Boys Cruise — 22 January 2020 on Rocket Shop Radio Hour

Boys Cruise joined guest hosts Mollie Allen and Genevieve Rossi on ‘Rocket Shop‘, Big Heavy World’s weekly local Vermont music radio hour on 105.9FM The Radiator. Catch up with them at facebook.com/boyscruise.

Boys Cruise brought their snow pop into Rocketshop on Wednesday, January 22. The band features Johnny and Jake, lead vocalists and guitarists, and Jack on drums. Their first song, titled “Monday the Sixteenth” had a loud, upbeat tempo. The boys really put on a show for us, dancing like jumping beans in sync. It was captivating and entertaining to watch their music unfold. It was noisy. It was unexpected. Put simply - it’s the kind of stuff that makes you want to get up and move around, too. While the words to the song were angry, with the Johnny and Jake screaming lyrics like, “The clouds are gray and so am I,” Boys Cruise still managed to create a balance and distract from the doom and gloom with their bubbly energy. Somehow, this contrast worked really well, and their stage presence matched the music they were making. 

“Starting the band was a spontaneous decision and we never talked about what we wanted, we just wanted something bouncy, playful and aggressive,” stated Johnny when host Mollie Allen questioned the band’s origin. And where does the inspiration for songs like “Monday the Sixteenth” come from? “I write what comes most natural to me,” claimed Johnny, and Jack chimed in, “We write stuff that resonates with us.”

Jake and Johnny met as roommates at the University of Vermont. Together, they created their first song, and around that time they met drummer Jack, who joined in on the fun. The name of the band is actually an inside joke, reminiscent of one night when they were over-the-moon excited to embark on an all “boy’s cruise” of Lake Champlain, only to arrive and discover that the tickets were sold out. 

Their second song, “But Can I Come in,” was slower and more melodramatic than the previous, including the lyrics: “Lied to myself about how I feel, tell myself I’m ok.” It’s clearly a tune about hiding true emotions but more than anything,  trying to feel better. How did the idea for this song form? “We wrote the song when the university took the practice space away from us,” explained Johnny. “How were we going to practice for our shows? We were practicing in the common room for weeks and everyone was so mad at us. So I pulled out my phone and voice recorded it. Most of the lyrics aren’t true...it’s not actually a true story. It just describes how I’m feeling.” 

Inspired by artists like The Strokes, Blondie, Misfits, and The Garden, Boys Cruise claims that their tastes are pretty poppy and often overlap. While their music definitely has a slight emo vibe and a natural edge, they cannot truly be defined as pop punk. Instead, they classify the band as “snow pop” because it’s catchy and easy to listen to, with a little bit of a surfer thrown in - a fluid genre. Each member agrees and feels as though they have a strong suit as a live band.  It can be especially challenging for them when they do studio performances because “recordings don’t capture the energy of a live show.” 

Boys Cruise wrapped up the evening with the spunky number, “Sh** Night,” an in-your-face song about “having a really hard time.” With a quicker, pumped up beat and the utilization of a rubber chicken as an added instrument, this tune was a great spectacle to the eye and a surprise ear.  

“Girls Cruise” will be the  next album Boys Cruise releases. Their current album, “Jerry” can be found on all streaming platforms, and you can also follow them on Instagram or check out their Facebook page. They’ll be playing at the ArtsRiot in Burlington on Thursday, February 6th.

Text by Gianna Seaver

Photo by James Lockridge.