Ross Bogan has music inside of him, and one way or another, it’s going to find its way out. Coming off the dissolution of the longtime jam-fusion band Doom Flamingo, the talented keyboardist and songwriter is stepping into a new chapter with Sunday Scaries, the debut album from his solo project, Wolf Mask.
With Sunday Scaries, Ross fully embraces his own musical instincts. His past projects, like Lureto and Robotrio, have been mostly instrumental, but Wolf Mask finds him on lead vocals, putting himself out there as a vocalist for the first time.
“I’ve made a lot of demos for other projects, but I had never really tried to put my voice out there,” Ross says. “I’d only put out instrumental music, and I figured—why not just start singing on all this stuff?”
After taking that leap, he found he really enjoyed it.
“It’s a huge step for me creatively,” Ross explains. “I always like to work with characters and concepts, and working with the Wolf Mask was very cool.”
As we discussed in a previous interview, before Wolf Mask made its debut at Extra Chill Fest 2022, Ross donned an actual wolf mask in music videos, helping him tap into his creativity in a new, uninhibited way.
On Getting Sober
“At the end of the day, everything that I put out has been a lot of me,” Ross says. “I’ve been through quite a bit over the past two years, and a lot of that came out in the music in the videos as well.”
One of the biggest things Ross has been through was getting sober. He quit drinking about two years ago—something he rarely discusses.
“I’m hesitant to talk about it, but it is a huge part of this album,” he explains. “It’s strange for me to talk about because I’m no better than anybody else. It’s just a choice I made that was healthy for me. Because I like drinking too.”
Recording Sunday Scaries
Sunday Scaries was recorded at Coast Records with producer Matt Zutell, alongside a stacked cast of musicians, including:
- Matt Zutell (Human Resources) – Drums
- Aaron Utterback (Human Resources) – Bass
- Dylan Dawkins (Persona La Ave) – Guitar
- Thomas Kenney (Doom Flamingo) – Guitar
- Eliza Novella, Shannon Vogt, Ron Wiltrout, Corey Stephens, the Three Wives, and more
The album cover features Ross in the Wolf Mask alongside his cat, Sandwich—a foster fail turned permanent resident. The original photo was taken by his girlfriend and edited by Aaron Utterback.
“I’m a newfound cat guy,” Ross laughs.
Experimentation Over Improvisation
Most people know Ross for his improvisational talent, but the songs on Sunday Scaries were born more out of experiments in his home studio than live improvisations.
“The album itself doesn’t have any long jams—it’s actually pretty tight,” Ross explains. “I wanted to dive into making shorter, tighter songs.”
Blocking Up My Brain
Ultimately, Sunday Scaries is Ross letting the music out—tapping his creative spirit into a personal, synth-driven exploration of self and friendship.
“I just have music inside of me,” Ross says. “If I don’t get it out, then it starts to block up my brain. So it’s gonna come out.”
Recently, Ross also started working for Backline, a mental health and wellness company for music industry professionals. While he’s focused on that career path, he knows music will always be part of his life.
“Music will always come out, and I will always be playing gigs, no matter what,” he says.
He recognizes that chasing fame isn’t the right approach. The more you make fame your goal, the further it slips away. Love for music and authenticity matter more, and may even be a prerequisite for success.
“I’ve tried to let go of that,” Ross explains. “It’s really easy as a musician to get wrapped up in it, but when you start making music out of fear of not getting where you want to go, you push it away even more.”
Ross believes that the best songs happen when you’re in a flow state, or simply trying to live the best life you can.
“The impactful, wonderful things come into your life when you are trying the least,” he says. “So I just want to make music. I’ll always make music, and whatever happens, I’ll love what I do. That’s all I need.”
Always Moving Forward
Ross’s musical tastes and creative impulses never sit still. He constantly jumps between projects—whether it’s Wolf Mask, Lureto, Doom Flamingo, his role on keys with Big Something, or something else.
“I will never be able to do just one thing,” Ross explains. “The way I’m set up is kind of contrary to the way the music industry works these days. Algorithmically, people want something that’s palatable, and I’m all over the place.”
It’s not about gaming the system, but rather that your music resonates with the right people. Wolf Mask and Sunday Scaries does exactly that.
“I get super fired up selling one t-shirt to someone I know is gonna love it,” Ross explains. “Ultimately, the happiness has to come from the craft. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure, and burnout.”
New Beginnings
Before making this transition to Wolf Mask, Ross spent more than half a decade on keys with Doom Flamingo, a synthwave fusion project that capped off the year with three nights at the Charleston Pour House for New Year’s Eve–their final shows for the foreseeable future.
“I know that we left it in the best possible place we could have left it,” Ross says. “We were able to give each other a hug and walk away from it in a good way. People grow and evolve and change and the time felt right for a break.”
While Doom Flamingo may or may not reunite in the future, Ross is excited to explore his own projects, his creative spirit, and focus on the importance of music in his own life.
Wolf Mask Takes Over the Royal American
Sunday Scaries by Wolf Mask is out now.
Ross celebrates the release with a performance at The Royal American in Charleston tomorrow, Saturday, February 8th, with support from Caminator of The Psycodelics.
Stream the album below, and if you’re in town, head to The Royal American tomorrow night to experience some of the city’s most talented musicians playing these songs live—for the love of the game.