Over the past three years Ross Bogan trickled out singles ahead of would eventually become his debut solo album.

The keyboardist, synth master, and subsequent tone specialist, best known for his part in Charleston, S.C.’s former six-piece vampiric rock troupe Doom Flamingo, has diligently continued the process of adding to his repertoire since the band’s November 2024 decision to take an “indefinite break.” The result is 10 tracks under the costumed pseudonym Wolf Mask on Sunday Scaries, released in early February.

Using the furry veil further amplifies the visual counterpoint of good and evil, his sweet demeanor versus the big bad wolf aesthetic that embodies the fictitious character that propels the notion of cinematic music. The effect is a set that creeps with a similar thrill as John Carpenter’s ‘70s production of Halloween.

The slow turnout allowed Bogan to be thoughtful with his deliveries. Select songs like “LIQUIDCRYSTALDISPLAY,” “dreaming // falling,” “Caligula,” and “NEVERSETTLE” were presented as traditional singles and arrived in instrumental form, allowing the music to function like movie scores when scrubbed of its lyrics.

“This is the most I’ve put myself out there. I have always worked on bigger projects as a band,” Bogan said while discussing the album over the phone in late January. The alignment and timing of the set also bolsters another wave of change for the artist, whose own sobriety also inspired a new career path as a substance abuse counselor and member of the Backline team.

In the following conversation, Bogan discusses his debut album, sobriety, and his decision to help other musicians after helping himself. 

Sunday Scaries is streaming now.

How did the pieces for this project start to emerge as a collection rather than just singles?

I had a lot of demos and ideas that were unfinished because I often made music for other people and other projects. During the pandemic, I had a little more time on my hands… I had always written songs, but I had never recorded them. I just started to write these songs, and it kind of snowballed—I picked up pieces of ideas that were left around.

Can you discuss the concept of your on-stage persona as a masked performer and how that translates on the album?

The wolf mask came about because I was filming a music video for Lureto, and we went into the woods and camped for a night. I brought this mask for the video and just enjoyed being a wolf. [Laughs.]

Also, I always liked working with characters and concepts. We all often wear masks as a means of communication. It is, in some ways, a character. Just like exploring characters and fiction or comics or whatever, a lot of you will come out through that. And, it inevitably became a lot of me.

One of the most striking elements of the album is its cinematic effect. Considering your interest in horror movies, which has been well-documented in past interviews and conversations, to what extent did thrillers inform the project?

I love slasher films. I always like exploring villains and why they are a certain way. I think about when the mom connects with Michael Myers for just a second in Halloween, and she’s trying to connect to the human side of Jason and reach out to him. I love the idea of these characters having scary exteriors, but they’re really just trying to emote something.

Sounds like the concept behind wolf mask.

Like the wolf mask or Bigfoot trying to be your friend, I just like spooky stuff. [Laughs.]

The project has a spooky aspect and a lightness. It holds multitudes when you consider its nodes of inspiration juxtaposed with declarations of self-love and forgiveness.

A lot of that comes from me being really into horror movies and figuring out the underlying themes of what we’re afraid of. Those are oftentimes metaphors for us running away from our fears, and I think it’s just another way for me to use that art form to convey what’s going on with me.

As far as light and dark, I swing pretty hard. I think that’s how I am as a person, and I’ve gone through a lot of moments of self-discovery in the past couple of years, like getting sober. I think there are many light moments and dark moments in that, and this album has a lot of that. It has a lot of that journey in it. As much as I would want to make a fun horror album, that’s what came out.

How did these themes come up during the songwriting process?

In my songwriting process, I make these instrumentals, or I sit at the piano and do the Paul McCartney method–where you vocalize whatever comes, or random words come to mind, and then you start piecing things together. Then you take a step back and look at the whole thing, and you’re like, “Oh wait, this is something deeply rooted in me that I didn’t realize was there, and I need to look at this.” I think the subconscious just comes out.

Like the Shower Principle. [The Shower Principal is a reference from 30 Rock that denotes one’s best ideas come from the unconscious mind or when distracted from the task, like taking a shower.]

In a Willie Nelson interview, he talked about getting in his car and driving, like anything, to get yourself out of the way so the song could come through. There was also a Tom Waits interview where he’s in traffic and says, “Really song? Right now, you’re gonna come through?”

Having dropped “LIQUIDCRYSTALDISPLAY” in 2022, “Caligula” in 2023, and following up with “Ghost Rider” in 2024, how has the project molded into a collection over the years?

 That is, in large part, me doing a billion things at once and finally getting around to putting it out. I also finally had the courage to put it out. I just sat on it because I wasn’t sure when the right time to put it out was. Then life took over and other projects took over, and then it took a backseat.

As far as a cohesive project, I recorded a lot of songs that aren’t on there and these were the ones that made the most sense. It’s hard for me to make anything cohesive because I have a lot of different desires and tastes in music–to a fault–I just kind of pivot in a whole other direction.

The album arrived after Doom Flamingo announced its indefinite hiatus. How do you feel in the wake of the band’s decision to take a break?

I feel like it was time for a break as far as the band is concerned. Everybody in the band, in their own right, is so talented and some of my favorite musicians. I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

Anybody close to the band knew it was time for a break, and I think we left it in the best possible spot. We were able to play our last shows for a while in our hometown at the Pour House, give each other a hug afterward, and support each other in the best possible way at the time.

Sonically, how did your experience as a member of Doom Flamingo influence Sunday Scaries?

Some of the instrumentals that were used were [originally] pieces I made for Doom that didn’t get picked up.

You’ve gone through many changes in the past couple of years. Before Doom Flamingo’s hiatus, you got sober. Did that experience arrive as a topic on the LP?

It’s what was going on with me, so it was inevitable that it all ended up on there. I was hesitant to even talk about it, but then it was like “Well, there it is.”

The lyrics in “NEVERSETTLE” are about that. I was on a gig with a friend and he was worried about drinking around me, and I was like, “Dude, I don’t want you to change at all. I love you the way you are.” I don’t want anyone to change on my behalf because there were a lot of good times that were had and fortunately I’m at a place where I am grateful for all of them.

You also started a career with Backline. Given your background as a musician, what has that been like for you?

It all started from working with my own therapist. Just about every band I’ve ever been in, there’s been serious mental health struggles , and I never knew how to deal with those. I still don’t. But when I got sober, it was apparent how many people around me were struggling.

I had people ask me how I got sober. And I remember I talked to my therapist about it, and I [asked], “What do I tell them? How do I talk to them about this?” He said, “You don’t tell them anything because you’re not qualified to talk about it.

I started looking into how I could get qualified. So, I [looked] into being a substance abuse counselor and talked to a buddy of mine who was doing an online mental health counseling program. I realized I could do this and play music at the same time.

I knew about Backline from my buddy, Stephen Grybowski. I asked him if I could intern or work with them. I interned and trained for about a year, and then I was offered a part-time position as a case manager. I’m picking up the phone and talking to musicians, other music industry professionals, crew members… I have been doing it for the last 15 years, so I feel I can handle it. 

I’m very grateful now that I have the wonderful resources Backline has put together to send their way. The ripple effect is very real.