Boys Life (band)

Boys Life was an American indie rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, formed in 1993.

Boys Life
Origin	Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Genres	Midwest emo, math rock, post-hardcore
Years active	1993–1997, 2015, 2024
Labels	Crank!, Headhunter, Cargo, Topshelf, Hit It!, Numero Group
Spinoffs	Canyon, Lullaby for the Working Class, Matt Suggs, The Farewell Bend, Six Bells
Past members	Brandon Butler Joe Winkle John Rejba John Anderson Dave Banaka

The band only released two albums during their original time together, but were foundational in the emo genre.

Band members went on to form other bands such as Canyon and Lullaby for the Working Class. Brandon Butler has also released several albums of solo material under his own name and formed the band Six Bells in 2014, who released their debut album in late 2015.^[1] In 2015, the band announced a brief reunion tour to coincide with the vinyl-only reissue of its second full-length album.^[2]

In 2024, Numero Group formally announced they would be reissuing the band's material.^[3] A compilation of the band's two albums, singles, and self-titled demo was released later that year, titled Home Is A Highway. In celebration of the release, the band reunited once again for a series of shows around Kansas City.

Influence

Despite their short time together, their influence on the genre was seen after their disbandment, specifically having influencing Taking Back Sunday.^[4]

The band's own influences included Jawbreaker, specifically their song "Tour Song".^[5]

Members

• Brandon Butler (vocals/guitar)
• Joe Winkle (guitar)
• John Rejba (bass)
• John Anderson (drums)

Discography

Albums

• Boys Life (1995, Crank! Records)
• Departures and Landfalls (1996, Headhunter Records/Cargo Records, 2015 reissue, Topshelf Records)

Live albums

• Live in Washington DC (2020)

EPs and singles

• Boys Life demo (1993)
• Split with Giants Chair (1993, Hit It! Recordings)
• "Lister/Without Doubt" (1994, Synergy Records)
• Split 7-inch with Secular Theme (1994, Flapjack Records)
• "Breaker Breaker + 1" (Synergy Records)
• Split with Vitreous Humor (1994, Crank! Records)
• Split with Christie Front Drive (1996, Crank! Records)
• "Sight Unseen" (2023, Numero Group)
• "Breaker Breaker" (2023, Numero Group)
• "Temporary" (2023, Numero Group)
• "Worn Thin" (2023, Numero Group)
• "Strike 3" (2024, Numero Group)
• "Cloudy+47" (2024, Numero Group)

Compilations

• Home Is A Highway (2024, Numero Group)

Compilation appearances

• "Signing Off" on Kansas City Misery (1995, Red Decibel)
• "Sight Unseen (live)" on (don't forget to) breathe (1997, Crank! Records)
• "A Quarter's Worth" on Fuck That Weak Shit (1997, Crank! Records)
• "Temporary" on Stay Tuned For The Holidays (2000, Crank! Records)

References

1. "Brandon Butler | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
2. "Boys Life (Topshelf Records)". Topshelfrecords.com. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
3. Group, Numero (March 14, 2024). "Boys Life: Now on Numero". Twitter. Retrieved March 18, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
4. Ian Cohen; David Anthony; Nina Corcoran; Emma Garland; Brad Nelson (February 13, 2020). "The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time". Vulture.com. Vox Media. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
5. Vans, Punk Band (2020-10-04). "Interview with Brandon Butler from Boys Life". Band Vans. Retrieved 2024-12-14.

External links

• Boys Life at AllMusic