Power Down Says They Have the "Bag in Hand"
Once in a blue moon, two creatives cross paths who are destined to create magic together—a match made in musical heaven. Duos like Power Down prove what’s possible when a veteran of the industry—seasoned in playing, producing, and founding his own label—joins forces with a young, headstrong virtuoso brimming with raw talent. Dan Voss Jr. met Aaron “Zeus” Zepeda while working with Bob Margouleff, the electronic music pioneer behind Stevie Wonder’s award-winning albums, and the rest is history. In the studio, their chemistry is electric—each bringing a distinct perspective, trading and trying out ideas until a masterpiece emerges. Separated by generations, Voss Jr. delivers sucker punches of '80s and '90s rock edge—echoing his days writing and producing for major artists—while Zeus propels their sound forward, wielding his “studio wiz” skills to blend in fresh, modern textures. Together, they’ve struck sonic gold—music that’s professional, unpredictable, polished, yet ferociously fun. With their original debut just around the corner, Power Down is ready to turn up the good vibrations. Expect big hooks, bold sounds, and the kind of music that can only come from two artists having the time of their lives doing what they do best.
“Bag In Hand” marks listeners’ first step to the sonic universe of Power Down—and they might be surprised by what they find. Their debut single feels like it was written beneath the neon haze of a sprawling city, as if Voss Jr. and Zepeda crafted a tale of longing, detachment, and surrender designed to crank up the drama and allure to the max. Blending pop, rock, and electronic sensibilities, “Bag In Hand” could slide seamlessly into a cyberpunk film soundtrack—a surge of shimmering synths, cavernous whistles, distorted rhythms, and climactic harmonies. The tempo pulses with urgency and intensity, tracing the thoughts of a lover chasing after a partner who's already halfway gone—“day after day, night after night”—stepping into the spotlight with one foot out the door and a “bag in hand.” As the track unfolds, anticipation builds, hinting that these two might be drifting apart for good. Emotion-charged vocals swing between restraint and release, heightening the sense of desperation. Though the waiting and loneliness threaten to tear him apart, he vows to remain her “audience of one,” even when it feels futile—because “sometimes in love, you let them run.”
Just as easily as “Bag In Hand” could score a cyberpunk film, it could just as easily soundtrack a larger-than-life anime about love on the brink. Fortunately, viewers don’t have to imagine it—Aaron “Zeus” Zepeda brings the vision to life himself for the music video, directing an anime-style micro-drama teeming with tension and heart. At first, the lovers seem inseparable—sharing cuddles, kisses, and easy smiles—but things shift when the girlfriend takes the stage, black feathered wings trailing behind her as she walks out the door. Trapped inside a giant bubble, the boyfriend becomes cut off from reality, lost in his own head, and unable to break free. As she moves on without him, the tension mounts until it hits: he can’t bear to lose her. He races to make her next performance, desperate to catch her before it’s too late—only to arrive after the curtain falls. By then, she’s already gone—off on tour, chasing her own spotlight, with no promise of return—leaving behind only echoes of romance and a breathless sense of awe.
How did this first song come together between you two?
“Bag In Hand” really began with the two of us reconnecting at a moment when life felt a bit heavy for both sides. We’d already worked together in the past, and there was this unspoken creative language that clicked right back into place. We found ourselves sharing personal experiences that were oddly parallel, and that opened the door to something raw and honest. Before long, the concept, the title, and the emotional core were all sitting on the table, and the song just poured out from there. It was the right moment, the right conversation, and it sparked the beginning of Power Down.
You met while working with Bob Margouleff—what did you learn from that experience?
Working around Bob was like getting a crash course in sonic architecture. He’s known for his mixing approach—how he balances layers so each element supports the emotional core without ever getting lost. Watching him work taught us how powerful a mix can be when every detail is intentional. That philosophy stayed with us: let the layers tell the story just as much as the lyrics do. That mindset definitely shaped how we approached Power Down and the depth we aim for in each track.
The song mixes pop, rock, and electronic sounds. How did you land on that blend?
Honestly, the blend happened naturally. Both of us pull from such wide musical backgrounds— everything from classical training to rock bands to EDM and film score influence—that the collision of genres is almost inevitable. Rather than chase a specific style, we tend to let the songwriting dictate the sonic palette. If the story needs grit, we lean rock; if it needs atmosphere, we lean electronic; if it needs scale, we borrow from cinematic and pop elements. “Bag In Hand” became a hybrid because that’s what its emotion demanded.
There’s so much energy and tension in the track—what kind of mood were you trying to create?
We wanted the track to feel like movement—emotional motion, physical motion, and the push and pull that comes with both. A lot of the real-life events that inspired the song were happening in real time while we were writing, so the tension you hear is the tension we felt. The mood we aimed for lives somewhere between heartbreak, endurance, and the clarity you only get when you’re forced to walk forward even when it hurts. That sense of traveling while unraveling.
It has that cool, cyberpunk vibe. Did any movies or visuals inspire the sound?
It’s funny—you’re not the first person to mention a cyberpunk quality, and we’re honestly a little surprised by that interpretation. As fans of cyberpunk culture and its music, we didn’t consciously aim for that lane at all. In hindsight, however, we can understand where the feeling comes from: the steady pulse, the propulsive rhythm, that forward momentum the track carries. In reality, we leaned more toward epic, 80s-inspired textures and a kind of modern power ballad energy—almost something in the world of Sia, but reframed through a male vocal and dramatic instrumentation. It’s always really cool to hear the different perspectives from our listeners!
Dan, what parts of your classic rock background still shape your music today?
The “classic rock” side is definitely a thread, but the truth is that both of us bring a wide scope of influences to the table. What we’ve found is that our musical histories actually complement each other more than they separate us. Rather than leaning on genre labels, we pull from whatever emotional or sonic element feels right in the moment—whether that’s gritty guitars, intricate rhythms, or cinematic arrangements. The magic happens when our individual backgrounds merge into something neither of us would have done alone.
Zeus, how do you bring in that fresh, modern edge with your production?
A big part of the “modern edge” comes from the way we both create visually and conceptually, but I’ll admit—I’m a bit of a computer nerd. I love diving into the latest plugins and tech as soon as they drop, and we use that to push textures, vocal treatments, and atmospheres into places that feel new. Even with that, though, the production always revolves around emotion first. We challenge each other constantly—one person pushes the boundary, the other shapes it—and that back-and-forth is what makes the sound feel contemporary without losing depth.
What’s your usual process—do you start with a melody, a beat, or just jam until it clicks?
It honestly changes every time, but the constant is that we follow the spark. Sometimes one of us brings a melodic idea to the table; sometimes the lyrics appear first; sometimes a beat sets the entire emotional stage. We try not to force a rigid workflow, because the best moments come from leaving room for instinct. The core of our process is really just two creatives chasing the idea that feels the most honest.
Now that your debut’s out, what can fans expect next?
We’ve been building a world through these songs, and “Bag In Hand” was only the first doorway into it. The material that follows keeps that same emotional throughline—dramatic, bittersweet, atmospheric—but each track explores a different facet of that universe. We’ve been very intentional about lyrical continuity and vocal identity, so listeners can expect a consistent vibe while still being surprised by the sonic twists. There’s a lot more on the way, and the story definitely deepens from here.
What do you hope listeners feel when they hear “Bag In Hand”?
Above anything, we hope people feel understood. The song carries weight, but that weight comes from real experiences—conflict, loss, reflection, resilience. If listeners walk away feeling like their own struggles, heartbreaks, or transitions are mirrored in the music, then we did our job. Power Down is about finding strength and beauty inside the heaviness. If the track can help even one person feel less alone, it means everything to us.
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https://www.thehypemagazine.com/2025/12/05/power-down-says-they-have-the-bag-in-hand/?fsp_sid=228
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