Montreal-based art popster SamWoy has announced his forthcoming sophomore album, previewed today by new single "Simon Says" featuring hyperpop experimentalist Virginie B.
Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun is due May 30 via Hidden Ship Records. It's the follow-up to the artist born Sam Woywitka's 2023 debut full-length, Awkward Party, which was largely a solo project; this time, however, SamWoy was backed by Jeff Mitchell (bass, saxophone, keys), Thomas Molander (percussion) and Ev Bird (guitar, synthesizers), who is also credited alongside Virginie B and Ayomari as a featured guest on the record.
The LP also features an all-star choir that's a veritable who's-who of the Montreal scene, featuring Ada Lea and Half Moon Run's Devon Portielje. As per press notes, the sound of Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun is "evocative of bands like IDLES and Fontaines D.C. in its harnessing of the wild and dark energy that lives on the bleeding edge of post-punk, but the project's Pacific Northwest roots also put it in constant conversation with grunge and skate punk."
That frenetic energy and grit gets pulled into a glittery, distorted hurricane on "Simon Says." Listen below, where you'll also find the album tracklist details.
Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun:
1. Poison
2. Beat Up
3. Prelude
4. Sub in the Trunk (feat. Ev Bird)
5. Si Vous Trouvez Cela Je Suis Au Ciel
6. Diamond Eyes
7. Let's Go For a Walk
8. Life Goes On (feat. Ayomari)
9. A Chameleon Erupts in Colour [...]
10. Simon Says (feat. Virginie B)
11. My Body
12. I Can't