The Yea-Ming And The Rumours of a few years ago fed off the frantic motion of transition. Lately, though, the Bay Area indie-pop band seems to be settling into the uneasy calm that often follows change. Available June 12, Residue (Dandy Boy) examines intimacy, regret and the imperfect nature of emotional renewal via Yea-Ming Chen’s quietly devastating songwriting and unmistakable, Nico-esque vocals.
Joined by longtime collaborators Eóin Galvin (guitar, lap steel), Rob Good (bass) and Luke Robbins (drums), Chen subtly expands the group’s sonic reach without abandoning the fragile warmth that defines its music. With Good handling the recording, the album was mixed largely at Chen’s home. Perhaps feeding off that domestic vibe, Residue’s subtle if persistent rhythmic pulse allows its emotional complexity to reveal itself gradually.
“Cheap Thrill” is one of a few tracks on Residue that reconnects the band to its melodic ’90s roots, echoing Yo La Tengo, Camera Obscura and the Jesus And Mary Chain. Written not long after Yea-Ming And The Rumours finished 2024’s I Can’t Have It All, it’s among the oldest songs on the new LP.
“Musically, it has very few frills,” says Chen. “It came out of a jam, which isn’t something we usually do. We were all vamping on A and E, and I came up with the little melody for the verses. Thematically, it’s just another ode to the complicated feelings between people—diving into something that’s a bit unkosher and trying to figure out if you’re being toxic again or if you’re being smart and healthy. Obviously, the answer can be both.”
We’re proud to premiere Yea-Ming And The Rumours’ “Cheap Thrill.”
—Hobart Rowland
