Following the success of their 2022 debut Forever Sometimes, LA indie rockers Dear Boy return today with "Kelly Green," the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album, on Last Gang Records. 

With its swirling vocals and inescapable grooves, "Kelly Green" weaves together shoegaze, trip-hop and ‘90s alternative into Dear Boy’s singular sound. Jangly / fuzzed-out guitars and visceral Southern California poetry. It's the sound of a band rediscovering pure, creative joy—confident, liberated, and utterly captivating. "Kelly Green is about a deep breath," the band explains, “the one you take before your life changes. Before you tell someone how you really feel… and how there's a part of you that never wants that moment to end."

This latest offering underscores Dear Boy's evolution from the careful construction of their debut to the unbridled enthusiasm that defines the new record. Where their first album was born from years of meticulous songwriting and DIY survival, the new collection emerged from creative euphoria – written in just twelve sessions and recorded live in under two weeks with producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma, Been Stellar, Snail Mail).

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The band – comprising Ben Grey (lead vocals, guitar), Keith Cooper (drums), Austin Hayman (lead guitar), and Lucy Lawrence (bass, vocals) – set out to create something that celebrates human connection over algorithmic perfection. "We wanted to write songs in the way only best friends can," Grey explains. "To craft a rock album in 2025 that doesn’t sound like all the ones that came before is almost impossible. It only works if the band feels it. And has something new to say.”

Despite their American roots, Dear Boy has always drawn deeply from the music of ‘80s and '90s Britpop and shoegaze, citing influences from Pulp and Oasis to Slowdive and Jesus and Mary Chain, while equally embracing American alternative titans like Pixies, and R.E.M. Their new album honors these influences while creating something distinct and fresh. “This isn’t a nostalgia trip kinda thing. We don’t claim any of these genres. We’re our own universe. Dear Boy is proudly an LA band and is completely uninterested in going backward. Rock music needs to be invested in the times in which it’s made. And more than anything, it needs to be exciting.” 

This Los Angeles perspective proves crucial to their sound. "Los Angeles has had a major influence on our work," the band notes. "One of the most misunderstood cities in the world, nobody realizes what a strong community it is. Its diversity is its strength. What makes it beautiful. Culture, perspective, art. We’re all challenging and inspiring one another every single day. And after all we’ve been through, LA is making the best guitar music in twenty years.”

This geographic alchemy produces music that feels both nostalgic and immediate—Stone Roses grooves meeting Smashing Pumpkins' fuzzy vulnerability, Teenage Fanclub melodies cascading through Catherine Wheel's guitar landscapes, all filtered through the hazy warmth of Echo Park afternoons. The new Dear Boy album promises to be "melodic, moving, and unpredictable"—an album that sounds like discovering "a completely new sound. Songs from another lifetime. Confetti in every measure."

 "We made this album to remember why we do this in the first place," Dear Boy concludes. "Because we love it. We adore each other. Joy. Connection. Heartbreak. Celebration. We're not interested in anything other than that."

"Kelly Green" is out today, whilst their sophomore album is slated for release later this year on Last Gang Records.