Existing in the plane between existential contemplation and playful musicality, ethereal rock group Boyscott is the indie realm’s best-kept secret. With their latest album “Spellbound,” the band continues to evolve their unique chamber-pop sound that initially captured listeners’ attention on their first record “Goose Bumps.”
“Spellbound” focuses less on literal storytelling and instead utilizes rolling melodies and soft rock vibes to create a conceptual soundscape with a distinct New England-esque feel. In fact, the band’s frontman Scott Hermo Jr. hails from New Jersey and attended college in Nashville, both of which significantly influenced the album.
“I write stuff that I enjoy, and when I’m away from those areas, I tend to write about them even more because I’m reminiscing on it,” Hermo said in an interview with the Technique before their Atlanta show.
The band’s debut album contains a similar ocean-themed thesis with standout songs “Killer Whale” and “Nova Scotia 500.” The record was originally released in 2015, when Hermo was just a sophomore in college, and it has since garnered more than 80 million Spotify streams. Despite being released eight years later, “Spellbound” and “Goose Bumps” are deeply interconnected, according to Hermo.
“They’re kind of conjoined twins in a way, but twins that were born eight years apart because a lot of the songs on this new record are actually very old,” Hermo said. Songs like “Fell” and “Orca” off of “Spellbound” were written around the time of their first album’s inception but not finalized or released until this fall.
“It took me a long time because I just wanted the new [album] to feel fresher, to feel like a next step. After I released this first album, ‘Goose Bumps,’ I got really self-conscious because [it] was like, ‘Oh, shoot. People are listening,’ and that scared me.”
All reservations fell away when Boyscott released “Spellbound” in Oct. 2024. Hermo is quick to express his pride in the album, but also to explain how it helped him grow and accept imperfection. “There’s parts here and there that I listen to, and I’m like, ‘I could have done that better,’ or whatever, but I’m learning to let go and accept. That comes with art.”
Hermo showcases this growth with the album’s lead single “Rocky Road.” It is an instant earworm with its dulcet and comforting tones, driven by an uplifting guitar riff and Hermo’s whispery vocals. As with many of the band’s songs, Hermo’s voice morphs into its own instrument and blends into the track to add to its dream-like tranquility.
In addition to simply loving Rocky Road ice cream, Hermo found inspiration for the song in the phrase’s double meaning: “It was a play on words because that song is about tour and being on the road and the scary nature of that … the uneven terrain of a bumpy road.”
The songwriting process has not changed much for Hermo since his college DIY days messing around with GarageBand and Logic Pro X. “It’s a lot of listening back to myself and a lot of intentional creativity. … [It’s] mostly just me in my room with my speakers and a computer bouncing ideas off each other.” Hermo cited independent artists Alex G, Pinegrove and Frankie Cosmos as his main influences; their success in the DIY, bedroom pop world was motivation to initially record and release his music.
Hermo’s journey from college until now is reflected in the advice he gives to college students who are looking to start a career in music: “Get involved in your local scene. When you’re out at a show, be outgoing, say ‘What’s up?’ to people, … and be creative. Don’t be afraid to mess around.”
While on tour across the U.S., Boyscott made an Atlanta stop in Purgatory at the Masquerade to a peaceful crowd of concert-goers who gathered to appreciate the group’s music. They played new songs like “After Dark” and “Arthur Kill,” but also dipped into the archives with “Embarrassingly Enough” and surprise song “RIP Sophie Moore” off of “Goose Bumps.”
Next time you find yourself enjoying some Rocky Road ice cream, give “Spellbound” a listen on all music platforms, or better yet, attend one of their live shows. More info can found at boyscott.bigcartel.com.