When it comes to achieving a smooth and comfortable shave, the number of blades in your razor can make a significant difference. The advent of multi-blade razors, particularly those with six blades, has revolutionized the shaving experience. This article explores the advantages of using a 6-blade razor and how it can enhance your grooming routine.
Understanding Multi-Blade Razors
Multi-blade razors, such as those with six blades, are designed to offer a closer and more precise shave compared to traditional razors. Each blade in a multi-blade razor works together to lift and cut hair more effectively. The concept behind multi-blade technology is that multiple blades can reduce the need for repeated passes over the same area, which helps minimize irritation and achieve a smoother result.
The Mechanism of a 6-Blade Razor
A 6-blade razor is engineered to deliver a close shave by using multiple blades arranged in a specific configuration. Each blade is set at a different angle to ensure that hairs are cut cleanly and efficiently. The first blade lifts the hair, while subsequent blades cut it closer to the skin, reducing the likelihood of missed spots and providing a more thorough shave.
Enhanced Comfort and Reduced Irritation
One of the primary benefits of a 6-blade razor is the reduction in skin irritation. The multiple blades distribute the pressure more evenly across the skin, which can help to prevent common issues such as razor burn and nicks. The design of these razors allows for a more consistent and gentle shave, making them suitable for sensitive skin types.
Dollar Shave Club provides a range of grooming products, including their Club Series 6-Blade Razor. This razor is designed to deliver a close and comfortable shave with its six blades and advanced features. With options that cater to various needs, you can find a product that fits your preferences and enhances your grooming routine.
The Efficiency of Multiple Blades
Using a 6-blade razor can make your shaving routine more efficient. The design allows for fewer passes over the same area, which saves time and effort. This efficiency is especially beneficial for those with busy schedules or those who prefer a quick grooming routine without sacrificing quality.
The Role of Blade Spacing
The spacing between blades in a 6-blade razor is an important factor in its effectiveness. Proper blade spacing ensures that each blade can perform its function without interfering with the others. This design allows for a more precise and even shave, as each blade works in harmony to lift and cut hair with minimal resistance.
The Importance of Blade Quality
The quality of the blades in a 6-blade razor plays a crucial role in the overall shaving experience. High-quality blades are made from durable materials that maintain sharpness and performance over time. Investing in a razor with well-crafted blades can lead to a more comfortable shave and longer-lasting product.
Features to Look for in a 6-Blade Razor
When choosing a 6-blade razor, consider features such as a flexible head, ergonomic handle, and built-in lubricating strips. A flexible head allows the razor to contour to the curves of your face, providing a closer shave. An ergonomic handle ensures a comfortable grip, while lubricating strips help to reduce friction and enhance glide.
Comparing 6-Blade Razors to Other Multi-Blade Options
While a 6-blade razor offers several advantages, it’s helpful to compare it with other multi-blade options to determine the best fit for your needs. Razors with fewer blades, such as 3-blade or 4-blade models, may also provide a satisfactory shave for some users. Assessing factors like blade sharpness, handle design, and personal preferences can help you choose the ideal razor.
The Impact of Blade Maintenance
Maintaining your 6-blade razor is essential for ensuring its performance and longevity. Regular cleaning and proper storage can help prevent rust and maintain blade sharpness. Additionally, replacing the blades when they become dull is important for achieving optimal results and avoiding skin irritation.
Where to Find Quality 6-Blade Razors
If you’re looking for shaving essentials, a 6-blade razor might be a perfect addition to your grooming toolkit. Many brands offer high-quality razors with advanced features designed to enhance your shaving experience. By selecting a reputable product, you can enjoy the benefits of a closer and more comfortable shave.
Understanding the benefits of a 6-blade razor can help you make an informed decision about your shaving tools. By considering the features and advantages of multi-blade razors, you can improve your grooming routine and achieve a smoother, more enjoyable shave.
Zheng’s I Am Just Me explores identity, intimacy, and the difficulties marginalized individuals face. It is more than just photography when she portrays people who have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Her portraits are windows into experiences that are often marked by intolerance and hardship. The series stems from Zheng’s own struggle as a bisexual woman growing up in traditional East Asian families.
In Zheng’s own words, her subjects have allowed her access to their most vulnerable selves, allowing her to tell their stories through her lens. The strength of I Am Just Me lies in Zheng’s ability to transform her personal bond with these stories into an universal language of empathy and connection.
It is perhaps Zheng’s skillful use of light and shadow that creates subtle shifts in mood that reflect the inner emotional states of each subject that makes each portrait stand out. As she traverses the journey from confusion and isolation to self-acceptance, her visual language speaks to the stories of others as well as to her own. As a photographer, she captures the delicate process of forming your identity in a world filled with strict cultural norms, especially in cultures where tradition trumps individuality.
Having grown up in Chengdu, China, where same-sex attraction was a taboo and actively discouraged, Zheng experienced an internal conflict that resonates throughout her work. There seems to be a tension between visibility and invisibility, between strength and fragility in her subjects. As a consequence, Zheng engages not only in a dialogue about sexual identity, but also about our universal desire to be seen, understood, and accepted.
The way Zheng captures her subjects’ vulnerability while maintaining a strong artistic vision demonstrates her photographic prowess. Her portraits feel like intimate exchanges between her and her subjects, and viewers get to see them up close. That’s why Zheng builds trust with her subjects, which is key to her portraits being authentic and genuine.
Portrait #7
Zheng’s Portrait #7 image from the I Am Just Me series has garnered wide acclaim, earning her the LensCulture Critics’ Choice Award. The photograph is not only technically impressive but emotional as well. This particular image carries an almost mysterious feeling, heightened by the curling smoke surrounding the subject’s face, while much of the series exudes warmth and tenderness. The smoke introduces a sense of ambiguity and tension, setting it apart from the other portraits. This contrast prompts viewers to look deeper, to question the complexity of the subject’s inner world.
The work of Zheng goes beyond merely highlighting marginalized groups’ struggles. By creating a space for these individuals, she actively gives them visibility and dignity. She gives them the chance to tell their stories, making sure their strengths and resilience are acknowledged. By doing so, Zheng elevates their voices, making them feel like individuals with unique, valuable experiences, not just “others” in society.
Jacky ‘The Beetle’ McKenzie is in the midst of a hard time. A rising ‘starchitect,’ her new utopian building designed to radicalize societal norms is receiving scorn from the public and from the press — a disdainful journalist even suggests she’s endangering women with her avant-garde ideas. At her helm is her husband and creative partner, Mark, and her girlfriend, Clarissa, who calms her down when the industry gets too insidious. But as Jacky barrels towards self-actualization, becoming the most streamlined version of herself, she must make a choice if the life of the public figure is truly for her. With cutting insight and an intricate and provocative character study, A Scarab Where the Heart Should Be presents an entirely new type of complicated woman.
Our Culture sat down to talk with Marieke Bigg about architecture, beetles, and self-fortification.
Congratulations on your new novel! How does it feel so close to being out?
It’s always a bit weird with publishing; everything takes so long. I wrote it probably two years ago, now. It feels a bit abstract, but it’ll be great once it’s out there and I can talk to people about it and get a response.
You’ve had three books come out over the past three years, though, right?
Yeah, I guess I’ve been writing a lot, nonfiction and fiction. I treat nonfiction as my day job, really, some of the research-focused writing. And novels in between. There’s been a lot going on.
Jacky is probably one of the most interesting characters of the year — she’s this no-nonsense architect completely determined to streamline her business and life. Where did the idea for her first come from?
It’s always so hard to trace it back, but I remember the idea for the story started with, I think I misread a line in the book I was reading, which kind of got me thinking. “She didn’t hear him say it was over,” or something. And it got me thinking about the type of person who would be so caught-up and self-involved, not being able to hear someone else, and Jacky flowed from that.
Where did the architecture angle come from?
I’m a sociologist by training, so I think I’ve always enjoyed architecture as a visual expression of sociological ideas. I’ve always been interested in it anyway, and it’s quite visual, as well. It also suited Jacky — architecture has been this very masculine discipline about making your mark on the world.
She’s delightfully radical — in one early interview with a journalist, she defends her choice to not put breastfeeding rooms in a university building to normalize women breastfeeding in public. In her words, “Transparency inspires self-respect. The space we occupy can improve us. In that way my buildings aren’t about people in that they show us how collectively, we can transcend ourselves, even when we surrender to the natural laws of space and time.” She makes a compelling case. What was it like occupying her mind, justifying these extreme ideas?
Surprisingly easy, really. I think it’s always helpful, and I enjoy in my writing taking a thought or way of being to its logical extreme. I did that a little bit in Waiting For Ted; Rosie, the protagonist, had a clear vision of how she wanted to live her life. I think it’s a similar thing with these kinds of views. I really enjoy going with them. It’s cathartic in a way, almost carnivalesque, turning everything upside-down and reveling in it.
I love when two characters are arguing in a novel and there’s something to agree with on both sides.
That’s really interesting, you saying that makes me think about writing and how it gives you an opportunity to explore someone’s world on their own terms. I’m currently doing psychotherapy training, which is all about trying to understand and meet someone where they are. You discover more and more, which is that any worldview, absurd as it seems from the outside, has a logic, makes sense.
I do feel like there is some truth to her ruthlessness. When the journalist asks her if her architecture requires a level of social responsibility, Jacky responds in Darwinian fashion, saying that her buildings sort the strong from the weak. “That’s a natural law we all know well,” she says. “And those laws are timeless, and that’s what will make my buildings meaningful to societies to come, and they wouldn’t be if I pandered to trends.” Did you ever find yourself agreeing with her?
I think there’s a seductiveness to that way of thinking, and there’s a reason why people hop on board — it serves a privileged elite very well. That sort of egotistical, individualistic way of thinking. But I agree with her to the extent that it’s an artistic impulse we all have to create and manipulate our environments. That’s a calling we all have. But we mature and we learn to coexist. But it’s recognizing that impulse isn’t exclusive to evil or abnormal people, it’s a capacity we all have. And then we decide what to do with it.
She signs up for Twitter to defend her buildings, and I think it’s the perfect place for someone so provocative. What was it like imagining how the public would react to her personality?
It was an interesting experiment, in a way. I felt her anxiety as I was doing that and it mirrors my own. I think I’m just figuring this out as I’m talking about it now, but how Twitter suits her very well. It’s just speaking into a void, which makes you very anxious. The responses are delayed and they’re anonymous. It’s this ambivalence — on the one hand it’s this perfect platform for her where she can express herself and be provocative, and on the other there’s this deep insecurity and need to be validated that I think unfolds as the story goes on, that leads her feeling anxious, lost, alone, empty.
It’s interesting Jacky takes so willingly to the ‘Beetle’ moniker and even perfects her look so as to be more recognizable as this ‘starchitect,’ as they call her. Why do you think she enjoys being compared to a bug so much?
I think there’s a lot of deep-rooted self-hatred. And a lot of her character is a defense. She talks a lot about buildings, fortification, armor. I think that’s also the branding, the exaggerated beliefs do. They all protect her from the outside world, at the same time, she’s reaching out to it, because she wants intimacy, but she’s too afraid.
The way you so easily enfold her into her own nature and the scientific process is so striking, in one chapter about how she’s an endangered species, you write, “[Jacky]’d had to birth a new world order that would welcome her kind, before she could think about populating the world with more of her.” What was your goal about writing about a woman’s body and place in the world this way?
I think not so consciously, but now that you’re talking about it, it was a kind of exploration for me as well, of this foreign object, of this woman who behaves in many ways, like a misogynistic man, really. But there’s also moments where she says things like that, like, “The world needs to change to accommodate me, I’m not going to pander to these expectations of women, to mother in a particular way.” Those are glimpses of something else and something true. It’s also a kind of irreverence. Women can be conflicted and confusing and there’s aspects of her you might relate to and aspects of her that are completely insane.
At the beginning, Jacky is concerned with how other people can misinterpret her work, but by the end, she makes a grand statement to the public with a building and leaves that life. What do you think changed in her?
It’s this reluctant awareness, but this growing realization that she can’t go on living that way. There’s several points in the story where she’s incapacitated, reaches her physical extreme. But as a human she’s very isolated and she follows her way of being, and realizes it’s not conducive to life. Just reaching the apex of her vision and seeing emptiness in that.
I love that there’s a deep fascination with science, particularly natural selection, adaptability in one’s world, and beetles. There are chapters mixed into the narrative describing different beetles and how Jacky and her partners relate to them. Was there a lot of research going into the novel? Were beetles a hyperfixation?
Yeah, I’d say so. Artistically, I find them really amazing to look at. The more you learn about them, the more you see. It all felt very intuitive, Jacky as a beetle, her obsession with beetles. It felt like I could indulge that lightly maniacal interest myself. It was quite an iterative process — the beetle chapters came later, as I surrendered to the mania.
As well as your novels, you have a PhD and your first nonfiction book, This Won’t Hurt, details misogyny in the medical industry. Do you feel like your fiction is in conversation with this kind of work or are they separate experiments?
I think more and more they’re in conversation. Definitely similar themes, settings. [Jacky] goes to an IVF clinic, and my PhD was on IVF. There are these obvious themes and areas of interest. My next nonfiction book is on psychiatry and I’ve been working more on mental health now. The insights bleed into the different types of writing I’m doing.
I was going to ask what you’re working on next — anything more with fiction as well?
Just coming to the end of psychiatry, but I’m working on more fiction, and hopefully there will be more to come.
You’re very busy!
Yeah, I also need a holiday, so I’m trying to slow it all down a bit.
It’s all about data nowadays. Whether you want to make a big decision for your business or start a new project, analytics reports are what will point you in the right direction. Leveraging information should be your main priority.
People use analytics for many purposes. Someone entering a bet777 game, for example, will take advantage of the information they get to make the best strategy possible. How does data science apply to business analytics, though?
Technology has evolved so much that the future of business analytics seems very exciting. There are plenty of trends that we should watch out for, as they will point us toward a new era of gathering and managing information for our benefit.
What Does the Future of Business Analytics Have in Store?
What do we mean when we talk about business analytics? We refer to the process of analyzing data to get valuable insights. There are many business analytics techniques we can apply, including:
Data mining
Data collection
Data preparation
Data visualization
Data management
Data science
Data science, specifically, is changing the way how we treat information. It’s a technology that all business owners should keep in mind if they want to stay relevant in their markets.
Simply put, data science involves extracting insights from huge amounts of information. The methods you can use involve mathematics, statistics, programming, and more. You can use data science to turn information into valuable solutions.
Thanks to data science, people can extract special input from structured or unstructured information. This can give them an edge in many cases.
As you can see, data science has a lot in store for us, but what can we expect in the future? Currently, business analytics play a pivotal role in shaping a company. Modern techniques include predictive/prescriptive analysis and machine learning.
When you use business analytics, you can prepare for the future, come up with better strategies, and learn from mistakes.
Here’s when it gets fun, though. Technology has experienced a huge evolution over the past few years, so we now have some unique techniques to keep an eye out for:
Real-time Analytics
Getting access to information as quickly as possible is a priority for most companies. Most industries are facing a lot of competition, so being able to get and interpret data as fast as possible is crucial for success.
In such a fast-paced business environment, real-time analytics have the potential to become a game-changer. This process involves analyzing information as soon as it enters the system, giving businesses valuable insights right away.
One of the main benefits of this technology is that businesses will be able to make immediate decisions, which is crucial in times of crisis. This may also help them adapt to evolving customer preferences and market trends.
Businesses that have access to real-time analytics will have a much bigger advantage compared to those who don’t. There’s no doubt that the future of business analytics with data science will involve immediate analysis of information, giving people the tools to react fast.
Machine Learning and AI
Machine learning and AI are two of the main players when it comes to data science. They will play one of the biggest roles in business analytics over the following years, and many companies are already trying to adapt to these technologies.
Artificial intelligence involves the usage of computer systems to mimic the cognitive functions of the human mind. In other words, these systems have the ability to learn from experiences, solve problems, understand languages, and more.
Machine learning, on the other hand, has already been making a difference when it comes to data science. It’s a subset of AI, and it allows certain systems to learn and adapt under certain conditions. The main benefit of machine learning is that it doesn’t require people to explicitly program the system so that it can learn.
How do these technologies apply to business analytics, though? In a nutshell, both of them are used to go through huge chunks of data much faster, allowing people to identify hidden insights that they may not have been able to find on their own, at least not quickly.
AI and machine learning may also be used to automate analytical model building, providing businesses with a competitive edge. Being able to make data interpretations or predictions in real time without the need for human intervention can make all the difference for a business, and that’s what these technologies can achieve.
Simply put, machine learning and AI can make business analytics practices easier by automating most processes, allowing people to dedicate their focus to other important parts of their company while the systems take care of data.
Democratization
When we talk about data democratization, we’re referring to its accessibility. In business analytics, it’s crucial to make data accessible to not just scientists but also the rest of the team in an organization.
Thanks to advances in technology, most tools and platforms are much easier to manage, so employees at many skill levels can access and use data while they work. This makes business analytics much more comprehensive, allowing more people to collaborate and make data-driven decisions.
The Accessibility of Data and Business Analytics
Three components that are shaping the way we manage data are automation, information quality, and cloud-based solutions. They have the potential to make business analytics much more efficient regardless of the industry.
Most companies are moving their data infrastructure to cloud-based solutions, as they’re more convenient. Moreover, they’re placing their focus on quality data and automation, ensuring they can make better decisions when it’s necessary.
Data science is playing a significant role in analytics, and it will keep doing so for a long time. The more accessible data is, the better it’ll be for businesses wanting to succeed.
Bottom Line
It’s exciting to think about how technology will keep benefiting us in the future. However, we must also remember to keep our minds sharp and not rely completely on technology we don’t fully understand.
The key to success is to spend time learning as much as possible about these technologies, as this will allow us to use them for our benefit.
Australia won its largest number of gold medals in the Summer Olympics in 2024. The team, which included outstanding performers in different fields of sports, improved previous performances by clinching the first positions in 18 events. This was mainly attributed to their success in swimming and track cycling events. The team even set a record for the speed of receiving medals, winning four golds in a 5-hour period. By the way, anyone can repeat their success in the speed of receiving gold thanks to the games on MelBet AU. The only difference is that you can pick up your reward not only in the form of medals but in any world currency.
Record-Breaking Performance in Paris
The success of Australia in the 2024 Olympics was due to the right investment and hard work of the athletes. In previous Olympic Games, Australia has been a great performer, especially in the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, where the country won 13 gold medals. The other high was in Sydney in 2000, when Australia clinched 16 gold medals. Most of these were in sporting activities in which they have always been strong, for example, swimming and cycling. Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable Olympic Games for Australians:
1956: Hosted the Melbourne Olympics
2000: Memorable home advantage in Sydney
2004: Athens brought swimming victories
2012: Focus on track cycling
2024: Record-breaking in Paris
Yes, this year will definitely go down in history, too. This legacy of success is based on the effective support of athletes, which will help them succeed at the world level.
Historical Olympic Successes
Australia has performed very well at the Olympics, especially in swimming, where they are always a force to reckon with. In Paris, the Australian swim team was able to maintain this trend by emerging with several gold medals in both individual and relay categories. Furthermore, on the cycling team, more medals were accrued through a good show in the track events. Swimming and athletics are two disciplines in which Australian athletes have always excelled, and this is evidence enough of the talent that they possess.
In general, Australians have a lot of talent – for the second Olympics in a row, they have won gold in skateboarding. So, if you are into sports betting, remember that the Australian team is a good choice. Looking for the best betting tools? Choose MelBet – it is one of the best bookmakers on the Australian market, which also offers online slots casino and a lot of other games. You will definitely not get bored there.
The Secret Behind the Success
Such success is evidence of good work at the state level. Several structures, like the Australian Institute of Sport, help with this respect by availing superior training amenities and coaches. This support has been instrumental in nurturing athletes who have the ability to perform in the Olympics. Another factor is that Australia pays attention to the sciences of sports and nutrition so that the athletes are in the best form. Notably, the country’s dedication to grassroots programs assists in talent search at a tender age and produces what could be future Olympic players.
In recent years, online entertainment has undergone a dramatic transformation. The widespread adoption of streaming services has revolutionized how we engage with media, and the exciting potential of virtual reality (VR) is reshaping our interactive experiences.
The Rise of Streaming Services
The rise of streaming services has transformed the entertainment industry. Platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ have enabled access to a wide range of content anytime, liberating viewers from traditional broadcast schedules. This shift has offered viewers unparalleled convenience and variety and led to the production of diverse, high-quality content tailored to specific audiences. As a result, streaming services have significantly influenced the entertainment landscape, reshaping how we consume movies, TV shows, and live events.
The availability of streaming services has not only made it more convenient for viewers to watch their favorite shows but has also led to an increase in binge-watching, where entire seasons can be watched in one go. Furthermore, the personalized recommendation algorithms these services use have made it easier for users to find new content that matches their interests, enhancing the viewing experience.
The Impact of Streaming on Traditional Media
The rise of streaming services has significantly impacted traditional media by challenging the dominance of cable and satellite TV. As more consumers cut the cord in favor of streaming, traditional broadcasters have experienced a decline in viewership and advertising revenue. This shift has compelled many traditional media companies to adapt by launching their own streaming platforms — such as Disney+ and HBO Max — to stay competitive.
In addition, streaming services have significantly impacted the creation and distribution of content. Many production studios now prioritize digital releases over theatrical ones. This shift has changed not only the way content is delivered but also how it is produced, placing greater emphasis on high-quality, serialized storytelling to appeal to the binge-watching culture.
The Emergence of VR
Virtual reality has emerged as a groundbreaking technology, offering immersive experiences that transport users to entirely new worlds. Initially popularized through gaming, VR has expanded its reach into various sectors, including education, healthcare, and entertainment. The development of affordable and accessible VR headsets, such as the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR, has made this technology more mainstream, allowing a broader audience to experience its potential. As VR continues to evolve, it promises to redefine how we interact with digital content, providing a level of immersion and engagement previously unattainable.
Virtual Reality: The Next Frontier in Online Entertainment
As the next frontier in online entertainment, VR is poised to revolutionize how we consume and interact with media. Unlike traditional forms of entertainment, VR offers a fully immersive experience, placing users at the center of the action. This technology enables viewers to explore virtual environments, participate in interactive storytelling, and engage with content in a more personal and dynamic way. From virtual concerts and sports events to immersive movie experiences, VR is set to transform the entertainment landscape, offering new and exciting ways for audiences to connect with their favorite content.
Current Applications of VR in Entertainment
Its versatility and potential are being showcased through its use in various entertainment applications. In the gaming industry, VR has led to the creation of more immersive and interactive experiences, enabling players to physically engage with virtual worlds. Beyond gaming, VR is being embraced for virtual concerts, allowing fans to enjoy live performances from the comfort of their homes. Also, it is making significant strides in the film industry as filmmakers experiment with 360-degree storytelling to craft more engaging narratives. These diverse applications underscore how VR enhances entertainment by providing unique experiences that traditional media cannot match.
The Future Potential of VR
As technology advances, VR is expected to become even more immersive and accessible, with improvements in graphics, haptic feedback, and wireless capabilities. This will open up new opportunities for VR in various fields, including social interactions, education, and professional training. In entertainment, we can anticipate more sophisticated and interactive experiences, such as fully immersive theme parks and virtual tourism. As it continues to evolve, VR will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of digital entertainment, offering experiences that are more engaging, interactive, and personalized than ever before.
From Casinos to Consoles: The Shift to Online Platforms
The digital revolution has significantly changed the entertainment landscape by moving traditional activities from physical venues to online platforms. This shift can be seen in the gaming industry, where consoles and PCs have become the primary means of interactive entertainment.
The casino industry has also adapted to this change, with platforms like BetMGM offering a wide range of casino games at BetMGM online. Going digital has not only made these activities more accessible, but it has also introduced innovative features and experiences that were previously unthinkable. As a result, users can now enjoy a wide variety of entertainment options from their homes, reflecting the broader trend of digitalization in the entertainment sector.
Exploring the Variety of Online Entertainment Choices
As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of digital entertainment, the variety of options available online continues to expand, offering something for everyone. From the convenience and flexibility of streaming services to the immersive experiences provided by virtual reality, the digital realm has transformed how we engage with content. Online platforms have brought traditional activities, such as casino games, into the online space, further diversifying the entertainment choices at our fingertips.
The wide range of options caters to diverse interests and preferences and highlights the innovative spirit that drives the future of entertainment. As technology continues to advance, the possibilities for online entertainment are boundless, promising even more exciting and engaging experiences ahead.
Bovada, one of the biggest black market gambling websites in the US, will no longer accept new registrations in Michigan and Colorado. Existing customers have a limited time to withdraw their account balances through crypto.
Michigan sent a cease and desist letter to the Costa Rica-based sportsbook in May. Bovada had until June 12 to exit the Wolverine State. Colorado sent the company a similar letter at the start of June.
Both states promised to follow up with legal action should Bovada fail to exit their markets. The offshore betting website ignored the warnings for seven days. However, on June 21, it closed new sign-ups in Michigan and Colorado.
After the recent threats of legal action, Bovada will no longer operate in these states: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
We Want You Out
Before 2018, Bovada was arguably the biggest offshore sportsbook in the US. Online sports betting was illegal across the country. Americans had to opt for an offshore sportsbook to bet on the Super Bowl, March Madness, and other sports sporting events.
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the PASPA Act in 2018, states gained the power to regulate sports betting. Thirty-eight jurisdictions have since then legalized sports gambling, from New York to Connecticut.
States with legal gambling laws don’t want black market sportsbooks to operate within their jurisdictions. And they’re now showing seriousness in taking action against black market operators like Bovada.
Brandt Iden, a senior executive at Fanatics Sportsbook, says Michigan has every right to chase away offshore operators.
“The regulated market can’t thrive if the illegal market is still there,” he said. “Michigan has taken the first step and I encourage other regulators to do it.”
A Victory for Regulated Gambling Operators
A blow to Bovada is a win for regulated sportsbooks across the US. Offshore operators take customers away from legal online betting websites. They also rob states of tax income and expose Americans to potential data theft.
If you’re thinking about betting on sports online, check out the websites discussed by casinos.us. The platform has a comprehensive list of legal alternatives to Bovada in all the states where Bovada is no longer active.
Legal websites offer every sport and league offshore operator feature. Some of them even provide better odds and bonuses. Add the safety aspect and there’s no reason you should risk your data in the hands of a black market company.
What happens if you already have an account at Bovada? If you live in the restricted states, you can withdraw your balances through Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.
Where Bovada still operates, customers can withdraw their money through a variety of banking options.
More Legal Trouble for Bovada
Bovada’s list of cease and desist letters from US state regulators keeps piling up. After Michigan and Colorado sent their legal warnings, Connecticut followed with a similar legal document.
In July, West Virginia sent the Costa Rican company a cease and desist letter, a week after Massachusetts promised to take a similar legal move. Some state officials want the federal government’s intervention in kicking out black market operators out of the country.
Last year, Federal operators shut down an illegal gambling operator linked with money laundering in Las Vegas. Owned by former minor baseball player Wayne Nix, the ring included casino employees at MGM Grand. Nix admitted to running the gambling operation. He will be sentenced in September.
While the FBI has all the resources needed to take down black market operators, states tend to shy away from involving the Feds in state issues. This explains why no state has come out to ask for the federal government’s help officially.
What’s next for Bovada?
In 2022, Bovada had over 10 million customers across the US, Canada, South America, and Europe. The casino and sportsbook have been around for over two decades. Now, its future is at stake.
Bovada is located in Costa Rica and has licenses in both Costa Rica and the Comoros: its parent company has a license from the Anjouan Gaming Board in the Comoros.
While Bovada has gambling licenses, they do not allow it to operate in the US, Canada, or most European nations. It needs licenses from each jurisdiction where online gambling is legal to be considered a genuine operator.
For reasons known to the company, Bovada would rather restrict players from new gambling markets than apply for licensing. You see, most of the sportsbooks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ontario have been operating in Europe for years.
When these North American jurisdictions opened up legal gambling, they applied for licensing immediately. Bovada continued to operate in the shadows hoping state regulators wouldn’t take legal action.
As pressure mounts on the company to exit the US, Bovada has a huge decision to make. It can apply for licenses in states where gambling is legal. There’s no guarantee it will be granted licenses. Or it can exit the U.S. market entirely.
Choosing Your Next Gambling Website
If you have been using Bovada for sports betting in the US, you should probably look for a safer alternative. The feds are unlikely to come after you. However, Bovada has been suspending U.S. accounts left, right and center.
For the best mobile betting experience, find a licensed sportsbook in your state. Almost every state now supports mobile betting. A licensed bookmaker makes you aware the company is valid and not a fraud.
Choose a reputable sportsbook. A great reputation usually means a sports betting site has fair bonuses, comprehensive sports coverage, quick payouts, and competitive odds. Feel free to compare odds on several websites before you place your bets.
Another feature to check is the availability of live betting. Wagering on a match while it’s happening is exciting and can be profitable. This is especially true if you wager at a site with lots of bonuses.
Some features like live sports streams, parlay boosters, and crypto support aren’t compulsory. But they can elevate your betting experience.
Online casinos are like a virtual Disneyland for adults. People spend hours having fun with games like slot machines, blackjack, and poker. Some people change their lives by winning huge jackpots online.
Despite that, online casinos shouldn’t be mistaken as a source of income. They’re a place to have fun with pocket change after a busy week. If you would like to try out mobile casino games, the review by iGaming.com can help you find the best casino sites in the US.
While today’s gambling platforms have beautiful websites and hundreds of games, they have come a long way since their invention in 1994.
Here’s a brief history of iGaming websites and why they’re growing rapidly worldwide.
The Birth of Online Casinos–1994
Microgaming, an Isle-of-Man-based software provider, created the world’s first online casino in 1994. In 1996, Cryptologic created the first online gambling site with a secure payment system.
Banking security was a big deal. It helped popularize online casinos rapidly in countries where the industry was legal back then. Statisticians estimate that online casinos generated more than $1 billion in 1998, four years after their launch.
This happened despite the industry’s limited features. Online gaming at the time lacked many of the features you can find in today’s online casinos: Clear graphics, bonuses, mobile games, and game variety.
Licensing and Regulation—1994 to Present
Antigua and Barbuda created the first online casino regulatory body in 1994—the Free Trade and Processing Act. This attracted the interest of investors in Europe and North America who applied for the first bunch of licenses.
Canada’s Kahnawake Gaming Commission was launched in 1996 to regulate online gaming in protected territories. In the next decade, Australia, Malta, and the UK launched regional regulatory bodies.
This marked a new age for online gaming companies because the industry skyrocketed globally. By 2008, the iGaming sector was generating $21 billion, 20x the figure a decade prior.
Online gambling regulation is usually a matter of state concern. Countries like the UK and Sweden have gambling regulators. Some countries provide international licenses, which can be used globally.
In Malta, casinos can acquire a license to operate in every location where online gambling is permitted. In the US, casino operators need a license from the state before they can operate.
Not every state permits online gaming. New Jersey, Rhode Island, Michigan, and Pennsylvania regulate online casinos. However, many states only support sports betting.
Web Design and Development
Since the first casino websites in the 1990s, web developers have been experimenting with how casinos look. The first generation of gambling websites was text-based and used minimal visuals. You had to download games before you could play them.
As the industry progressed, advancements like Adobe Flash and CSS designs made websites more intuitive. You could play slots with the support of Adobe Flash. The website looked fancier and menu items worked.
Website design took a turn for the better after the launch of HTML5 in 2014. Not only did it kill Adobe Flash but it also eliminated the need to download casino games.
Developers began making no-download websites and games. They also utilized CSS and graphics design to create beautiful, fast, and intuitive websites. Today, every online casino comes with 3D graphics and intuitive search features.
Games and Software Providers
When online gambling began, everyone wanted to play popular Las Vegas games. These included slot machines, roulette, blackjack, and poker. It didn’t matter that slots have dated graphics and low payouts. People just wanted to have fun.
Over the years, casino games have evolved so much that they’re better than anything you can find in Nevada. From variety and design to payout rates and features, online slots blow Las Vegas slots out of the water.
Today’s online slots have an average payout rate of 96%. They have intriguing features like wilds, multipliers, scatters, bonuses, and jackpots. What’s more, they’re beautiful and sound amazing.
Of course, casino games are not created equal. Many operators work with 20+ software providers to offer variety to their players. Companies like NetEnt, Betsoft, IGT, Scientific Games, Blueprint Gaming, and Big Time Gaming are at the forefront of revolutionizing iGaming.
Another feature that makes modern slots so popular is that they’re safe. Software providers use Random Software Engines (RNGs) to trigger winning symbols. Almost every casino game has RNG software.
Banking and Withdrawals
In the early days of online gaming, you had to use bank transfers or physical checks to deposit your money. Cards like Visa and MasterCard soon became available but they charged high fees and would often decline gambling payments.
It took the invention of mobile payment apps to elevate online gaming to the next level. Companies like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller lowered the transaction cost and boosted payment speed so much that they’re still the standard way of depositing money today.
Depending on your casino, you can deposit through various banking options. Some, like PayPal and Apple, process payments fast. They have tight security and work in multiple countries.
Bank transfers are still a popular payment option at online casinos. But people used to cash out large amounts of money. Crypto, a new entrant to the online gaming space, is spreading quickly thanks to its advanced security and transparency features.
Security and Trustworthiness
Security has always been an important measure for determining whether to join an online casino. In the beginning, we didn’t have a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). That means some casinos in the mid-90s operated with unsafe websites.
Also, casinos have lax security tools to help you secure your account. Gambling sites began taking security seriously towards the end of the last century. Cybercrime became a thing, leading developers to creative cybersecurity measures.
Today, no one joins a casino without reviewing its security features. A valid license is the first sign of a trustworthy gambling site. An encrypted website with account protection features makes it secure. However, people prioritize top-rated websites with a record of data protection and quality services.
As both a friend group and as a band, Lunar Vacation take leveling up seriously. Gep Repasky and Maggie Geeslin have been sharing musical ideas ever since becoming best friends in eighth grade, making demos in their bedrooms and going on the road before adding Connor Dowd on drums, Matteo DeLurgio on keys and percussion, and Ben Wulkan on bass. After touring in support of their dreamy, inviting 2021 debut Inside Every Fig Is a Dead Wasp, the band’s five members started living under the same roof – and sharing a single bathroom. Wulkan turned the living room into an ad-hoc studio where Lunar Vacation wrote and demoed their just-released sophomore album, Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire, which also meant they had to practice a greater degree of trust, communication, and vulnerability. Repasky hardly had to talk about the emotional turmoil that inspired a lot of the songs and led to a psychiatric hospitalization – everyone was there to witness it. Untangling those mixed feelings – despair, resentment, warmth, optimism – into an indie rock record was not an easy process, but it seems to have come organically. Produced by Drew Vandenberg, Everything Matters, Everything’s Fire doesn’t progress the band’s sound by making it more pristine or in any way perfect, but rather finding the right pace: it builds up, steadies itself, hurries, lets go. Everything Matters might be the opposite of nihilism, but it’s an embrace you have to open yourself up to, even if it burns a little.
Following our Artist Spotlight interview, we caught up with Lunar Vacation’s Gep Repasky and Maggie Geeslin to talk about their house, Yo La Tengo, running, and other inspirations behind their new album.
The Lunar Vacation house and garden
Maggie Geeslin: Coming off the Fig album tour cycle in 2022, we were kind of living at our parents’ houses, Gep and I had just graduated college, Matteo graduated. We were all in this floating space where we were touring so much that it was fine if we were sort of placeless. After that tour ended, we realized we’d probably have a year with some shows but mostly focusing on making the next record. We didn’t have a solid process for writing together yet, so we were like, “Why don’t we all just move in together?” Ben dropped out of NYU music school to come live with us and be in the band full-time, which was kind of the start of this album era. Ben is a really great engineer, he has his own studio, so he spearheaded the demoing process. I think Gep found the house on Apartments.com—
Gep Repasky: Or something like that. [laughs]
MG: We found it pretty quickly and were like, “Alright, let’s do it!” It’s kind of not really meant for five people, but we make it work.
GR: Talking about the house feels like just talking about our friendship – it feels like a metaphor for it. This was the first time we’ve all been under one roof, especially after touring – it was crazy to go back to the same place together and we’re like, “Well, we literally can’t escape one another.”
Did you debate the decision at all?
MG: I think it was more out of necessity because we all needed a place to live. Also, it makes the rent cheaper because there’s five people in one house that’s not really meant for five people. That was a huge incentive. Also, we knew we needed to make an album, but didn’t know where to start, so it seemed like the best way to jump into it.
GR: Like, we were making demos in the living room, so everyone had a chance to share ideas. It felt like more of an open invitation for any demos or opinions, which wasn’t the case with our last album. With our first album, I feel like we imposed a lot of boundaries and rules, even if we didn’t realize it. And by “we,” I mean also me, because I was definitely pretty protective over some of the songs. But I learned to stop being so… I don’t know, annoying?
MG: Protective.
GR: Yeah. I used to feel – sometimes I still feel this way – like, “Yup, this is the last good song I’ll ever make. It’s over. It’s done. Well, now I’ll have to get a corporate job.” But trying to get away from that idea was literally opening up the process to everyone, being more vulnerable, laying it all out and not being so secretive and worrying about, “Is it gonna transform into something I don’t like anymore? It is gonna lose its magic?” But that’s just not true. It made all the songs better, and it made all of us better at what we’re doing.
Was it a slow process?
MG: Oh, yeah. It took us like four months to even get started demoing. We were all settling into a pretty new phase of life. Gep and I were trying to work in the real world for the first time since graduating college and going on tour, and we all had to get different part-time jobs. We still wanted to prioritize the band, but we had to pay rent and we weren’t playing shows, so we had to get other jobs. I feel like there were a few months of us just figuring out how to exist, but in January 2023, we locked in and made a plan, listened to a bunch of old demos and ideas, and scheduled more time to write together. From January to about July last year, we were writing. And then we booked studio time in December, so we had a few months where we toured for a month and let the songs sit a little bit. Because it kind of got to the point where we were overworking them, trying out so many different versions. Our manager was like, “I think you guys should just let it breathe a little bit.” Same with our producer, Drew. He helped us tie it all up and finish it in the studio in December. It was definitely a year-long process.
In terms of the vulnerability, Gep, was it a learning curve for you?
GR: Yeah, definitely a learning curve. I don’t know if I’m a full control freak, but I definitely like to be in control. All of it was learning to trust everyone on a different level. We already had the baseline trust with everyone, but I feel like we just needed to reach a higher level. Living together was part of that, sharing songs was part of that, and we now split all the songwriting credits and everything equally, which we didn’t do in the past, either. Now, fully, everything is equal. I feel like we’ve totally leveled up as friends and as a band. It was a necessity for us to keep growing and for everyone to feel good about what we’re doing.
Maggie, a term that you used in the bio is “homemakers.” What does it mean for you to make a home together while being in a band?
MG: I think it really goes along with what Gep was saying about leveling up as friends. We live together and make music together, but we’re not doing that 12 hours a day, you know? Our garden is part of the inspiration too. Matteo definitely took the lead on being like, “We have a front yard, let’s try to grow food,” and everyone tended to it and put thought into it. While we were writing, there were a lot of times when three of us, or whoever, would step out into the garden, look at everything, and talk about the music. You can have the whole metaphor for music and nature, and I’ll save that for people who know about that, but just letting things grow – we all did a lot of growing during this time. Gep and I got into a lot of crafts. I learned how to crochet, Gep learned how to make rugs, I’m learning how to sew right now. I feel like we didn’t just want to occupy this space, but really live in it and be intentional with every part of our lives together.
It’s difficult – we’re sharing one bathroom and one kitchen for five people, so part of homemaking is that we had to make a bathroom cleaning schedule that’s taped inside a cabinet, and you have to check off what you do. Part of homemaking is our communication, too. You can be a passive roommate and ignore people when they’re not cleaning their dishes, or you can be straightforward, like, “Hey, you need to clean this up,” or, “Hey, I’ve emptied the dishwasher for the past three days, can you do it?” I feel like that really fed into how we communicate on tour and how we communicate when we’re writing – trying to be respectful but also straightforward, so we can all be closer.
Science (Gep’s cat)
GR: Science will always be an inspiration to me because he’s the first animal that was really mine. We had dogs growing up, but they were family dogs, more my parents’ dogs. I’m not sure if I had Science the last time we talked?
MG: Yeah, I think you did. That was 2021.
GR: So maybe I did. But honestly, he’s just getting older. I got him when he was six, and he turned nine this year. I don’t want to be dark, but it kind of makes me think about death sometimes. He can’t talk to me. He can’t be like, “Hey, I’m feeling bad and need to go to the vet.” The only way I know is if he hides from me or won’t eat. I’ve kind of had to take on a parental role, which is amazing because I feel like he’s my kid, but it makes me sad because he literally could die any second, and I have to be okay with it. He’s gonna die, probably, before me, and I know it’s gonna be such a horrible loss to experience. It sounds so dumb, but sometimes I’m like, “I can’t die yet because he’s there.” You know what I mean? Sometimes I’m like, “I need to die,” but Science is there, and I cannot. He is my world. I just love him so much.
MG: You also got him at a time – I feel like a lot of this record is about mental health and trying to get better and accept things. Ever since Gep got Science – I mean, I’ve lived with Gep and Science even before we all moved in together – I feel like Gep will be like, “I’m feeling really depressed, but I have to live for Science.”
GR: It’s true. I literally am like, “Yup, sorry, I can’t dip out on that guy.”
MG: But since we’ve all moved in together, he’s kind of become like the band’s pet, and he really spreads his love around. He’s such a good guy; he’s in my room right now. Whenever Gep is gone, I’m his Gep. [laughs] We told Leo, who did the art, if he wanted to incorporate Science in some way, because he’s kind of like the band’s mascot now. So, there’s a little cat on our record cover. And there’s a red moon – ever since we started working with Leo on our song ‘Unlucky’, which was before Fig, he’s included a red moon on everything we’ve done. So, we ended up with a cat and a moon, which feels like our two little symbols.
GR: We’ve never met Leo in person.
MG: Only over the phone.
GR: But he was sending cats, and we were like, “Oh my God, this is Science!” And he was like, “Yes!” I feel like he spearheaded that. I loved that he was so into it, and I was like, “Wait, this is a good thing.” I would love Science to be memorialized in everything we put out in the future.
MG: He’s a symbol of peace, honestly, and being loving and chill.
GR: He is literally the symbol of everything good. That’s why he inspires me.
In the credits, you call him “the greatest cat who ever lived.”
GR: I fully believe that. For my job, I cat-sit and dog-sit, so I’m around animals all the time. There are some close seconds, but no one holds a candle to Science. He’s perfect. And he’s only hissed at one or two people, and they were bad omens. He just picks up the vibes.
The grocery store
You reference the grocery store on the song ‘Bitter’, which is probably the most self-critical song on the album. Were you working at one at the time?
GR: Yeah, I did. I feel like the grocery store as an umbrella, so many of the songs are under that. A lot of the songs are about the demise of a relationship, and it was a relationship I had with someone I worked with. When that went to shit, I had to quit and couldn’t be friends with some of my coworkers – they say never date coworkers, and then you actually do it and it’s like, “Wait, this is gonna work out.” And then it’s so horrible and you have to quit your job and find a bunch of new friends.
A lot of the songs came from that: ‘Bitter’, and also ‘Just for Today’ has that grocery store vibe because I would get really depressed working there. There were times where I was just stocking cans, and I was like, “I hate my life.” Not even because I was stocking cans, but it just gave me too much time to think sometimes. It was good when I was at the register, talking to people. It felt really good to be social; I was forced to be very friendly and social, and that was nice. I feel like if I hadn’t worked there, this album wouldn’t have happened because so many of those songs are about my relationship or the grocery store life intertwining with my other life.
MG: Yeah, Bitter’, ‘Just for Today, ‘Tom’ – because ‘Tom’ was about one of your coworkers you had a crush on, but then he’s gay. John [J. Andrews], who did the video for it, basically told the story through the animation. But you working at the grocery store – when we moved into this house, we all had to get part-time jobs, and that’s the job that Gep got. Just experiencing post-college, post-pandemic, you’re being a social person again, and I feel like a lot of those interactions got you to start writing again.
GR: ‘Tom’ is all good though, because I love my coworker who that’s about. No bad vibes there. Some of the other songs detail not-so-fun experiences, but that’s life.
Yo La Tengo
What aspects or era of the band were you drawn to?
MG: Definitely And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. That record stood out to me. Gep was in a Yo La Tengo phase, which got me into it, and then Ben. That was a band that all five of us, who all listen to different things, could rally around and be like, “This rocks.” They record themselves now, and they just do whatever – sometimes they have 10-minute-long, ripping songs that are super distorted, and the next song will be a gentle lullaby. That was really inspiring for us. It showed that to be a band, all you have to do is be people who make music together. You don’t have to stick to a genre or be a happy band or a sad band. Because we started making music so young, some of the songs we made when we were 16 people still request, and they’re really upbeat and surfy, and sometimes we don’t feel like playing them. Seeing a band with so much variety is just really validating.
To get into the technical stuff, their drum sounds were a big inspiration on a lot of our songs, especially ‘Better Luck’. The guitar sounds, too, the spacey distortion mixed with a lot of country-like pedal steel. They’re just not afraid to be simple, and that’s something we needed to let ourselves do in order to serve the songs. Like I said, we overworked them, and sometimes it’s like, “Let’s just play this like a Yo La Tengo song.” They’re like a band’s band. We also got to see them live. We had a serendipitous moment when we were driving into Pittsburgh, we were opening for Rubblebucket at this venue called Mr. Smalls – we’re getting in the day before the show, and I was like, “Oh my god, Yo La Tango is playing here tonight.” I texted the venue guy and was like, “Hey, this is Maggie from Lunar Vacation. Any way you have some spots for the Yo La Tengo show tonight?” He got us all into the show, which was pretty amazing.
GR: I feel like using that phrase, “Let’s just Yo La Tengo it,” it’s like, let’s just chill out and not think too hard, just jam on it and see where it goes. I feel like that was a good mantra to have in our heads, because it’s not like we were taking specific things from certain songs. It was just the overall vibe and aura of Yo La Tengo. That was a fun reminder for all of us to come back and stop overthinking.
Tascam M-308
I’m assuming this is the mixer you used to demo the album?
MG: Yeah, Ben bought it on Facebook Marketplace for pretty cheap. He brought it to our house, and then they had a bigger board, so we took that one as kind of our band board. Every time we demoed, it was either just Gep’s iPhone demos that we were going off of in the studio, or we’d gone straight into a computer through Ableton or something. With this record, we really wanted it to sound more organic and warm, and I feel like that board was kind of the gateway to achieving that, making the demos feel that way right off the bat instead of waiting 12 months until they sounded like that in the studio. The warmth of plugging straight into a board and mixing in an analog way is something we hadn’t really explored much on our own. That was one of those things that made it a lot easier and instantly sound nice. We needed that to get started with the writing process and to imagine the soundscape.
Running
GR: I love to run, and I figured that out last year. I feel like it gave me a lot of time – maybe a little too much time – to think through things I was stressed about or thinking about. It just made me feel better. When you go on a run, you’re kind of forced to finish. It’s been so hot so I haven’t been running as much as I used to, but running just makes you feel so good. You have to come back somehow, and I love the idea of putting yourself in a situation where you have to complete whatever task you’ve set yourself. Not even in a rigid way, but just like, “I can’t chicken out.” When you run, it’s so cathartic, and sometimes I would cry when I ran, too. I went through a bad, weird breakup, and running really helped with that. I would just take an hour or however long it took and maybe try and get my frustration or anger out by running, and then I’d go really fast, and maybe I’d slow down, but I would always want to keep going. And I feel like by the end of it, I would always be crying about something – in a good way.
It helped me really think about my health. I don’t drink anymore, which is good. Also, making sure to eat regularly and not just be like, “I’m going to smoke cigarettes and then go for a run because they cancel each other out, and I don’t have to have dinner.” Like, what is that? That makes no sense. So I was learning how to incorporate running into my life in a healthy way. It just gets your ideas flowing and makes you feel less worried about your entire life, you know.
MG: In general, all of us living together, we don’t drink that much, and then when Gep stopped drinking, we really didn’t drink much as a household. If we’re in such close quarters, if one person starts taking care of themselves, it’s a chain reaction. Ben and Matteo go on runs together, and Gep running really inspired me to start running; I also love to ride my bike. It’s so easy when your friends are doing it. But it’s funny, Gep, what you said, you write these songs to get over situations and process them, but that doesn’t stop once you finish writing the song. You have to deal with that in another way, and I feel like running is how you dealt with it – and going to therapy.
That could be its own inspiration, I’m sure.
GR: Oh my God! We can’t even begin to talk about that because it’s so layered.
A baby nylon guitar
You play it on several songs on the album, including ‘Sick’, ‘Better Luck’, ‘Tom’, and ‘Just for Today’. Is it usually the starting point for songs?
GR: Literally, yes. Getting that nylon guitar changed my life. It was only $119 from a guitar shop near our house. It’s just a Yamaha, super basic, chill, small guitar.
MG: Is it a child’s guitar? It’s really small.
GR: I think it is. It’s so tiny, but I love it because usually the necks of nylon guitars are huge, but this one neck is super small. That guitar helped me write on the road, and there’s one song I actually wrote in the car while we were touring in late 2022. I wrote ‘You Shouldn’t Be’ in the car, and it was completely different. It had three extra chords that made it sound so different. Ben would be like, “Oh, this demo you sent two months ago that’s ten seconds or whatever — I have a whole idea for it.” Basically, he took out two chords, and then he and Matteo made the drum beat – it blows my mind! That’s my favorite drum beat, it’s so freaking cool. They were like, “Look what we did! I think this could be ‘You Shouldn’t Be,’” and I was like, “Whoa, I love it.”
The second song I wrote on that tour was ‘Fantasy’. I wrote it at our friend Violet’s house in Tennessee. It was such an easy, fun way to keep writing. It’s so versatile, and it’s easy to tune the strings to different tunings. I love the warmth of the nylon; it has the most beautiful sound in the entire world. And I love that we could put it on the record so much because I was worried it had intonation issues or just wouldn’t fit the vibe. But it worked really well, like ‘Just for Today’, there’s the nylon picking in the back while the main guitar lead is electric. Having that guitar has made me less scared to write songs and got me out of my songwriting rut.
Another song that features the nylon guitar, although Ben is credited with playing it, is ‘Erase All the B’s’, which is probably my favorite on the album right now. How did that one come about?
GR: I think that’s probably my favorite song ever. It came out of that relationship dwindling. The day after everything happened, I picked up my guitar, and I was dog-sitting, too. I was literally dog-sitting and house-sitting 30 minutes away from everyone, so I was in this empty house, alone, so sad. I did not know what to do, I felt so horrible. I feel like those were just the first chords that came to mind, and the song basically wrote itself. I really didn’t have to do that much, it just came out. There’s a reference to a song called ‘It’s Hard to Get Around the Wind’ by Alex Turner, the lead singer of Arctic Monkeys. The song is on a soundtrack he did for a movie called Submarine that I love. And that song always made me feel so upset because it’s really depressing, but that line, “Trying to get to heaven in a hurry,” I would always think about that, especially when I was feeling really depressed. I was like, “I’m trying to get to heaven in a hurry.” So that line just came out, and the chorus, too, was just like, “This has nothing to do with me.” Because the situation was fucked up, that’s all I’m gonna say. I could not have done anything to prevent it, it was out of my control. And I feel like that goes along with accepting what happened and try to move on.
That also translates to the way we recorded it, because the whole song was done in one take. Which is crazy, because we’d never done that before, and all us are very picky about our parts. The fact that we could agree on one take – and the vocal take, too, which I was nervous about because I usually like to double the vocals or harmonize. But once we did it, we were like, “That’s it. That’s the feeling of the song.”
MG: We played it one night after dinner; we went back into the studio and tracked it probably like 17 times. Then we all went in the control room and listened to all of them. Drew, our producer, was like, “I have one that I think should be the one. You guys listen and pick which one you think should be the one.” And it’s the one that ended up on the album. I will say, though, everything is tracked in one take, but Ben’s nylon guitar, there was a day when Gep was sick—
GR: Oh, that’s right.
MG: Drew, our producer, really wanted a little bit of extra guitar in the chorus, so Ben tracked the nylon because Gep was gone. He was like, “You can’t hear it, but you can feel it.” I was like, “Okay, whatever!” [laughs] But that song we knew was very special. I almost feel like we were afraid to touch it because Gep’s demo was just them singing with a guitar. So we were like, “How do we honor this but also make it fit into the record?” We talked about a lot of different ways to do it in the studio, and Gep at some point was like, “I don’t even want to do it.” And then we ended up just playing it like we would play it. We didn’t practice any parts or anything; everyone just got in front of their instrument of choice, dialed in a tone, and then we just played it like we were sitting in our living room, just playing along to it.
GR: That song I think came out of the most sadness and despair. I feel like that song coming out of that was a little guiding light, you know?
MG: Also, in general for all the songs, but especially that one because it’s so emotional – because we all lived together when Gep was going through that stuff, I feel like we all witnessed it and understood the lyrics and material more than usual because we were so close to Gep, both physically and emotionally. We were alongside them while they were going through that, and I feel like you can really hear it in everyone’s playing in that song. Even though it’s really simple, it’s almost like everyone is sympathizing with you as they’re playing. We all knew – it used to be just me who knew what every lyric is about because I was best friends with Gep, but now I feel like everyone knows what every lyric is about. We understand a lot deeper than we would have before, and I think that really helped everyone shape their parts.
MG: I feel like that could apply to every song. Because we’re living together, everyone has all the context for the songs, and I was less scared to talk about them. I still get insecure when I talk about it because I’m like, “I feel dumb,” but it was nice that everyone was on the same page.
What was your reaction to that particular song, Maggie, and how did you feel when you were recording it?
MG: I honestly felt very proud, because I feel like the situation – it could have been like a revenge song. You could have gone Taylor Swift mode.
GR: Like a diss track, something really spiteful and mean.
MG: Gep wrote it one day after everything went down, and just that chorus of “What’s it got to do with me?” – when we play it live, it’s “Nothing’s got to do with me” – but it also feels very heavily intertwined. It’s about that messed-up relationship situation, but it also feels like it’s about Gep’s mental health journey and what they went through last year, which – our rooms are literally right next to each other, and we’re also just very close in general. I probably cried when I heard it. There are some songs that Gep sends that make me cry, even from when we were 16. I don’t think I’ll ever forget recording it, because there was that point where Gep was like, “I don’t even know if we should record it,” and I’m so happy we did because I’ll never forget what it felt like to be in the room with everyone, just playing and having no plan. We just felt really together. Even though that song is about a specific situation, it will probably resonate with a lot of people, and it definitely resonated with me, even though something like that hasn’t happened to me. It almost felt sacred. You have something beautiful, and it’s like, what are you gonna do with it?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
FINNEAS has shared a new song, ‘Cleats’, taken from his upcoming sophomore LP For Cryin’ Out Loud!. Following the previously released title track, the single arrives with a music video directed by Isaac Ravishankara. Check it out below.
For Cryin’ Out Loud!, the follow-up to 2021’s Optimist, is out October 4 via Interscope.
