Phases
If fresh starts and positive thinking were the secret to success, Phases tapped into that secret long ago –and made it look easy. Frontwoman Z Berg, with Alex Greenwald, Jason Boesel and Michael Runion formed their debut project, JJAMZ (ju-jamz), together back in 2009 as fragments of The Like, Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley and Phantom Planet. They made one album and quickly grew disillusioned with making a second one as an L.A. based indie-rock band.
So Berg moved on to Nashville, leaving the rest of the group to mess around with new material. What came next was powerful enough to draw Berg back to L.A. and jump on the project that was producing what she referred to as “future spaceship music, from a very old spaceship.” That “future spaceship music” developed into a 2015 LP called For Life, two remix albums for their hit single, “I’m in Love with My Life,” and a recent EP called Afterparty. Their band name, Phases originally stemmed from the name of an ’80s club from their manager’s past, though they jokingly explained it as an acronym for “Party Hard And Savor Every Second” in a Twitter Q&A session.
The quartet’s lighthearted vibe translates well into the feel good electro-pop they’ve now attached themselves to. Berg’s declarations of unapologetic self-love and a care free lifestyle are placed over Greenwald’s bright and shimmering synth beats. It’s music you put on in the mornings while dancing with a hairdryer in front of your mirror, what you can’t help bobbing your head to, and what you jump to yelling along with Berg. “I’m seeking trouble in the palm trees and the glitter and sky” comes from their song “Betty Blue,” a summery call to let loose that’s hard to ignore. Phases comes from the spark ignited while creating something fresh and the power of turning a daydream into a reality. »
– Gina Pieracci
