Bayonne's 'Filters': Roger Sellers on Grief, Hope, and a Morning Cat

Roger Sellers, the Austin-born musician who records as Bayonne, has released a new album titled 'Filters' that marks a shift from mourning to cautious optimism. The album follows 'Temporary Time', which dealt with the death of his father from cancer in 2022. In 'Filters', Sellers deliberately sought to write something more hopeful and positive after years of heartbreak and loss. The opening track, 'Unexpected', begins with the line 'I’m gonna try to ease my mind again', setting a reflective tone. Sellers, now living on the outskirts of Houston, adopted small daily rituals—early walks, audiobooks, journaling—and often encountered the same cat on his route, a detail he mentions in conversation. Musically, the album adds uplifting, effervescent songs to his loop-based dreamy electronic pop. 'Good Enough', co-written with drummer and best friend Matt Toman, evolved from 15-year-old synth snippets into a genuine pop hit, while 'Oxygen' stands out from his typically elegant, slow-paced material. The closing track, 'Everything’s Alright', reinforces the album’s optimistic outlook. Sellers also shares a lingering regret: he missed a performance by the French duo Air in Austin two years ago during their 25th-anniversary 'Moon Safari' tour because he had a conflicting concert in Michigan. He jokes that he may have to wait for Air's 50th-anniversary tour. The article is by Steffen Rüth and was published on kulturnews.de.