Did no one ever teach you how to dance? Nobody ever taught you how to dance?
Well, well, everyone knows how to dance…There’s only so much time and for Boogie Lights the best way to spend that time is by connecting to the present and dancing through life’s chaos.
With his latest album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY, the funky beat conductor not only creates a vibrant and healing sonic experience but offers listeners an escape from the trials and tribulations of life itself.
“My goal with music is to simply try to make the world a better place and if my words are able to help just one person, then this album is an overwhelming success,” he explained in an interview with The Daily Frequency. “I think we could all use a little more positivity in the world right now and I’m hoping these songs can be a domino effect to spread a little extra love out there.”
Seeing music as a universal language, Boogie Lights takes listeners on a kaleidoscopic trip through love, connection, and positivity. Blending everything from funkadelic soundscapes to captivating hip-hop beats, and jammy dance-riddled grooves he creates a sound that becomes therapy for the spirit. Hence the name, DISCO DANCE THERAPY.
“The concept of DISCO DANCE THERAPY originated from a conversation with a few friends (shout out Nicoll & Caitt) while trying to describe what the energy felt like at a Boogie Lights show,” he stated.
“Those three words felt like the embodiment of what this project is all about and seemed to mirror a theme in the music that I was starting to write in the early stages of this album. “
“During the writing process, I was able to really feel the words and ideas behind this simple phrase. Whether it was dancing in my apartment or groovin’ down the sidewalk to my neighborhood park, I continued to realize the power of moving my body to music and the effect it had on my mental health. The theory of ‘Disco Dance Therapy’ is summed up with one of the lines in the song. Sometimes “all you need is a beat to get back on your feet.”
Transcending genres, and of course space and time, the album is specifically designed to connect to the core of what it means to be human or as Boogie puts it, music that “moves us.”
“All music can bring up emotions and feelings. But the music that naturally provokes our bodies to just incoherently dance? That music just hits differently. I’ve always described my style as “anything funky” as an overarching umbrella while not trying to be boxed in by just one genre. Boogie Lights has always been connected with disco but I knew I wasn’t going to make strictly disco. I feel like this album touches on a few styles that still fit together a big funky boogie puzzle.”
From the uplifting disco sounds of Soul Eclipse to the funky beats of I’m Feeling Good Today and the addicting rhythm of Keep Livin’ Keep Lovin’ the album doesn’t just immerse you in a glowing positivity but serves as a testament to Boogie Lights’ extensive tase.
“I think my wide range of musical taste came from being the youngest of a big family and picking up artists and styles from my older siblings. As I got older, I realized how much I love a good jam. Coming from being the drummer in a funk jam band in college, I was eventually pulled into the funky side of the electronic scene through artists like Boombox, Lettuce, and GRiZ (Ride Waves had a big effect on me), while also realizing my love for old-school funk and disco with a modern twist similar to Moon Boots and Purple Disco Machine. The idea behind the boogie was to effectively fuse what I love about funk, disco, house, soul, indie, and hip-hop with the elements and flexibility of a live funk band atmosphere.”
While the album encourages listeners to dance, there’s a deeper meaning behind the veil. More than the music itself, Boogie Lights wants fans to use the album as a tool to connect to themselves and the world around them.
“I hope they’re able to connect with themselves through this journey while ending on a desire to connect with the world. This record is about living in the moment and I hope listeners are able to do just that while experiencing it. The flow of this album is very intentional and attempts to follow along the very ebbs and flows of our everyday life. The collection of songs are probably best heard first thing in the morning or during the first leg of a long road trip.”
However, this idea of using music as a tool for healing is nothing new for the Denver producer. In fact, using music to change the world has been his mission since he started making music.
“I think I first realized the power of music as an 8-year-old kid while banging on a set of cardboard boxes and singing “All The Small Things.” Whether playing or just listening, I think music just naturally makes us feel. Feel emotions. Feel connected. Feel in the moment, while also allowing us to escape. It’s so easy to be wrapped up in life and music is one of the few “Universal Languages” that allows us to just be. I think that can also be true with any form of artistic expression. But I’ve always believed that music can change the world with the right words and melody. The first song that comes to mind is “Imagine” by John Lennon. When you hear that in the right state of mind, you just have to take a deep breath and feel, that’s the type of music I hope to share with the world.”
And, for Boogie Lights, music is not just a powerful form of expression but the best way to bring people together.
“It simply brings us together. The feeling of being in complete unison with 20 people is special. 100? Even more. 1000? I feel the energy that crowd connection can produce could power up a nuclear plant. As far as an outlet for expression. I feel like every note has a feeling and provides a way to express our emotions. Especially when those notes are played together as a connected group. There is just something indescribable when you are able to tap into that higher power. It’s funny, the Disney movie ‘Soul’ perfectly displays this while talking about artists being “in the zone”. That zone is truly sublime.”
Of course, the connection with each other shines the brightest during live shows. Through radiating positivity, spreading love, and embracing weirdness his shows have become a haven for self-expression and freedom.
“I think the weirdness is quite evident at live shows lol. I’m basically still that same 8-year-old kid jumping around on stage jammin’ on the drums while semi-conducting this incredibly talented and energetic group of musicians that all have their own weird personalities. The full experience is a big ball of boogie energy that hopefully rubs off on the audience to just be themselves in the moment. I try to end every show with a reminder to bring this energy into their everyday life. Encouraging us all to Be Weird. Be Kind. And just Be You.”
But above all, he wants people to leave his shows with a new sense of love for themselves and a new hope for the world.
“I hope the audience will leave my live show with a little more love for themselves and a little more hope in the world. I want people to feel connected at my concerts and hopefully want to bring that feeling of connection to everywhere they go. I received a pretty humbling story in the beginning of 2024 from a new fan who told me the first time he saw us helped inspire him to just start dancing more. He mentioned the connection and feeling of oneness at that concert made him realize how much he loved to just dance. The most eye-opening part of it was him revealing that he used to go out to just get drunk and after that night he found himself going out sober more often because he wanted to be in the moment and moved by the music. Hearing that hit pretty hard and in a sense, is exactly what DISCO DANCE THERAPY is all about.”
That being said it could be hard for some introverted friends to fully set themselves free on the dancefloor epecially out in public. When asked if he had any advice, his suggestion was simple: “Just focus on the music.”
“I would suggest to really try to focus on the music. Don’t focus on your surroundings or how you might be perceived. Lose the feelings of being cool and just be you. Of course, that’s easier said than done. As someone who is an introvert/extrovert, I completely resonate with times or scenarios where I don’t feel like myself out in public. It’s easy to be in our own heads, but it can also be quite easy to be moved by music to snap you out of it. Sometimes you just need a single sound or moment that you resonate with to bring you back into the moment. If you’re struggling to find your groove, just breathe and listen. Hopefully the beat will get you back on your feet.”
Shining with authenticity, Boogie Lights is an artist whose music speaks for the values he holds. No matter how dark it gets, he stresses the importance of finding the light and appreciating the beauty of it all.
“I think it’s extremely important to continue to find the beauty in the world, especially in the darkness. These are the times when we need a little shimmer of hope. A little extra funk. A little extra kindness. And a whole lot of love. It’s so easy to get down on everything in the world but it’s also so easy to be inspired by the world. All of the random acts of kindness that go unnoticed every day. The sheer beauty of the natural world whether it’s the rocky mountains or just a bird in the wind. Life is so beautiful. Humans are beautiful. The earth is freaking beautiful. I think that is all the optimism we need to keep pushing, keep fighting, keep livin’, and keep lovin’.”