Northern California’s three-piece Destroy Boys have released their new single ‘All This Love,’ the fourth track from their forthcoming album ‘Open Mouth, Open Heart,’ produced by Will Yip.
‘All This Love’ is as close to a ballad as the band gets on this new album. The song is a lament about yearning for love, and ultimately, a realization that you need to first love and connect to yourself before you can be a true partner in a relationship with someone else. This song follows three blistering singles. ‘Muzzle,’ that Alternative Press called “Ferocious”, and about which Refinery 29 said: “Destroy Boys aren’t playing nice on ‘Muzzle,’ kicking ass and taking names in the high-energy new single about fighting back against the powers that be.”
The second single ‘Drink’ is a raw and honest look at the relationship that can exist with mind-altering substances, and how it can be both destructive and comforting. Brooklyn Vegan called it a “ripper”, and Harderbeat said the song is: “Lyrically poignant and musically full of hooks, this is the sort of track that just doesn’t sound like it reflects the subject matter until you really listen to it. A track that rewards multiple listens”. The last single release, ‘Locker Room Bully,’ that KQED called “a proverbial middle finger that offers a swift takedown to petty-minded interlopers”, saw the band punching back at bullies and the toxicity of the internet, with its culture of supporting half-truths and warped reality.
Although ‘Open Mouth, Open Heart’ is the band’s third full-length album, it’s an album of firsts for Destroy Boys. Recorded in Philadelphia earlier this year during the lockdown, Roditis, Mayugba, and Malik lived in their own little bubble, for the first time being able to patiently build the songs layer by layer. Entering the studio with producer Will Yip, (who produced all the songs on the album except for ‘Muzzle’ which was produced by Martin Cooke), with songs that were more fully formed allowed Yip and the band time and freedom to focus on the production.
The album also features two songs recorded in Spanish, ‘‘Te llevo conmigo’ and ‘Lo peor,‘ another first for Destroy Boys. “I grew up bilingual”, Roditis told the East Bay Express. “This song is a tribute to my grandparents. I didn’t get to know them but I feel them around me, so I wanted a song to honor them. I haven’t heard many metal songs in Spanish, so I was excited to write it”. The album is a huge step forward for the band both musically and the depth and density of subject matter. “Everyone adding their own element makes the songs come alive”, says Roditis “but the biggest difference was going from 19 to 21. I feel like a different person, esthetically”.
Destroy Boys are Violet Mayugba (guitar/vocals) and Alexia Roditis (vocals/guitar), rounded out by drummer Narsai Malik. The punk trio have been redefining West Coast punk, making waves from the California shoreline to the UK, sharing stages with up-and-coming bands like Mannequin Pussy as well as punk stalwarts such as Face To Face and Lagwagon. In addition to having racked up over 60 million streams, their music can be heard in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 game, and Tik Tok has embraced them to the tune of 20 thousand user-made videos and over 3.5M views. Their visceral personal tales have won over the hearts and ears of eager listeners who pack out their shows. The band will be back on stage playing shows in the Bay Area later this fall.