BOYS LIFE Return With First New Music In 29 Years; "Ordinary Wars" EP Out Nov. 21

CELEBRATED KANSAS CITY INDIE-ROCK BAND BOYS LIFE RETURN
WITH FIRST NEW MUSIC IN 29 YEARS

FOUR-SONG EP, ORDINARY WARS, PRODUCED BY DUANE TROWER (SEASONS TO RISK, QUITTERS CLUB), AVAILABLE VIA SPARTAN RECORDS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21

MUSIC VIDEO FOR FIRST SINGLE, “ORDINARY WAR,” NOW STREAMING ONLINE

WATCH: “ORDINARY WAR”

Spartan Records and Boys Life are excited to announce the Friday, November 21 release of Ordinary Wars, the brand new four-song EP from the celebrated Kansas City indie-rock quartet (pre-order via Spartan HERE). Recorded in June 2024 with Duane Trower (Seasons to Risk, Quitters Club) at Weights and Measures Soundlab, Ordinary Wars is the band’s first original offering in close to three decades and stands as a testament to Boys Life's unwavering dedication to their craft, seamlessly intertwining their storied past with contemporary reflections. It's a compelling reminder of the band's influential role in shaping indie-rock's emotional and sonic landscape. Watch the music video for the EP’s first single, “Ordinary War,” on YouTube HERE. Boys Life’s Brandon Butler had the following to share about the track:

“I think about how short life is a lot. I think we buy into a fantasy that America, money, status, time and titles are real. Those things are really just fabrications in the framework of the
American psyche. Our government has failed us. Corporate America owns every facet
of our lives. We’re all glued to social media. Cheap dopamine hits scrolling by.
Your ideas and feelings used to be the only thing someone couldn’t take from
you and now they found a way to take those. America is a business and
we all work for the company. If one were to fight a war against these
fabrications, one would have to start breaking that framework and
value system down. The war would be inside each of us. Denying
those forces trying to buy our minds and time. We are a part
of something much bigger. So it’s not an ordinary war.”

Emerging from Kansas City, Missouri in 1993, Boys Life carved out a niche in the indie rock scene with their passionate, dissonant guitar-driven sound rooted in DIY ethics and a distinctly Midwestern sensibility. Comprised of Brandon Butler (vocals/guitar), Joe Winkle (guitar), John Rejba (bass), and John Anderson (drums), the band sought first to create music that resonated deeply with their own artistic vision and in doing so amassed a fiercely loyal and expansive fanbase. The band's self-titled debut (1995) marked the beginning of relentless touring, sharing stages with contemporaries such as Knapsack, Giant's Chair, and Christie Front Drive and quickly became an integral part of the burgeoning Midwest emo scene.

Boys Life's sophomore effort, Departures and Landfalls (1996), showcased their evolving artistry and solidified their legacy within the genre. Despite disbanding in 1997, the members pursued various musical endeavors: Butler with Canyon and Six Bells, and others contributing to projects like Lullaby for the Working Class and The Farewell Bend. Reunion tours in 2015 and 2024, spurred by reissues of their seminal works, rekindled their collaborative spirit and introduced their music to new audiences.

For this new release, the band reconvened in a secluded house outside Kansas City in June of 2024, immersing themselves in an environment reminiscent of their early days. This intensive session birthed the four songs presented here that encapsulate their collective growth and introspection. Lyrically, Ordinary Wars delves into themes of mortality, societal disillusionment, and the urgency of purposeful existence. Butler articulates a poignant perspective on the fleeting nature of life and the collective missteps of humanity, urging listeners to eschew meaningless pursuits. "I see our world, especially our country, as a failed experiment," Butler says, "Things could be so wonderful and easy but we choose greed and ignorance over utopia. We are wasting time."

The production of Ordinary Wars emphasizes raw, live takes, preserving the organic nature of their sessions. Tracks like "Bleeds" and "Equal in Measure" emerged spontaneously during these studio jams, capturing the immediacy of their renewed synergy. Others, however, such as "Ordinary War" and "Always" evolved from rehearsals, reflecting a blend of spontaneity and focused refinement.

"Boys Life has always been a band of brothers, and like many families, we have experienced ups and downs in our relationships throughout the years — we have always been an intensely serious band and you can hear that intensity in our music,” Anderson summarizes. “It’s shocking that we can get together for four days and create songs like these but also it’s not shocking for some reason. The experience of working together in itself is deeply meaningful."

Ordinary Wars EP track listing:
Bleeds
Ordinary War
Equal In Measure
Always

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