Add Trainwreck Boyfriend to the growing heap of bright young indie talent shaping more affordable Philadelphia into something resembling Brooklyn South. That its key members came together at a Beths show in 2023 should tell you something about where the female-fronted band’s sound falls in the alt-rock spectrum, though Trainwreck Boyfriend’s heavy jangle is fleshed out with a more synth-driven ’80s vibe.
Empowering and hook-laden, the self-released Trainwreck Boyfriend was recorded at Headroom Studios with producer Kyle Pulley (Hop Along, Diet Cig).
“We set out to make a record that feels complete—no filler, no shortcuts,” says frontwoman/keyboardist Greta Madeline, who’s also a former English teacher. “We don’t just want listeners to hear our music; we want them to feel something that hits hard and sticks.”
Madeline offers some thoughts on each tune below.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Freakshow”
“A welcoming invitation to a safe space where ‘the eccentric and the weird will be celebrated and not feared.’ We hope listeners feel seen and validated, realizing that their unique qualities are their superpowers.”
2) “Apartment Life”
“A snapshot of human yearning—and that quiet tension of familiar strangers and the decision to ‘go out of our way’ to connect. We hope listeners are inspired to bridge that gap and choose to build new stories.”
3) “Feels Like Summer”
“Pure, sun-drenched happiness—a song we hope listeners put on to instantly recharge and celebrate a moment of perfection.”
4) “Checkmate”
“This song is about the raw honesty of realizing you were wrong, adjusting your ‘selfish boundaries’ and the agonizing wait for an answer.”
5) “Love, Emily”
“For this, I drew inspiration from Emily Dickinson’s inner world and her complex, close relationship with her sister-in-law, Susan, who served as a muse and confidante.”
6) “Invisible”
“‘Invisible’ is about moving from the pain of being overlooked (‘your long lost, faded muse’) to the realization that disappearing can mean finding your own agency and the ‘collective superpowers’ of your invisible friends.”
7) “Reimagine”
“‘Reimagine’ elevates the conversation to a social level, using John Lennon’s message to visualize utopia. I was inspired to write this song when I was reading his lyrics and realized that nothing has changed in more than 50 years. It might, in fact, be even worse.”
8) “Broke”
“A portrait of guarded love slowly cracking open … someone who wants connection but doesn’t trust it yet.”
9) “Don’t Go There”
“Even the ‘tough girl’ has a breaking point. The power isn’t in hiding the emotion (‘keep it underwater’) but in honestly recognizing it before it breaks.”
10) “Retrogression”
“‘Retrogression’ is about thinking you’re over someone, but then the little, insignificant things—like a strand of hair—set you back.”
See Trainwreck Boyfriend live.
