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1. Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Good! It’s been a very busy month, well year, really.
2. Expectations marks Bev’s return with a new lineup and a fresh musical direction, following 2021’s Crusher. What inspired you to bring this particular group of musicians together, and how did their individual personalities and musical backgrounds shape the sound of the new album?
This band came together mostly out of timing and the stars aligning perfectly. Bart, on bass, has been playing with me since I first formed a band. He truly feels like the glue that keeps this moving. Dan is my partner in life and an amazing drummer. We had thought we’d keep our musical journeys separate, but then Covid happened and we started writing songs together because there was nothing else to do. It turns out we work really well together musically. Doc came on board on lead guitar when we got offered a show not long after Covid and we hadn’t played out in a while. I said yes to the show and then had to figure out how to round out the band. Doc was the first person to come to mind. Thankfully they said yes and everything just clicked with the 4 of us.
Musically, we all bring our own flavor to these songs and I think that’s really made them something special. Dan comes from a pop punk background and brings those hard and fast drums to the more indie rock vibe I’m accustomed to writing in. Doc’s guitar playing seems to lift up everything. They teach music when they’re not playing music and seem to know exactly what to bring to a song. Bart is always doing something unexpected on the bass in the best way. He also really pushes me as a songwriter to take the song to the next level.
3. Niki, your vocals on tracks like “Soft T-Shirt” and “Trout” have a wonderfully distinctive quality, with this great warmth and melodic sensibility that reminded me of the likes of Belinda Carlisle. How has your vocal style evolved over the years, and do you approach singing differently when moving between the album’s brighter power-pop moments and its darker emotional territory?
Oh thank you! I love Belinda Carlisle so that’s quite a compliment for me. I’ve grown more and more comfortable with my voice through the years. I know what it can and can’t do and try to write the melodies with that in mind. I’m actually more comfortable in those darker moments as I prefer my lower register, but the more upbeat songs have allowed me to explore that part of my voice more. When recording vocals, I’ve found that really overly leaning into the emotions of the songs make them come out better, no matter how ridiculous you feel in that moment.
4. The album’s title, Expectations, explores the tension between what we imagine or hope will happen and what actually unfolds. What prompted you to explore this theme, and did writing these songs change the way you think about your own expectations, both personally and creatively?
It wasn’t until we came up with the title that I realized how much these songs fit into that theme. But my expectations as a “professional musician” have certainly changed throughout the years. I used to put so much pressure on myself to make something of all this. Once I set that aside and decided having fun was the most important part of this journey, that’s when everything started to fall into place.
The songs themselves fit that theme, too. It’s funny how that works out. In “The Clown”, you expect everyone to take your side after a relationship ends, only to find that you still have to coexist with that person. Or in “Missing Parts”, there are expectations around how a woman should view motherhood vs what I actually feel as someone who’s never wanted kids and also can no longer have them anyway. I’ve also learned that I set up my own expectations for myself, both in what I expect of myself and what I think others expect of me – whether or not I’m right about that.
5. How do you navigate those contrasting moods when sequencing an album, and is that balance between upbeat melodies and introspective lyrics central to Bev’s identity?
I love putting together an album order. I love making playlists and seeing how songs sit next to each other, so that part is always fun. I knew “Soft T-Shirt” was always going to be an album opener the minute I wrote it. It just had that feel and it’s a good introduction to the band’s vibe.
I love when a song takes me to unexpected places (there’s that expectations theme again!) so the idea that you can be bouncing along to a song but underneath there is that snark or anger or even sadness really appeals to me. Moods are so complex anyway.
6. Love, heartbreak, and the complications of relationships appear throughout the record, from the romantic perspectives of “Trout” and “Hoodie” to the anger and confrontation of “One Last Look Back.” How do you approach writing about relationships, and do you find that music allows you to express emotions that might be harder to articulate in everyday life?
Absolutely. I am terrible in the moment. I always need time to process before I speak to something important, otherwise I have a hard time making my point, or making any sense. I’m also not one to have a big moment in a relationship, whether good or bad, and then immediately write about it. I need time to reflect. Sometimes that reflection can take years. Sometimes I’m surprised when something comes boiling up out of nowhere.
7. Tracks like “Missing Parts” and “My Body” tackle bodily autonomy and the different experiences of womanhood. These are deeply personal subjects that also carry wider social significance. How important was it to give these themes a place on the album, and what do you hope listeners take away from those songs?
“Missing Parts” has been sitting in my pile of songs for 10 years. I had to have a hysterectomy and it was fascinating to go from someone who never wanted kids to being someone who now can’t birth them. I still didn’t want to have children, but I think when any choice gets permanently taken away, it changes your perspective. And that brings in “My Body”, which has the line about people trying to take away what’s mine. Our bodies are the only things we really truly own, but as a woman, way too many people want to take that right to our autonomy.
8. Bev’s sound moves between power-pop, alt-punk, and ’90s indie rock, with swirling guitars, engaging rhythms, and arrangements that rarely follow predictable patterns. What musical influences helped shape this record, and how do you keep the songwriting adventurous while maintaining the immediacy and catchiness of great pop-rock?
I am influenced by everything! I think that helps keep things adventurous and interesting. Dan introduced me to math rock a while back and that was not a genre I would have explored on my own. And though I’m no math rock playing expert, it definitely inspired me to be more bold with my guitar playing. But in the end, I’m a pop-rock loving gal so those sorts of melodies will always be there bringing everything together.
9. The album artwork features a series of paintings by your drummer Dan Elston-Jones’ late father, Timothy Jones. What was the story behind choosing these paintings, and how did their imagery connect with your interpretation of Expectations and its themes of people looking toward places, situations, and possibilities?
We were all sort of stuck on what to call the album and what sort of art should represent it. Dan and I have that painting hanging in our house and one day he looked over and said, “that’d make a good album cover.” And I was like “absolutely it would!”. I checked to see if it had a title and it didn’t, but the word Expectations came to mind immediately when I really looked at it and it all came together from there. We reached out to Dan’s mom to make sure it was okay to use it and print it for these albums and she said yes and surprised us by telling us it was part of a larger series. The series is so beautiful and abstract and it felt so right for this album. I feel so fortunate to be able to have this amazing art for our album and I’m glad we are able to honor Dan’s father in this way.
10. Niki, forming Bev in 2018 following major personal changes marked a significant turning point in your musical journey, moving beyond the folk-rock sound of your earlier work. Looking back, how has that evolution influenced your songwriting, and what has this new chapter allowed you to express that perhaps wasn’t possible before?
Well, for one, I never would have met Dan if my life didn’t change so abruptly back then. But as a songwriter, I think I’m way more comfortable being really open these days. I think the perspective that also comes with aging brings a whole new area of songwriting to explore. I’m way more looking inward vs trying to lay blame, but not always : ).
11. After spending the past couple of years playing around Minneapolis and preparing to take Expectations on the road across the United States, what are you most excited about sharing with new audiences? And now that this album is out in the world, where would you like to take Bev’s sound next?
I’m excited to share this band with everyone. We have become such a tight unit. We play together really well and I’m excited for people to hear that. I really want to get out on the road in the spring. I’ve never done a proper tour and I think I’m ready to do it. As for our sound, I don’t want to put any pressure on that. I’m so beyond excited about the sounds the 4 of us made with this record. I think now that we all know what we’re capable of as a foursome, it’s exciting to see what will happen next naturally.
Soft -T-Shirt – Music Video:
https://youtu.be/DjRtkDIugqY?si=l2v__MlX-lyP0JYV
Website & Social Media:
Website: https://www.bevmusic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bevband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bevmusics
Bandcamp: https://bevband.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PvEG7fmOncgjRlSBevuph?si=6wo4-5LDS0W-CT-UJlBrQQ
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bev/1435973233
Link tree: https://linktr.ee/BevBand
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bevmusic1069?si=9aEZUe6Sbzh1BxjK
