It’s hard to contain my nerding out when it comes to bands I absolutely adore, like Phantogram. The electronic rock/pop/psych/indie pair made up of Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter are so damn talented together. More importantly, they seem to have cracked the code of getting better with each ensuing release. Their latest, Memory of a Day, is probably my favorite full-length so far and it’s their fifth record.
Over the weekend, I sat down with Sarah and Josh for a Vanyaland 617 Q&A just two days before they were to play in Boston. I started off by asking the former about a Van Halen t-shirt she wore at The Governors Ball almost seven years ago. More surprising than her not telling me I was a total freak and to fuck off was that she actually remembered the shirt and where she got it or rather who she got it from.
We also discussed their musical partnership, how the new material was born out of the pandemic, and their involvement in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (as if I couldn’t love them anymore). Oh yeah, I’m walking again this year in the AFSP’s Out of the Darkness Overnight. Now’s a good time as any to visit my fundraising page.
I loved the interplay between the two of them. It was hardly intentional, but they bounced off one another like the longtime friends they obviously are, which is so refreshing when you have artists who often genuinely despise their bandmates. Weirdly, this interview was somewhat short for a 617 Q&A. I figured it would be the opposite since I was talking to two people, but it’s really a testament to how in sync they are. Be sure to read the chat, linked above, and below is one of their recent songs, “Attaway,” which deserves to be on everyone’s early 2025 playlist.
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 