Bio

For some people, life is, as the saying goes, but a dream. They establish routines if not mindlessly than at least ambivalently, and once their day-to-day existence is structured in a way that ensures basic survival and minimizes disruption of any kind, they sleepwalk from day to day until The Big Sleep eventually arrives.

But for the rest of us, including visionary group Dream Phases, life is — and must be — about so much more. Their brand-new album Phantom Idol (Coconut Spaceship Records) communicates this hopeful ethos to listeners in a way that is ethereal, intangible and yet unquestionably reality-based. For founding members vocalist/guitarist Brandon Graham, drummer Shane Graham and guitarist/vocalist Keveen Baudouin, consciousness is not to be avoided or feared but explored and expanded as far as our minds will allow. Imagination is not to be resisted but embraced as an endless source of what is possible and what could become possible if we apply our talents, hopes – and, yes, dreams – as fully as we can.

With creative ambition and imagination that know no bounds, Dream Phases – thrilling, adventurous and always hungering to expand their musical horizons – are simply incapable of watching life pass them by. That mature and yet playful outlook on life, combined with their undeniable and irrepressible gift for creating transcendent music, is the beacon they follow with full-fledged fervor. Phantom Idol, honed by in-demand producer Matt Schuessler (Kurt Vile, Mdou Moctar, Cat Power), has led the band to the most exciting chapter thus far in its career: reinvention.

Based in Los Angeles Dream Phases started out as Brandon’s solo recording project but soon evolved into a group in 2017. Later blossoming into a quintet, Dream Phases reeled in two equally inspired and ambitious new members: Jeanna Fournier (bass, vocals) and Phil Cobb (organ, piano, synths). In tandem with the increase in personnel, Dream Phases’ new crew also branched out their sound, organically incorporating shoegaze, krautrock and post-punk—all the while maintaining an overall pop/rock framework that keeps them in check. As a result, the band is continuing to evolve from its earliest incarnation.

Shortly after making the aforementioned adjustments, it became apparent to Dream Phases that they had made wise decisions. Brooklyn Vegan, American Songwriter and a host of other respected music outlets applauded Dream Phases helping spread the word about the band to other corners of the world. After years of tinkering, Dream Phases finally began to discover their true identity.

“A lot of our identity comes from being a Los Angeles band, living in Southern California and being heavily influenced by the bands that came before us here as well as the film and entertainment industry,” imparts. “That, combined with the natural environment of California,” gives Dream Phases a dreamy sound that was sunbaked into their music since the beginning.

Dream Phases' first two albums, 2019’s So Long, Yesterday and 2021’s New Distractions, captured the band taking a lick of new flavors and trying to decide which tasted best. For a new band that was still on its sea legs, the musicians demonstrated a remarkable ability to dip their toes into different waters without freaking out or floundering. As a result, they crafted their third and best record to date, the brand-new Phantom Idol (Coconut Spaceship Records).

For all the credit that Dream Phases deserve for their ambitious yet focused 12-song affair, they also have an ace up their sleeve to thank: Rob Schnapf, who helped produce the majority of Elliott Smith’s studio albums, who recorded Phantom Idol in his L.A. studio with Schuessler. 

“He was one of our favorite producers even before we started working with him,” Graham reveals. “I was working at a bar that happened to be really close to Rob’s studio, so he would sometimes come in with Matt and shoot the shit with us. We ended up becoming friendly with each other, and a couple of months later, he came to one of our shows.” Beyond the involvement of Schnapf and Schuessler Phantom Idol is Dream Phases’ most collaborative album to date, with both Grahams and Baudouin co-writing about half the songs.

“With Matt and Rob, we re-recorded everything from our original demos, refining tempos and especially the tones of the instruments,” Shane notes.

Indeed, the whole of Phantom Idol is greater than the sum of its parts—even though the parts are pretty damn great in and of themselves. The record feels as much of a cinematic experience as it does an audio one, filled with adventure (“Another Getaway”), dance-inspiring delight (“Wake Up Time”), introspection (“Middle of the Room”) and balladry (“Haunt Me”).

With the musicians that comprise Dream Phases having explored several styles of music and forms of songwriting, both together and apart, Phantom Idol is one of those rare records that tells the story of its creators as much as the narrative told in its lyrics.

“Like New Distractions, Phantom Idol was very much conceived as a complete album as opposed to singles compiled together,” Brandon reflects. “Thematically, the album deals with a good amount of self-discovery and self-reflection, as well as personal relationships. It also continues our influence of living in Los Angeles, and our love of California in general, with a healthy dose of escapism mixed in there. Phantom Idol comes the closest to what we initially envisioned both sonically and performance-wise, and we can't wait to share the record.”

• Kurt Orzeck