McCloud are a brand new midwest emo band who recently got onto Far From Home Records. McCloud is out of Downriver, Michigan and they’re based (presumably) somewhere downriver of Michigan..

Originally the members came from a local band that experienced “every cliche a local band goes through” before finding themselves and their trademark sound in McCloud. Their three tracks that debut on Buster now have the perfect balance of pop-punk hooks and twinkly riffs laced up with catchy anthemic choruses and the whole thing’s overflowing with gorgeous melodies, and exploding with rhythms that no one should be able stand still for.

Not too noodly, not too poppy, and citing influences from Snowing, Oso Oso and Blink-182, you already get the idea, McCloud’s debut Buster is the most fun you can have in six minutes and thirty five seconds this summer. This band is my new pregame and amp up for a night out and I haven’t been this hyped on a band since Man Overboard made their debut.

With lyrics about “Self hatred, anxiety, and not knowing your place in the world” Buster is a therapeutic amalgamation of snarky vocals and summertime-bright melodies. The band straight forward fun songwriting transfers to their lyrcial themes as well as they waste no time getting straight to the point either “‘Empty’ is about just feeling like nothing is this normal, ‘Adult Son’ is about the masculine fragile ego and ‘Thx1000000’ is just a fuck you song about being sad”.

“THESE ARE MY FAVORITE SONGS I’VE EVER MADE. I REALLY JUST HOPE THAT THEY’RE FUN SONGS TO SCREAM IN THE CAR.”

- RYAN, @MCCLOUD.MI

We sat down with their guitarist and vocalist Ryan to get some details about this debut release..

HOW WAS BUSTER WRITTEN AND RECORDED?

“Usually I come in with a riff or two or some lyrics and then me and Nick work on the structure, guitar parts and melodies together until they feel right. We do a ton of demos together. For recording we drove down to Chicago from Michigan on a Friday and stayed in a shitty hotel outside of Chicago. We basically just woke up then recorded for 8 hours, went to the hotel to sleep and then on Sunday I played guitar and sang for like 12 hours straight and then we drove home that night. Probably got home at 6am on Monday completely exhausted.”

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR McCLOUD?

“We really just wanna release songs and do some weekend tours at this point. Anything else would just be extra cool stuff.”

This release was mixed by Tyler Floyd at Ohmstead Studios (who has worked with so many of the gretas including Free Throw & Worst Party Ever just to name a few). Buster mastered by Billy Mannino at Two Worlds Recording and Far From Home Records still has a few tapes left for this release so gettem while they’re hot.