Costco Boyfriend
Initially conceived as a two-man project between Rowan Collins and Monty Cime in Aliso Viejo, California, songwriting for Costco Boyfriend began in September 2019. In the proceeding months, the first practice sessions for the band would come to fruition. However, it wouldn't be until February that Ian Dennis would join the project, concluding in Costco Boyfriend's current formation as a three-piece. Ian Dennis's inclusion came about from a desire to form a rejection of the soulless life of southern Orange County through the formation of a music scene that would thrive through pop-up shows in the area.
Soon after the solidification of the lineup, Costco Boyfriend would purchase a 1970 Conn Theatrette Organ, which, in time, would become one of the band's most distinguishing musical features. The acquisition of the organ would birth some of the earliest demos in which the definitive Costco Boyfriend sound would manifest. At this point, Costco Boyfriend had already released its first single--"Pete." But, it would not be until the release of "Cupertino" where a definitive direction would be found.
Costco Boyfriend sought to find humor in tragedy, whether it be the effects of neoliberalism in day-to-day life or the sluggish nature of suburban America. With lighthearted takes on serious issues, it should be noted that their ultimate goal was not to reach any incredibly deep or thought-provoking conclusions through their music, but rather take their stances on the societal conventions of our consumerist age and bare them nude--hopefully making an audience laugh in the process. About half of the tracks on the album were written independently; for the other half of the tracks, their formation came from taking a chord progression and building off of it in a live setting, like building a jigsaw puzzle.
The first serious recording sessions for the EP began around April, but definitive takes for most songs on the project would not be finalized until late August to early September and mastering would take place for the entirety of September. Going into the project, although each of the members had differing tastes, they all shared an appreciation for hypnogogic pop and its post-punk influences with artists like R. Stevie Moore and Ariel Pink being significant muses for the group holistically. In more broad terms, the bright guitar textures of jangle pop alongside some of the psychedelic tendencies of the British indie scene of the 80's also contributed to the sound of the final product, culminating into what they would describe as "something of an interpretation of the Paisley Underground for today's sociopolitical climate."
Costco Boyfriend disbanded in April 2021 for roughly two years, with Monty going off and recording under Cime while Rowan & Ian began their new band, Sleeping Policemen, until reuniting in early June. They are now writing and recording new material together alongside their separate projects. Ian & Rowan now also make up part of the Cime live band.
