BOY HARSHER

Release new single “Give Me A Reason”
From forthcoming album ‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ out January 21st on Nude Club/City Slang
Accompanying horror movie written & directed by Boy Harsher, out January 2022

Boy Harsher, the Northampton-based duo of vocalist/lyricist Jae Matthews and producer Augustus Muller, share single “Give Me a Reason” from their new album ‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ out January 21st, 2022 via Nude Club/City Slang.

Following the heavy presence of lead single “Tower,”“Give Me a Reason” finds Boy Harsher leaning into their signature dark pop sound with snappy synths.  “We wanted to write something that encapsulates that feeling of yearning — the way we feel when we catch eyes from across the room. Our music can be flirty and crushable, and it’s fun to play with that,” explain the duo. 

Over a steely beat, Jae Matthews intones, “Speak of the devil // and she will appear // afraid of the runner // who draws herself near.” With “Give Me a Reason,” Boy Harsher continue teasing the cinematic universe of ‘The Runner’, the horror film written, produced, and directed by the duo which will be released in January 2022. 

Give Me a Reason starts with this majestic and mesmeric movement, the expressive notes begin to build the vast soundscape and before long the audience is faced with this all consuming composition. The angular and surging synth notes emerge and bring this almighty power to the vision. Amongst this array of immersive textures and bold formations, Boy Harsher’s delicate if not dreamy vocal harmonies dominate the dexterous landscape. Once again, Boy Harsher have created this intense ride.

Boy Harsher’s fifth release is not a traditional album ⁠— it’s the musical counterpart to a short film written, produced, and directed by the duo, entitled The Runner, which will be released alongside the album in January 2022. The Runner is a horror film intercut with a meta-style “documentary” about Boy Harsher’s recording process. The soundtrack balances cinematic instrumentals with pop songs that push the boundaries of Boy Harsher’s sound. 

Since 2014, Boy Harsher have steadily released what some might call the gold standard of darkwave and new industrial. Matthews and Muller met in Savannah, GA while both studying film and their initial interest in music began with cinema. Matthews would write screenplays and Muller would compose scores for the non-existent films. Their first EP, Lesser Man, was originally released on a small run of cassettes, but rapidly gained online traction and became an underground hit. 2016’s Yr Body is Nothing LP and 2017’s Country Girl EP, propelled the duo into extensive tours and sold out shows across the US and Europe where they became known for their reckless and enveloping live performances. Boy Harsher rode this momentum into 2019’s LP Careful, which was praised by NPR Music, Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, VICE and beyond. 

Last year, in the midst of the obvious chaos, but additionally with Matthews’ MS diagnosis, Muller started working on moody, cinematic sketches. It was uncertain what these pieces would become other than catharsis — the duo were unable to tour and making “club music” did not feel right. In Matthews’ period of convalescence, she kept thinking about a sinister character: a woman running through the woods. Together, the duo developed this idea further into a film that explores lust, compulsion, and the horrific tendencies of seduction. 

Featuring the dark pop that Boy Harsher is known for, the album also embraces the soundtrack ethos by including eerie instrumentals with tracks featuring guest vocalists that feel like they are from different musical groups — “Machina” is a HI-NRG homage performed by Mariana Saldaña of BOAN, sung in both Spanish and English. “Autonomy” is a bright and heartfelt new wave anthem featuring  Cooper B. Handy aka Lucy. Boy Harsher’s latest project is a reconciliation of uncertain times made into sound and moving image. The Runner and its soundtrack are both a return to form and an evolution for the duo. 

Boy Harsher also recently launched a limited edition ‘THE RUNNER’ synth in collaboration with Møffenzeef Modular – now sold out. More information here.

In support of ‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ Boy Harsher will host live shows and movie screenings across Europe and North America – details below.

‘The Runner (Original Soundtrack)’ track list:
1. Tower
2. Give Me a Reason
3. Autonomy (Ft. Lucy – Cooper B. Handy)
4. The Ride Home
5. Escape 
6. Machina (Ft. Ms. BOAN – Mariana Saldaña)
7. Untitled (Piano)
8. I Understand

Boy Harsher tour dates:
Thu. Dec. 30, 2021 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *SOLD OUT*
 Fri. Dec. 31, 2021 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *SOLD OUT*
Sat. Jan. 1, 2022 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *SOLD OUT*
Thu. Jan. 20, 2022 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre %
Fri. Jan. 21, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer %
Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry %
Sun. Jan. 23, 2022 – Durham, NC @ Motorco %
Mon. Jan. 24, 2022 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle %
Tue. Jan. 25, 2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West %
Wed. Jan. 26, 2022 – Nashville, TN @ High Watt %
Fri. Jan. 28, 2022 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat %
Sat. Jan. 29, 2022 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg % *SOLD OUT*
Sun. Jan. 30, 2022 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg %
Thu. Feb. 3, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater (+ film screening) % *SOLD OUT*
Fri. Feb. 4, 2022 – Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater (+ film screening) % *SOLD OUT*
Sat. Feb. 5, 2022 – San Francisco, CA @ Gray Area % *SOLD OUT*
Mon. Feb. 7, 2022 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom %
Tue. Feb. 8, 2022 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom %
Wed. Feb. 9, 2022 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre %
 Thu. Feb. 10, 2022 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile %
Fri. Feb. 11, 2022 – Olympia, WA @ Capitol Theater %
Mon. Feb. 14, 2022 – Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage (+ film screening @ La Peniche Cinema) ^^
Tue. Feb. 15, 2022 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje (+ film screening  @ Lux Cinema) ^^
Wed. Feb. 16, 2022 – Leipzig, DE @ WERK2  (+ film screening @ UT Connewitz) ^^
Thu. Feb. 17, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Astra (+ film screening  @ Intimes Kino ) ^^
Fri.  Feb. 18, 2022 – Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom ^^
Sat. Feb. 19, 2022 – Hasselt, BE @ Muziekodroom  (+ film screening @ Zed Cinema) ^^
Sun. Feb. 20, 2022 – London, UK @ Earth  (+ film screening  @ Rio Cinema) ! 
Sat. June 4, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound 

^ = w/ Drab Majesty
# = w/ Lucy
% = w/ Hiro Kone
^^ = w/ Kris Baha
! =  w/ Helm

http://www.nudeclubrecords.com/
https://boyharsher.com/
http://boyharsher.bandcamp.com/