The COVID-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill for most bands and musicians.
However, for Reign LaFreniere, lead vocalist and guitarist of Bluphoria, it served as inspiration for the band's major-label debut.
"The pandemic started during the most important part of college, between my sophomore and junior years," said LaFreniere, 23. "It was a weird time to be growing up and trying to find out who you are as a person."
Appropriately, themes of love and loss in the midst of the isolation dominate the diverse tracks on the Nashville-based band's self-titled album, which dropped in May.
San Antonio fans will be able to take in Bluphoria's sound during a Thursday, Oct. 12, performance at Sam's Burger Joint — its second stop on a tour promoting the release. It's co-headlining the 29-city tour with Texas-raised singer-songwriter Noah Vonne.
LaFreniere talked with the Current via Zoom about his musical roots, the paradox of today's music industry and how his love of "yacht rock" inspired a song on the new album. The following interview is edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell us about your first musical memories?
I come from a very musical family. My mom and sister can sing and dance circles around me. (Laughs.) I remember I tried to write a song, and I made it a point I never wanted to write a song about love. It was about flowers and oceans. It's funny, because now most of our songs are about love.
I first picked up a guitar in high school because I heard the soundtrack to the video game The Last of Us. I made films back then, so I wanted to make my own soundtracks.
It's interesting how important game soundtracks have become to your generation, the way movie soundtracks were for '90s kids.
Yeah, a lot of video games have these iconic soundtracks that were inspired by famous films, like the Indiana Jones movies and Star Wars. The art form easily passed from the medium to video games and their representation of that nostalgia.
You've previously stated that Bluphoria is a rock 'n' roll band. No qualifiers like "alternative" or "indie"?
It's hard when you try to pigeonhole a sound into a genre, when you put too many there, subset upon subset. We are a rock band.
Do you feel it's harder or easier for a band like Bluphoria to get known today with the way we listen to music?
There's pros and cons to it. Technically, it's easier, since so many bands can get their name out and remain independent. But you also have the power of a label promoting your band and trying to win over the internet. I feel like I would have done better before the internet age, mostly because I'm not good at social media. (Laughs.) I would have liked it more grassroots, going town to town, which nowadays doesn't work as well as throwing up a TikTok. It's given a lot of opportunity to people, but the no man's land between a successful indie underground act and being famous is larger now.
How did the new album Bluphoria come together?
We wrote 50 to 80 songs, and there weren't enough slots on the album. The best songs oriented around love and loss during COVID, and our experiences through that time, like getting in relationships. We captured that energy and the most powerful theme was how we were impacted by the pandemic. We curated the album around that theme.
"Driving Through Fire" is a propelling rock song. What was the inspiration behind it?
I was listening to a lot of Elvis and gospel, and I wanted a gospel chorus with a classic rock interjection. It then dials down to a bit of a British Invasion feel. I wanted the song to feel larger than us. We wanted it to have the energy of being pent up in our town and wanting to get out of there.
"Pretty People" feels a bit alt-country. Where did that sound come from?
It's one of my favorite songs because I love the rhythm behind it, driven by the bass beat. I love yacht rock, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. I wanted a song that carried that energy and groove.
Is this Bluphoria's first big tour?
This is the most dates we've done at once. It's a long haul, but it's exciting and we're ready for the adventure.
Have you ever been to San Antonio?
I have not been, but I know a lot about your basketball team and you've got that new kid [Victor Wembanyama].
$15-$60, 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com.
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