There is something a bit majestic about Johnny Boy’s single “You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve.” The thumpy rhythm is ripped straight from a Phil Spector production, and the “yeah yeahs” from singer Lolly Hayes are looped around a swirl of bells and a wash of guitars. It is unabashedly retro, but it is also undeniably infectious.
The cut was released last year in the United Kingdom on Mercury’s Vertigo imprint, yet Johnny Boy soon found itself a free agent. “We didn’t see eye to eye on the marketing of the album,” Hayes says. “We managed to leave with the rights to our record, so all is good.”
The song received rave reviews from the likes of NME, and the 5-year-old London-based act continues to shop a full-length produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers). “We tried to make an album that has as big a sound as our record collection,” Hayes says.