Q&A: Bad Suns’ Christo Bowman Talks Newfound Confidence on ‘Accelerator’

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW


☆ BY JANET HERNANDEZ

Photo Credit: Sarah Eiseman

IT’S BEEN OVER A DECADE SINCE BAD SUNS BROKE INTO THE INDIE POP SCENE with their critically-acclaimed debut album Language & Perspective. Vocalist Christo Bowman captured “the world seen through a young man’s eyes,” with lofty questions and few conclusions. But on the band’s fifth record, Bowman is older, wiser and more self-assured than ever.

“I feel a strange sense of calm,” he tells LUNA. “I really gave this one everything I had, and so did everybody else involved.”

Accelerator is Bowman’s first release in his thirties, and the band’s first record without longtime guitarist Ray Libby. Across twelve songs, Bowman looks ahead to a new decade, the future of the band, fatherhood — and even imagines a world where he lost it all. “Back to Zero” and “Slow Karma” explore Bowman’s journey to sobriety and his personal relationships that were on the line. The former also showcases the band’s sonic direction, with “90s house” influences and production from their longtime collaborator, Eric Palmquist.

“Our earlier records were heavily influenced by the output of bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and U2 in the 1980’s,” Bowman shares. “As we found ourselves entering the second decade of our career, we were very much inspired by the ways in which these same artists gracefully traversed into the 1990’s.”

Accelerator is out now via Epitaph, and the band is kicking off a U.S. tour next month. Read below to learn more about the next chapter of Bad Suns, how becoming a three-piece brought the band closer, and why Accelerator is “a classic Bad Suns album.”

Photo Credit: Jaxon Whittington

LUNA: Accelerator is your fifth studio album, but also marks many “firsts” for the band. Are you feeling any pre-release nerves?

BOWMAN: I generally dread release days. It feels like I’m the one under the knife being dissected by everyone listening. This time around, I feel a strange sense of calm. I really gave this one everything I had, and so did everybody else involved. Knowing that, and then loving the album as deeply as I do, really helps I suppose.

LUNA: Eric Palmquist produced this album, and your collaboration goes all the way back to your debut record. How has your relationship evolved over the years and how did he help shape Accelerator?

BOWMAN: In the studio, Eric becomes a member of the band. He cares about the records we make on a profound level. The chemistry between all of us results in something uniquely magical. We’re constantly pushing one another to perform at our highest levels. My goal with Accelerator was to make a classic Bad Suns album.

That doesn’t mean recording “Language & A New Perspective” or Disappear Here again. It doesn’t work that way. None of our best work has been the result of us attempting to recreate some lightning in a bottle we managed to capture before. 

You’ll only get diminishing returns creatively if you try and go this route. Those records were the result of us pushing ourselves further than we‘d ever gone before. That’s the magic you hear.

One of my rules during the making of this album was “Don’t create within the Venn diagram of our comfort zones.” I had it written on the wall in my home studio to look at every day.

LUNA: What songs or musical artists were reference points for the “90s house-inspired” sound you wanted for Accelerator?

BOWMAN: Our earlier records were heavily influenced by the output of bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and U2 in the 1980s. As we found ourselves entering the second decade of our career, we were very much inspired by the ways in which these same artists gracefully traversed into the 1990s. Wish, Violator, and Achtung Baby being shining examples from each band respectively. 

This album was inspired by a lot of our favorite dance music from the 90s and onward . . . Daft Punk, Moby, Orbital, Stardust, Underworld, Aphex Twin . . . the list goes on.

LUNA: You’re writing about personal experiences on this record, but listeners can definitely relate to your ruminations on sobriety, fatherhood and more. Is it important to you to write about universal subject matter?

BOWMAN: I connect the most deeply with art which seems to be coming from a unique, singular perspective. I’m just writing about the world as I see it and life as I experience it. Or I’m trying to empathize with another person’s viewpoint. 

I’m always analyzing myself as well as those closest to me (or furthest from me) in my lyrics. I also love stories. Oftentimes, the most illuminating songs are the ones structured as fictional stories. “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”

LUNA: This is your first record as a trio. How did you manage during the transition period and recalibrate as a band?

BOWMAN: The world was changing as we were recording Apocalypse Whenever, between December of 2019 and August of 2021, and so were we. It was a strange time to be making an album. At the beginning of the tour in 2022, Ray let us know he would be leaving the band and we all supported him in his decision.

It was clear to everyone that this would be for the best; but it’s still hard to part ways with someone you’ve been so close to for so long. The timing was tricky, but we ended up having a lot of fun touring the album despite the inevitable challenges we faced. Getting through that period brought Miles, Gavin, and myself closer together than ever. 

Shortly thereafter, we made an EP called Infinite Joy, to alleviate some of the pressure, before embarking upon another full-length. It was a cathartic and exhilarating experience. Afterwards, we were feeling fired up and ready to hit the gas. With our roles and our goals more clearly defined than ever before, we began the process of creating Accelerator, with a newfound confidence.

LUNA: You played a few Language & Perspective anniversary shows last year, and also toured with FINNEAS. Whether you’re performing in front of those day-one fans or new listeners, what do you want them to take away from a Bad Suns show?

BOWMAN: With a captive audience on a support tour, our aim is to make an impression and recruit new fans. Hopefully they enjoy the show enough to go home and look into the band, start listening to the music, and come along for the ride. 

With our headline shows, it’s a different story. Everyone in the room is there because of a communal love for this music. It’s our job to bring everyone together, put aside differences, and create an experience which highlights the beauty of being alive.

LUNA: You’ve described Infinite Joy, your last EP before Accelerator,  as “a new beginning for the band.” What do you feel is especially invigorating about this chapter you’ve entered?

BOWMAN: There is a heightened sense of urgency within the band, as well as an acute appreciation for what we’ve done so far, and what we get to do next. We’ve experienced so much, and our flame is burning brighter than ever.

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