Them Coulee Boys kick off the new year with an upbeat new single, "Up Close," showcasing the band's playful side. The second release from the band's upcoming album, No Fun In The Chrysalis, the song "embraces the whimsy and 'throw caution to the wind' attitude that comes with attraction — if you can fall, you can fall fast," says songwriter Soren Staff. "Put simply, it’s a song about making out.” The album, their fifth, finds the band reunited with Grammy-winner Brian Joseph (Bon Iver, Kathleen Edwards, Sufjan Stevens). Recorded at The Hive Studios in their hometown of Eau Claire, WI, No Fun In The Chrysalis captures the authentic, unpredictable energy, four-part harmonies and dynamic compositions that Them Coulee Boys have become known for as a live band.
LISTEN TO "UP CLOSE" HERE / AVAILABLE ON STREAMING SERVICES HERE
PRE-ORDER THE LP HERE
"'Up Close' is a bouncy, tongue-in-cheek groove that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” says Staff. "Born of a legitimate flirt from me to my partner, the song centers around the line, 'you know I love the way you look up close,' referencing that I became more attracted to her the closer I looked. I was speaking to physical distance, but I like to think it also applies to the emotional distance. The ‘closer' we got, the more in love we felt.
“Musically it pairs a backbeat groove with both electric mandolin and electric banjo, keeping the mood light and bouncy, mirroring the lyrics," he says. "The song turns when the fingerpicked acoustic guitar starts the bridge, its ascending riff building to a cacophony. Piano, mandolin, banjo, and bass all descend on the jam, building to a crescendo, signifying the intimacy of physical attraction that builds — finally — to acting on that impulse."
With four full-length albums and an EP behind them, including 2019’s Die Happy (produced by Trampled By Turtles’ Dave Simonett on Lo-Hi Records) and 2021’s Namesake (produced by Grammy-winner Brian Joseph), the band has garnered international attention and earned press in American Songwriter, Ditty TV, Folk Alley, and The Bluegrass Situation, as well as tours with Trampled By Turtles and a spot on the songwriter’s Cayamo Cruise. In 2020, they were named Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Band to Watch and are gearing up for a busy 2025 on the road.
Catch Them Coulee Boys on tour and check this space for updates: www.themcouleeboys.com
TOUR DATES:
FR, Jan 24 Whitewater Music Hall - Wausau, WI
SA, Jan 25 Ore Dock Brewing Company - Marquette, MI
TH, Jan 30, Fesler-Lampert Arts Series - Fairbault, MN
FR, Jan 31 Sacred Heart Music Center - Duluth, MN
FR, Feb 7 Appleton Beer Factory - Appleton, WI
SA, Feb 8 Winter Roots Festival - La Crosse, WI
TH, Mar 13 The Music Box - Rockford, IL
FR. Mar 14 The Coterie - Kokomo, IN
SA, Mar 15 Whiskey City's Liberty Theater - Lawrenceburg, IN
SU, Mar 16 Woodland's Tavern - Columbus, OH
WE, Mar 19 Riverside Revival - Nashville, TN
TH, Mar 20 Blue Strawberry - St. Louis, MO
FR, Mar 21 Kenny Westside Pub - Peoria, IL
SA, Mar 22 The Bend Theater - West Bend, WI
FR, Apr 25 Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
SA, May 3 Stoughton Opera House - Stoughton, WI
SA, May 10 Greer Spring, SC - Skunk Music Festival
FR, May 30 Trempealeau Hotel - Trempealeau, WI
SA, May 31 Trempealeau Hotel - Trempealeau, WI
TH, Jun 26 Blue Ox Music Festival - Eau Claire, WI
