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Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Thank you! We’re pumped to be here, Vents! We’ve been good – the holidays were a bit stressful. We work at a movie theater so it was hard trying to juggle the release of Spiderman while also navigating COVID. Work has been a bit frustrating but the release of BFF and our Battlemode project gave us something bright to look at.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “BFF”?
BFF is a friendship anthem inspired by our friendships through the years – The good, the bad, and the journey in between. The song’s message is about sticking together and staying loyal to your friends no matter what.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
No event in particular – we just wanted to celebrate the decade long friendship between the bandmates and the other close relationships we have. The last few years have been challenging for everyone – I’m certain we’re not alone in saying that our strong friendships have helped us survive the issues stemming from the past few years.
How was the recording and writing process?
It was a great time! We recorded and wrote this song with our actual BFF, Sam Mulligan (another Bostonian chiptune musician). Writing and recording was mostly just us goofing off and sharing laughs, it’s a wonder how we got any work done. I, Biff, had found the chord structure about two years ago. I was just waiting for the right time to be able to use them. Once I showed the chords to my bandmate, Kris, and Sam Mulligan, the song pretty much wrote itself in 30 mins.
What made you guys want to use Gameboy as an instrument and how did that come to be?
We were inspired by the chiptune sounds of bands like Anamaniguchi and similar Moog sounds from composers like Wendy Carlos. The sound is unmistakable and nostalgic – once you start using the Game Boy as an instrument, it’s hard to want to do anything else. Working with a tracker based program (LSDJ – Little Sound DJ) requires a certain mindset and almost feels like playing a video game.
What role does Boston play in your music?
Definitely community – The Boston music scene has been so essential to us. From our experience, the Boston music scene is welcoming and tight-knit, always trying to lift each other up. Some of our best Boston music friends include: The Skirts, Threat Level Burgundy, Tiberius, Linnea’s Garden, and Doublestar. We’ve been given so many priceless opportunities from our friends here. We try to pay-it-forward.
Does the new single mean we can expect any new material – how’s that coming along?
Yes! We were actually just in the studio recording today! Our upcoming single is called, Skyscrapers, which is about the challenges living in the city.
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
We’re hoping to have this released for mid-March.
What else is happening next in Battlemode’s world?
We’re releasing a number of singles leading up to our debut EP dropping in the summer season.
