” approach at Rockford’s Planet Sunday Studios.
“We’re kind of settling into what feels the most natural lyrically and musically. We’ve put a lot of effort into getting together more and collaborating more,” said singer-guitarist Caleb Waldvogel, calling the studio environment experimental, vulnerable and fun.
“We’re really good at pushing each other and not stepping on each other’s toes. We’re still best friends. At the end of the day when we enter this band room, we’re working on this craft.”
Low Phase – Waldvogel, bassist John Bomer, drummer Miles Ferguson and live-show lead guitarist Chase Mulonas and horn player Camden Ferguson – officially welcomes the new project into the world on Saturday night during an EP-release show that will feature sets by PHABIES, The Cosmoknights and Dovetail. Doors open at 7 p.m.; advance tickets are $15, available online here.
(Note: Guitarist Marley Ferguson also frequently plays lead guitar for Low Phase during live shows.)
While Waldvogel said the band doesn’t usually get nervous for its live performances, premiering the new songs amid more elaborate production gives them more jitters than usual.
“There’s a theatrical aspect to this show that we’ve never done before,” he conceded. “There’s a lot more production time put in, and that’s what I’m nervous about is making it this big show rather than just what we’re used to, which is just playing songs. But I’m excited. It’s going to be an experience.”
VIDEO: “Reason,” Low Phase
Interestingly, the recording project came down to the wire with a deadline looming over the band: Waldvogel and his fiancée Jenna Olson (who performed with Waldvogel previously in the band Political Lizard) are getting married in September.
“Honestly, the whole EP was kind of written and recorded on a time crunch,” Waldvogel said. “We had to work quick and we worked quick. We wrote probably close to 15 songs in preparation for this EP and slimmed the project down to six songs. The writing and recording of this EP spanned a total of five months. We kind of liked the time crunch of it all, made us work a little faster and harder.”
As for the theme: “This entire EP is telling the story of two souls intertwined,” Waldvogel said of his relationship with Olson. “We try to accurately capture the phases of those years (together) – the cautiousness of those years, the beauty of those years, the grit of those years, calmness of those years, and all of it leads to this moment in September when they say, ‘I do.’”
On Stage: And featured for January in the 2025 Local Spins Calendar. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Waldvogel hopes fans “feel a sense of nostalgia” in listening to the band and the new EP with “sing-along choruses reminiscent of your favorite ’90s bands, screaming every word to your steering wheel with a sense of relief, headbanging while making dinner.”
The group follows up its only hometown show of the summer with just two more performances — an Aug. 2 concert opening for Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers at “Ignite the Night” at Corrigan Oil Speedway in Mason, and an opening set ahead of Third Eye Blind during the Dearborn Homecoming Festival on Aug. 3.
Still, Waldvogel stressed that he’s already setting up bookings for a 2026 spring tour and more. “I’m planning our next two tours already for next year,” he said.
For this week’s Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase — airing at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays –- Low Phase spotlighted two tracks from the new release – “It’s Killing You” and “Reason.” Listen to the interview and songs as part of the radio show podcast that also features the latest releases from Kyle Brown & The Human Condition, Hand of Giants, The Cosmoknights, Nick Veine, Rip Smidgeon, Galactic Sherpas, James Filkins, Fremont Pike and Heat Above. Check out previous radio show podcasts here.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (7/11/25)
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