New Chums
Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2017 | SELF
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New Chums - "Come On, Come On"
This song just drives me completely crazy — I'll just throw that out there right now. I've been carrying this around for a couple of weeks, and it's the kind of song I have to listen to three or four times in a row to get it out of my head. "Come On, Come On" is an ideal power pop song in no uncertain terms. It clocks in at just more than three minutes, has a raving guitar and a great rhythm section, and the lead vocalist delivers some of the best hooks I've heard in a long time. If this isn't the first single from their debut EP, Tuolumne, it certainly should be sent out as such immediately. I'd be a fan from this song alone, but the other four songs are compelling enough that I want to catch the band's next gig as soon as possible. If you're a fan for the kind of catchy, punk-tinged pop in line with, say, Jimmy Eat World, I would encourage you to check out New Chums' entire EP and not just this song, as the entire thing is pretty captivating. Still, the stuttered lyrics sung by Seth Boyack are what absolutely make the song for me. They're super-clever and super-catchy, and they somehow steal the spotlight from the hook-heavy chorus, which is immaculate. It will only take one listen, maybe two, before you head out the door singing to yourself "G-g-g-g-going downtown . . ." Seriously addictive after only one dose and easily one of my favorite songs of the year. - Phoenix New Times
I actually have no idea how I happened upon New Chums, but I’m damn glad I did. Their debut EP, Tuolumne, is a five-track breath of fresh air. Seth Boyack (guitar & vocals), Greg Winters (bass), Ben Hedlund (drums) and Chad Bergman (guitar) have put together a great melodic sound on their debut. It’s just straightforward alternative rock, with no flourishes, and a hell of a starting point for a band just getting it together.
The opening track, “For the Cause,” stayed in my head for a few days after I heard it just once. For however good that song is, “Come On, Come On” blows it out of the water. If they haven’t picked a single yet, this is it. This is the one they should send to radio stations everywhere. It’s got a power-pop touch to it and fantastic stuttering vocal that’s catchy as all hell. It’s one of THE standout tracks of the year.
“Bad Part of Town” follows in its wake, a mid-tempo number that seems to be a pretty good song about scoring drugs (“I got my drugs in my pocket and my money’s all gone”). It’s almost a ballad, but a ballad with guts. The pace immediately picks up on “City With No Dreams,” which has a great guitar line and some fabulous percussion going for it. The drum break is to die for and the bass kills it on the bridge. “Recall” finishes the EP, and it’s quite close in sound and structure to its predecessor. Here, however, the bass is the superstar throughout. A couple things are for sure: I can’t wait to catch these guys live, and I will be keeping my eye on anything they put out in the future—because this is an impressive debut fresh out of the box. - JAVA MAGAZINE
Tuolumne by New Chums is a fantastic EP of indie-power-pop gems. The songs are well constructed, sung and played with traces of Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and more throughout.
“For The Cause” opens the EP with strokes of The Strokes in the melody and guitar tone. Busy hi-hat work contrasts with a syncopated bass line making for an interesting backdrop behind the legato long tones of the vocal melody. It’s catchy, though the instrumental interlude could use something more to enhance it between the choruses.
“Come On, Come On” uses the stuttering entrances of “My Generation” with an early Beach Boys-like melody, but with grunge-y buzzy guitars. It’s an interesting blend of chirp and rock, and quite effective. The new wave-y octaves in the instrumental build excitement, and the drums have some great tom work before each chorus playing off the contrapuntal bass line.
“Bad Part Of Town” has some anthemic qualities of a U2 song with its slow burn of momentum. Snare drum rolls evolve to hi-hat flourishes, and electric guitars explode from subtle chugging to reverbed melodies that chime and shine. The end comes out of nowhere and is a bit abrupt, but still is clever and effective.
“City With No Dreams” has a catchy melody and a dance-y groove to it. There is a nice rhythmic evolution that happens in the second verse, letting the song develop and move. The instrumental breakdown is a great transition too, showing contrast with the pulsing rhythm of the rest of the song and adding a tambourine to the final chorus really propels it through the ending.
“Recall” finishes the EP and starts as almost a coda of “City Of Dreams” with a similar melody developed from the previous track. The song soon becomes its own though with guitar countermelodies interweaving between choruses and building palm muted chords under the verse, which let the melodic bass peek out. The Spanish infused guitar solo adds some character to the song before the final chorus, adding a subtle touch of variety.
Overall, the EP has lots of strong performances and songwriting. Some of the mastering seems to have compressed it quite a bit, perhaps dulling some of the edges of the exciting playing that the band is doing. It would be nice to hear a bit more dynamics from them, but that said the songs stand up quite well. - The Even Ground
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
New Chums are:
Seth Boyack - vocals/guitar
Ben Hedlund - drums
Matt Lloyd - guitar
Cassandra Clark -bass
Emerging from Phoenix, AZ, the recently transformed indie rock band, New Chums, released their EP "See It For Myself" on October 6th, 2017 and it's bright, sunny California vibe is making waves in the music scene. Likened to bands like The Strokes, Neon Trees, and Jimmy Eat World, the Chums really know how to bring big guitars, catchy choruses, and sparkle to every beat. The foursome includes:
Vocals/Guitar-Seth Boyack: A California native who not only fronts the band with energy and style, Seth's the man behind the melodies that you won't be able to get out of your head for days.
Drums-Ben Hedlund: Straight outta Boston with plenty of talent and previous recording/touring experience, Ben provides the heartbeat to the music-the kind that'll leave you wanting more... and more.
Lead Guitar-Matt Lloyd: Recently coming off tour as a hired guitarist from Nashville, Matt's expertise and his creative/catchy hooks (played to perfection every time) add a new bite and excitement to the overall sound.
Bass-Cassandra Clark: A girl from Michigan who can really play bass, Cassandra rocks a solid foundation of the low end and provides that steady rhythm and vibe you can't help but dance to.
As the release of "See It For Yourself" has garnered great press already, New Chums will ride the wave of success by hitting the road in the US and abroad. Follow New Chums at www.facebook.com/newchumsband and see it for yourself; they're an indie rock band with edge. Like sunglasses melted.
‘New Chums are doing what they’ve always done best: hook-heavy power pop.’ –Mitch Hillman, Java Magazine, October 2017
‘Starting a song with a stutter is always a win for a power-pop record. Having the band hold off until the singer’s finished stuttering could get you bonus points. And that’s exactly how this record starts. “G-g-g-goin’ downtown,” with the band crashing in on the fourth “g.” Brilliant.’ –Ed Masley, AZ Central, September 14th, 2017.
‘The See It For Myself EP, which came out earlier this month, is as energetic as it is expansive. It drives relentless riffs over fast-paced drums and anthemic melodies, encapsulating the forever summer the band found by making Arizona home base.’-Ashley Harris, Phoenix New Times, October 25th, 2017
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