[Cover artwork for self-titled LP, credit to Matthew Praley]
Composer, actor and vocalist Boychik, the musical moniker of Ben Levi Ross, has announced their debut self-titled LP due out September 9th, 2022, along with a new single and video, “Next to You.” Boychik has also launched a new website and line of merch.
The self-titled, ten track album is years in the making for the artist. It sets out to bring Boychik’s queer voice and lived experiences to the forefront.
They comment:
There’s a lot about the release of this record that scares me. I’ve sat on this music for many years. For a long time, writing music was a very private solitary act. But I found collaborators that created an environment for me to open up this music safely. Being able to expand this sound into what it is alongside Jake Luppen, Nathan Stocker and Brad Oberhofer was one of the greatest joys of my life.
Regarding “Next to You,” described as “an anxiety-ridden love song”, they add:
I was raised in a Jewish household that was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m practically always thinking about when the goodness will end. When the blessings will become curses. I think the sentiment can be summed up with the line,“It’s a heaviness down in your bones; knowing what we have is not guaranteed and I’m left alone. What it is to love and be loved on the truest level, and the soul crushing fear that it may be pulled out from under you.
The inspiration and construction of the song, was based on Roy Orbison’s songs, like “In Dreams” and the video was directed by Will Colacito and produced by Boychik.
