Photo by Adam_Kocka
Bug Seance, a quintet hailing from the creative hub of Portland, OR, has spent the last five years crafting a sound and identity that rejects simple categorization. With influences spanning emo, post-rock, and shoegaze, their music resonates with a weighty yet ethereal quality, intricate yet raw in its delivery.
Their journey to this point has seen them share stages with emo luminaries like Algernon Cadwallader and Fred Mascherino of Taking Back Sunday, cementing their reputation as a force in Portland’s vibrant indie scene and beyond. Their relentless touring, spanning from the sun-drenched shores of California to the east coast, has only kindled their creative flames.
Now, with their upcoming EP “I’m Right Here,” Bug Seance unveils their most ambitious work yet. Recorded with meticulous precision in their hometown, the EP weaves a sonic tapestry of shimmering synth lines, resonant vocals, and gritty guitar riffs.
Across six tracks, Bug Seance invites listeners on a captivating journey through a mosaic of heavy, effervescent, shoegazey soundscapes. Throughout, themes of solitude, mental well-being, friendship, and love are explored with unwavering sincerity.
One standout track is “Aardvark,” which we follow down multiple paths during its mere three and a half minutes — from a slow and dreamy Mazzy Star-adjacent beginning, into a 180-bpm pop-punk emo landscape and finally into its denouement: a drudging, heavy cave-like scene of guttural screams and thick distortion. It’s a beautifully captivating and satisfying series of twists and turns all packed into the length of a classic pop-song.
“I’m Right Here” transcends its status as just an EP—it’s a bold declaration of artistic vision and vibrancy, showcasing the band’s dedication to authenticity and creative exploration through raw energy and heartfelt lyricism.
Drummer, vocalist and synth player Xochitl Vilorio tells Big Takeover about the EP, “These songs are a distillation of five years of friendship and creative endurance, we hope it resonates with the listener as much as it does with all of us. These songs explore our identities and struggles, putting them out for the world is not so much just another collection of songs but a cathartic release. Thank you for listening.”
The Big Takeover is excited to be premiering the EP in whole below before its official release tomorrow!
Check them out on tour in the Spring/Summer:
May 18th // Portland, OR // Porch Couch
May 21st // Spokane, WA // Neato Burrito
May 22nd // Missoula, MT // Zootown Arts Community Center
May 23rd // Bozeman, MT // The Filling Station
May 25th // Jackson, WY // Eleanor’s
May 26th // Boise, ID // TBA
May 28th // Reno, NV // Holland Project
May 29th // San Francisco, CA // Bottom of the Hill
May 30th // Santa Cruz, CA // Subrosa
May 31st // Berkeley, CA // 924 Gilman
June 1st // Arcata, CA // Outer Space
June 2nd // Eugene, OR // John henry’s
July 19th // Portland, OR // Turn Turn Turn!
August 3rd // Portland, OR // Lollipop Shoppe
August 16th // Portland, OR // Showbar
Visit the band on the web:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Spotify
Bandcamp
