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Photo: Lexi Yob

New York City-based transatlantic four-piece The Backfires, comprised of vocalist and guitarist Alex Gomez, lead guitarist Harry Ruprecht, drummer Max Wanduragala and bassist Matt Walter, have released their exhilarating new single, "Joyride." Fueled by the group's high energy, organic guitar work, and lead vocalist Gomez's inspired approach, "Joyride" is the perfect soundtrack for a night out.

The single opens with a blend of persistent percussion and bass lines, laying a solid foundation while a flurry of raging guitars take the lead. Gomez's warm nostalgic vocals paint a picture of a night out, singing, "Meet you on the other side / Of town, for drinks that are overpriced / Late nights, smoke shops, and disco lights / But I can't take you home." As the song builds and our protagonist wonders if their love interest is just "passing through" or "drowning too," thrumming basslines, high-octane guitars, and booming drums weave into a story about a night of chance encounters and the fleeting decisions one can make under the influence of overpriced drinks and neon lights.

"'Joyride' is the epitome of who we are as a band," sharez Ruprecht. "'Joyride' encapsulates the high-energy music we love and like to play most and our future releases this year. The song truly represents us as a live rock band, and musically it draws inspiration from the indie rock scenes in the United Kingdom and the United States. Although I started writing 'Joyride' years ago in England, I finished the song with Alex upon moving to New York City and experiencing the nightlife and indie rock scene in the East Village and Lower East Side. We brought it to the band at the beginning of 2022 to get it ready to play live, and it has been our set closer ever since."

"Joyride," the first of a collection of songs the band plans to release this year, following the success of the band's 2022 singles "Reflections On My TV" and "Blindsided," adding to their growing discography of effortlessly cool music. The band released Consider the Backfires in 2021 and remotely recorded and released their follow-up single, "Song 55," later in the year. At the end of 2021, the band reunited in London to record their 2022 singles before Ruprecht and Wanduragala relocated to New York City on artist visas, making their long-awaited post-pandemic debut in early 2022.

Listen to "Joyride" below: