Lollapalooza Spotlight: Bôa’s Jasmine Talks “Whiplash,” Acoustic Tracks & Music Tips
Interview by Dahlia Kelly – Photo by Dennis M. Kelly
Saturday afternoon in Chicago, Lollapalooza was in full swing, and the unrelenting sun scorched the Bud Light stage with no shade in sight. Jasmine Rodgers and company took to the stage and performed their moody, alternative rock for a thick crowd of loving fans. Many swaying to the music throughout the set.
Jasmine was kind enough to sit down with us after their set and exclaimed how playing Lollapalooza has been a goal for the band for a while, and definitely long overdue.
The last time Bôa performed in Chicago was back in September at Thalia Hall — “a beautiful venue,” as Jasmine put it, where they were “treated so well.” They returned to Thalia Hall that following night for an awesome Lollapalooza aftershow, with no opening band supporting them, just great Bôa vibes to end the night with.
Bôa performed many songs off their 2024 release, “Whiplash,” including “Strange Few,” the title track, and “Walk With Me,” to name a few.
Jasmine explained that the album is “all about breakups and breakdowns, dealing with life and going through it. We all went through lots of things, so we kind of poured all the emotions into the music. The nice thing about that was that you go through these dark times, then you come out of them, and then they get better, and you go through them again, and they get better.
Being in a band with some good people, there’s a healing process in that as well, and I think that is kind of universal. So I think a lot of people might hopefully feel like some of the songs might have a healing quality for them as well because it was very cathartic for us.”
For those struggling in their music career, Jasmine had these words to share. “I would like to quote my other band members, Alex and Lee, I would say, just keep going. It’s really easy to stop, but it’s really rewarding if you keep going.
You don’t need to be perfect, and from the bits where you’re not perfect, you may find another chord, or another key you’d like to take the song to. So actually, mistakes can be embraced a little bit. Be kind to yourself.”
Being kind to yourself as a musician can take on many forms, but one sure-fire way is to have the proper inspiration when you need some comfort tunes to recharge. Jasmine disclosed two of her go-to songs that help her focus, one being Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” and the other, Blanco White’s “Green Eyes.” Between musical inspirations and proper environmental settings like her garden, Jasmine stays centered and focused, keeping her mind clear for daily tasks or preparing for upcoming tours.
On August 1st, the band released a new single for “Walk With Me (Londinium Version),” which includes “Whiplash,” “Duvet,” “Twilight,” and “Walk With Me” on Spotify. On Apple Music however, it is only “Walk With Me (Londinium Version)” without the additional songs. More acoustic versions of songs are planned in the near future.
After Lollapalooza, the band will perform a few more North American dates and then go on tour through Latin America. Visit https://www.boaukofficial.com/ for additional tour dates and news.
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Tour Dates:
August 2, 2025 – Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL
August 3, 2025 – Lollapalooza Official Aftershow @ Thalia Hall
August 4, 2025 – Hifi Annex, Indianapolis
August 5, 2025 – St Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
August 7, 2025 – Brooklyn Steel, Brooklyn, NY
August 8, 2025 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
November 14, 2025 – Corona Capital, mexico City
November 19, 2025 – Ccb, Lima, Peru
November 21, 2025 – Blondie, Santiago, Chile
November 23, 2025 – C Art Media, Buenos Aires, Argentina
November 25, 2025 – Cine Joia, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Links:
Official: https://www.boaukofficial.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoAUK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boa_uk_official/
Lollapalooza:
Official: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lollapalooza
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lollapalooza
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lollapalooza/
