Emerging from the vibrant Long Island music scene, Koyo has quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Their debut full-length album, “Would You Miss It?”, set to release on September 29th via Pure Noise Records, solidifies their position as a band unafraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Blending punk, hardcore, and emo influences seamlessly, Koyo has crafted their most captivating and satisfying release to date.
To announce the album, Koyo has unleashed the first single, “You’re On The List (Minus One),” upon the world. Driven by thunderous guitars and a monumental chorus, the track serves as the perfect introduction to Koyo’s hyper-anthemic sound. The accompanying music video cleverly pays homage to the rich history of East Coast punk and hardcore, featuring notable appearances from the likes of Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Regulate, photographer Michael Dubin, and producer Jon Markson.
Formed by members of Typecaste, Hangman, and Rain of Salvation, Koyo has embraced the essence of their scene with an unwavering commitment. Drawing inspiration from influential acts such as Taking Back Sunday and Silent Majority, Koyo proudly showcases their musical heritage while displaying impressive songwriting skills that stand on their own merit.
Recorded by the talented Jon Markson, known for his work with Drug Church, Taking Meds, and One Step Closer, the production on “Would You Miss It?” is both massive in sound and raw in its basement show authenticity. The album serves as a symbolic and literal union of past and present in East Coast punk, featuring guest appearances from luminaries like Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw), Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife), and Anthony DiDio (Vein.FM). The result is a modern-day coming-of-age masterpiece that transcends generational boundaries, resonating with listeners from all walks of life.
In support of “Would You Miss It?”, Koyo will embark on an extensive tour schedule. Their journey begins today with a North American tour alongside No Pressure, followed by a string of dates in the UK and EU throughout the summer. The band’s unwavering commitment to their craft and electrifying live performances make this tour a must-see for music enthusiasts of all backgrounds.
EUROPEAN TOUR, with Fleshwater
25th June @ Booze Cruise Fest (Hamburg, DE)
27th June @ Junkyard (Dortmund, DE)
28th June @ Bei Chez Heinz (Hamburg, DE)
30th June @ Le Jardin Moderne (Rennes, FR)
1st July @ Supersonic (Paris, FR)
02nd July @ Trefpunt (Gent, BE)
Since forming in 2020, every single second of music recorded by Koyo has been completely and utterly genuine. Formed in Long Island, New York by five childhood friends who grew up togetherโvocalist Joseph Chiaramonte, guitarists Harold Griffin and TJ Rotolico, bassist Stephen Spanos, and drummer Salvatore ArgentoโKoyoโs music is the sound of Stony Brook summers flipping between Taking Back Sunday and Silent Majority while driving to the beach, living in songs that feel just like home.
Three years after their formationโand hot on the heels of a slew of acclaimed EPsโKoyo is now taking their next step in the hallowed halls of Long Island hardcore with Would You Miss It?, the bandโs debut album. Following in the footsteps of the giants of hardcore, pop-punk, and emo that came before them, Koyo are aware of the weight a debut album carries, and theyโve been slowly crafting it since the bandโs earliest days. โWe really slow-cooked this record,โ says Chiaramonte. โThere are songs on it that go back as far as being written just after Painting Words Into Lines came out. Even as we were writing for Drives Out East, we knew certain songs had to be allocated for certain things. Weโd just keep them in the bank and develop them over time.โ
Despite all the planning and tinkering, thereโs nothing contrived about Would You Miss It?, because thereโs nothing remotely manufactured about Koyo. Every element is a genuine representation of the people creating it, and the album was concocted in the most authentic way possible: with five friends, all together, writing songs. “We have great chemistry as a band and as songwriters,โ says Griffin. โThatโs the beautiful thing about Koyo, that we can sort of fit into everything. We never try to box ourselves in, because no matter what we do, it will still be us.โ
To fully immerse themselves in the recording process, Koyo decamped to a barn in rural New Jersey with producer Jon Markson (Drug Church, Regulate, One Step Closer) and spent six weeks digging into every detail of the record. The product is songs like โYouโre On The List (Minus One),โ โMessage Like A Bomb (ft. Daryl Palumbo),โ and โAnthem,โ tracks that build upon Koyoโs established foundation, but feel sharper, stronger, and even more singalong ready. โThis record was a labor of love,โ says Chiaramonte. โNot just because of the work that went into it, but because of all the life experiences that shaped it. The record was a life-fulfilling, life-affirming thing to make, but it hurt a little bit to make, too.โ
Thatโs no metaphor. Nearly every day working with Markson was a marathon 10-hour session with the band poring over every single detail to ensure their debut album met their expectations. Meanwhile, Griffin was learning how to walk again after an onstage accident precipitated a major ankle surgery. โThe first week we were at the studio, I was in a wheelchair with my foot up and could not do anything,โ says Griffin. โThree of the songs on the album were written from that wheelchair. I had a physical therapist a mile away from the studio, so I learned how to walk while living at this farm for six weeks.โ
For Chiaramonteโs part, the lyric writing process forced him to dig deep into himself. Musically, Koyoโs songs flow out of Griffin and Rotolico as naturally as a conversation at an all-night diner but, for Chiaramonte, writing lyrics proved to be a deeply introspective experience. Heโd drive somewhere remote and sit for hours with a notepad until what filled the page was an honest, open-hearted sentiment. โLifeโs A Pillโ is a prime example, and a perfect encapsulation of the range of emotion Koyo captures throughout each of the tracks on Would You Miss It?.
โโThat song is about a family member of mine passing away from a drug overdose when I was on my first full U.S. tour,โ says Chiaramonte about “Life’s A Pill.” โUltimately, I chose to stay on that tour. I didnโt want to grieve. I didnโt want to think about it. It was all so overwhelming that I just opted to shoulder how I was feeling, finish the tour, and deal with it another day. I found that I started to do that with a lot of things because I started to tour full time that year. There were so many interpersonal problems that I was just smothering. That song dives into that. The loss, the avoidance, and what I was doing mirrored what some people turn to drugs for. Itโs a giant song about loss and escapism.โ
Would You Miss It? is the kind of album that could only be made by a group of self-proclaimed genre-obsessives. Itโs why Koyo can seamlessly transition from playing the This Is Hardcore festival to opening for Bayside, because they make perfect sense no matter what bill theyโre on. That natural musical dexterity is what fostered collaborations with Glassjawโs Daryl Palumbo (โMessage Like A Bombโ), Vinnie Caruana of The Movielife (โWhatโs Left To Sayโ), and Vein.FMโs Anthony DiDio (โFlatline Afternoonโ) on songs where each part was written specifically with the guest vocalist in mind. Each person fits right into Koyoโs musical language, and expresses the range of sounds and feelings the band can express at any given time.
Taken in full, Would You Miss It? is the coming-of-age tale of five friends joining together to take on the world. Fueled by a love for music, and a shared creative bond, Koyo sets the bar for the new wave of Long Island bands. As Chiaramonte notes on โAnthem,โ a lyrical love letter to Long Island scenes of the past, present, and future, โthe best is yet to come.โ Pay attention, because you wonโt want to miss it.
