Michigan Rock band, Van Go Go is back with yet another infectious groove; "Both of Us.”
Acting as a follow up to their release of, ‘Imaginary Friend,’ Van Go Go is turning heads and making waves as they collide with success. With the top tier production elements hailing from Chuck Alkazian, Van Go Go offers us an intimate reflection covering the debate of fate vs. hard work in, “Both of Us.” Paying homage to refreshing tones of eclectic Rock energy, the talented four-piece band sets a lively ambience in the intrapersonal world of premeditated fusions. Creating an uproar with mid-tempo anticipation, the conviction placed behind the tight drum patterns fashion a larger than life ether for the band to fortify a structure of unmatched integrity and emotion.
As we tap into a more vulnerable cascade of flourishing vocals that enhance the overall justification of the messaging, we get tied into the surge of electric elements powering the guitar riffs and bassline to headway in our minds. Through convolutedly crafted poetic themes Nathan MacKinder wrote this from a personal place of affection. Creating this heavy ballad to honor the efforts his wife puts into their relationship, Nathan MacKinder steers the storyline into the success of their marriage going beyond fate.
Van Go Go offers up an open book of expressions that have their audience fleeing towards delicate tones of appreciation. With, “Both of Us,” emanating a universe of gratitude, we stay alert for signs of the next mind-altering release from these gems.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Van Go Go! Always a pleasure chatting with you guys! You tap into a more vulnerable spectrum with the release of, “Both of Us.” What was the creative and recording process like when bringing this song to life?
Nathan: This was the first song I completed when we committed to getting back together as a group. It started as a sweet heartfelt song on acoustic guitar. I also demoed an alternate version that could be more of a rock song and the guys pushed me to pursue it, even though the consensus was it was a solid classic ballad. I created a loop beat with a free drum machine I grabbed online, and the creative juices really started flowing. Everyone brought some great parts of their own to the arrangement and we worked it out in a single afternoon at Jonah’s studio. The floating delay guitar track and ethereal background vocals made it all the way to the final mix.
Working with Chuck Alkazian once again, we must admit that the creative direction is outstanding when you collaborate! Were there any differences, challenges, or highlights in the way that this song was placed together, versus other songs?
Jonah: When we came to Chuck 12 years ago, we’d worked out the songs by playing them together as a band - first in the basement and then live. With our new material, out of necessity, we had to sort of piece things together. Nate came up with the core idea for “Both of Us” and sent a recording of him on acoustic guitar to the rest of the band. We each worked out our individual parts and then Nate and Paxton came to my place and, with frequent check-ins to Jason, we laid down a rough version of the song. Jason later added his guitar parts and from there we were able to discuss and tweak things until we had a fairly solid direction for the song when we came to Chuck. Chuck, though, took it to the next level. He’s a very natural extension of us as a band and is great at helping us refine each part and then putting it all together as something much bigger than us.
In the spirit of 2021 being a fresh year for more projects, in your interview for ‘Imaginary Friend,’ you mentioned that Paxton came up with a great song that the band is currently working on. Do you have any updates on the concept and how that masterpiece is flowing together?
Paxton: The song is titled 'Fire to Light' and it's complete and part of the 4 new tracks just completed with Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios. This song is just another example of everyone adding ingredients to the mix and taking it to the next level. Nate, Jonah & Jason poured everything they had into making this song go from a good demo to a legit song that could easily be a single. It truly is a testament and dedication to each member of this band. I'm very proud of 'Fire to Light' and very thankful to work with such talented individuals.
How have you found yourself growing as a band and individuals since your first release to the present day?
Nathan: We’ve all experienced a great deal in our personal lives in the last 12 years, and we’ve now created an opportunity to creatively display those experiences in music once again. We’ve matured enough to have patience, respect, and gratitude for each other as well as the work itself. We have more control over the “Van Go Go” sound. We are creating cohesive pieces that aren’t just “everyone play something and see what we get”, but rather an ability to craft something into a precise version of what we want to hear. I’m personally grateful to be able to write honest and hopeful lyrics about family rather than bitter or spiteful verses aimed at those that have hurt me. Not saying that there won't be some of those in the future, but it's definitely nice to see a more beautiful picture of the world and be able to express it.
What can we expect to see next from you?
Jason: We now have 8 songs recorded and we feel like this is a perfect time to release an album. You can anticipate a late winter/early spring release with a date soon to come. We're not slowing down. We have more creative songwriting juices flowing than ever and we intend to write and record more music. We're also contemplating a cover tune which would be a ton of fun!
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