Boyscott - Spellbound [Green/Blue Aurora Vinyl] - New LP

In the Spellbound sonic universe, enchanting hooks about friendship and growing up in New Jersey orbit driving verses that prize brevity, never laboring longer than necessary. On lead single “Rocky Road,” Boyscott explore the mental gymnastics required for a career in music, pulling on the threads of fear and excitement they experienced in their early tours. Such reflection is abundant on Spellbound: “Arthur Kill” refers to the peculiar beauty of a boat graveyard in the Arthur Kill tidal strait; where “Lima” interpolates a song that stuck with Hermo since high school. All told, Spellbound continues what Boyscott started with Goose Bumps, honing their pristinely arranged indie pop morsels into a fully realized sound that vindicates the near ten-year wait.

Boyscott manages to keep the bedroom-pop charm while filling in the songs with lots of jangle, sparkle and strum, keyboards and surfy guitar licks, voices and other sounds, the instrumentations an integral part of the proceedings but not getting in the way of the songs, recalling 1960s psychedelic pop but not sounding like that, sounding likefriends trying to make something simple and endearing but not boring.

  released October 16, 2024

All songs written & arranged by Scott Hermo Jr.
except “Lima” written by Daniel Sheehan & Matt Liebowitz as Tiny Canoe* & rearranged with Noah Dardaris & Scoops Dardaris*

Produced by Scott Hermo Jr. & Scoops Dardaris
Mixed by Scoops Dardaris in Philadelphia, PA (2023)
Engineered by Scoops Dardaris in Canandaigua, NY (2022)
Mastered by Elaine Rasnake / Daughterboard Audio LLC (2023)

Additional recording by Scott Hermo Jr. & Emma Willer in Memphis, TN at The Evergreen Theater (2020)

Additional recording by Scott Hermo Jr. in Waterford, CT (2021), Winsted, CT (2019), & Montclair, NJ (2016-2018)

Performed by:
Scott Hermo Jr. - vocals, guitar, bass, keys, & percussion
Emma Willer - vocals, keys
Noah Dardaris - drums & additional drum arrangements
Scoops Dardaris - bass on “Lima” & percussion
Conor Ryan - pedal steel on “Lima” & “The Pond”

*I saw my high school biology teacher’s partner’s band Tiny Canoe perform “Lima” in 2011 – it has been stuck in my head since. Thank you Daniel for letting us rearrange your song by memory while adding our own spin on it here & there :)
*The drum rhythms on our version of “Lima” were inspired by Ewe drum
traditions in Ghana, West Africa.

Other band Members who helped shape these songs as well:

Tiger Adams,
John Lewandowski,
Davey Alaimo (Bunny Boy),
Cody Altieri (King Bongo),
Parker “Pzarker” Nye,
Levi Nattrass (Drench Fries),
Conor “Condor” Ryan (Woozles),
Kaden Vannorsdel,
Alex Nichols (Elf Rage),
Lexi Miner,
William Mcclatchey & Isaac Cleghorn,
Noah Miller,
Taylor Berghoff,
& Sam Willard.