Phantogram

Phantogram builds its deeply emotional electronic pop around the commanding voice of Sarah Barthel, which dominates an insistent left-field style infused with hip-hop elements and assembled from thunderous rhythms, synthesizer layers, and occasional razor-edged guitar lines. Early releases such as the 2010 album Eyelid Movies adopted a hazy trip-hop character. Beginning with Voices in 2014, the group moved toward a vast, arena-filling approach that reached radio rotation and appeared in video-game commercials. Collaboration with Big Boi produced the Big Grams project, which secured a Top Ten placement on the Billboard albums chart through the 2016 album Three. The duo maintained its fusion of brooding sentiment and melodic hooks across later works, among them the 2020 album Ceremony and the 2024 release Memory of a Day, informed by Dilla and shoegaze textures.

Established in 2007 and headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York, Phantogram consists of longtime associates Josh Carter on guitar and vocals together with Sarah Barthel on keyboards and vocals, both originally from the neighboring community of Greenwich, New York. First performing under the name Charlie Everywhere and linked to the regional independent imprint Sub-Bombin Records, the pair issued the self-titled Phantogram EP in March 2009, generating broad attention through the tracks “Mouthful of Diamonds” and “When I’m Small.”

The band next delivered the Running from the Cops EP in May 2009 via BBE Records. Phantogram achieved its full-length debut with the eleven-track Eyelid Movies in 2010, which incorporated the previously issued songs “Mouthful of Diamonds,” “When I’m Small,” “Running from the Cops,” and “Bloody Palms.” The album appeared internationally through BBE Records, on Barsuk Records domestically, and on vinyl via Ghostly International. Late 2011 brought the Nightlife EP, which charted modestly in the United States. Extensive touring continued, yet the members found opportunity to join OutKast’s Big Boi on his 2012 album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumours and to appear on the Flaming Lips’ 2013 track “Young Lust.”

Further momentum arrived when the fan favorite “When I’m Small” featured in the MTV version of the British series Skins, accompanied by the release of a four-song self-titled EP. Near the close of 2013 the duo returned to Upstate New York to compose and record its second album. Travel to Los Angeles allowed final refinements of Voices under producer John Hill, whose prior credits include Santigold and M.I.A. Republic issued the album in early 2014. Following promotional activity and touring that carried the project to number 11 on the Billboard chart, the artists resumed work with Big Boi. The resulting collaboration adopted the name Big Grams and yielded a self-titled EP featuring Skrillex and Run the Jewels; the set reached number 38 on the Billboard albums tally.

Enjoyment of the joint process prompted Phantogram, for the first time, to enlist additional musicians on its third album, among them Darby Cicci of the Antlers, session drummer Matt Chamberlain, Dan Wilson formerly of Semisonic, and Ricky Reed also known as Wallpaper. Republic released Three in October 2016, marking the duo’s strongest chart performance to that point with a peak of number nine on the Billboard 200. Two years afterward the pair issued the single “Someday” backed with “Saturday,” directing proceeds to suicide-prevention efforts.

Three singles emerged in 2019—“Into Happiness,” “Mister Impossible,” and “In a Spiral”—all of which appeared on the 2020 album Ceremony. Recorded across studios and residences in Los Angeles, the material chronicled personal challenges and a subsequent path toward resolution. Republic released the album early that year, where it attained number 75 on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums chart. The same year Phantogram contributed “Me & Me” to the Netflix soundtrack for A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, and in 2021 joined Tom Morello on the track “Driving to Texas.”

After this period of activity the duo commenced work on its fifth album, Memory of a Day, again with producer John Hill along with Dan Wilson and Mikky Ekko. The record reflected career and personal highs and lows while broadening the sonic palette to encompass post-punk and shoegaze textures. Neon Gold issued Memory of a Day in late 2024 as the pair concluded a tour alongside Kings of Leon.