Ears Wide Open: Boy Willows

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Boy Willows

Boy Willows is the nom de tune of Landon Fleischman, a Maryland native and USC product whose left-field indie-folk-soul is the stuff of guitar scribbles, gently applied swathes of keys and the kind of peripatetic beats that inspire spasmodic dance moves like the ones in the video for his new single “Greyhound.”

Since first gaining notice for his 2016 single “I’m Good,” Boy Willows has issued two EPs, 2018’s “Woods at Night” and this year’s “Oof,” self-produced releases that showcase his minimal yet engaging sound. “Greyhound,” a collaboration with rapper Elais Park (aka Nikoli Partiyeli), is a song whose origin story is fraught with peril: The duo were on tour with L.A. rockers Wallows last spring when their bus caught fire, and Fleischman darted into the flames to rescue the hard drive containing the beginnings of the song. They finished it later in the relative safety of L.A.

It’s the second collab between the pair — they’d teamed up for “Rosegold” (call this one dream-rap?) earlier this year. There’s a new Boy Willows EP in the works for 2020.

||| Stream: “Greyhound” (feat. Elais Park)

||| Also: Watch the video for “Greyhound”

||| Also: Stream the “Oof” EP in its entirety