Some bands arrive like a spark; Lonely Boys drifts in like a slow-moving storm — tender, spectral, and full of feeling. With their debut self-titled single “Lonely Boys,” the Boise-based duo crafts a sound that feels both timeless and unplaceable, evoking the quiet ache of Mazzy Star through a distinctly Western lens.
“Lonely Boys” isn’t quite country, not quite pop — it’s a shimmering, androgynous Americana that floats between dust and dream. At its core are the celestial vocals of McKenna Esteb and the cinematic production of Freeman DeJongh, two artists who understand that sometimes the most powerful stories are whispered rather than shouted.
Built from a collaboration that’s as intuitive as it is intentional, “Lonely Boys” unfolds like a late-night confession. Reverb-soaked guitars stretch into the horizon while McKenna sings,
“Oh, I thought I saw your face / It scared me to death / oh, it nearly took my breath away.”
The result is a haunting, slow-burning ballad that feels like both a ghost story and a love letter, written by and for “the loneliest of boys with the biggest of hearts.”
final streaming link for “Lonely Boys”
BETWEEN EARTH AND ETHER
“We sit down in a room together, we share our ponders,” the band says. “We aim to create music that feels expressive and of substance. We twang, we pull on the soul, we sit with sultry and we boogie.”
That alchemy — somewhere between melancholy and motion — defines the emotional gravity of “Lonely Boys.” It’s music that doesn’t rush to arrive anywhere; it lingers, it breathes, it remembers.
With DeJongh’s pedal steel guitar shimmering like desert heat and Esteb’s voice carrying both grit and grace, the track becomes a landscape — wide, cinematic, and aching. It’s music for quiet hearts, restless spirits, and anyone who’s ever watched the sun sink and felt both comforted and undone.
THE MAKERS BEHIND THE MELANCHOLY
McKenna Esteb has been a rising name in the Northwest scene since launching her solo project in 2019. Known for her raw honesty and soul-inflected storytelling, she’s opened for acts including Thee Sacred Souls, Baby Jake, and Sixpence None the Richer, building a reputation for performances that feel intimate even in crowded rooms. With Lonely Boys, Esteb steps into a new chapter — one that pushes her songwriting into more ethereal, folk-driven terrain while keeping the emotional center intact.
Freeman DeJongh, meanwhile, is the project’s quiet architect — a multi-instrumentalist and producer whose soundscapes draw from folk, jazz, psychedelic, and country traditions. Based in the mountains of Idaho, he brings an almost spiritual intimacy to his arrangements: the hum of wood, the silver sigh of pedal steel, the lonely shimmer of electric guitars. His music, like his voice, “comes softly from the heart.”
Together, they form Lonely Boys — a partnership born from stillness and shared intention, channeling the wide-open warmth of the American West through something as intimate as a heartbeat.
LOOKING AHEAD
Lonely Boys may just be beginning, but the foundation already feels timeless. Their debut single hints at a universe of emotional excavation — a reminder that beauty often lives in the spaces between joy and sorrow.
The duo will continue to carve their name into the folk landscape this fall with a series of live shows, including:
📍 October 24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux (supporting Jaws of Brooklyn + Family Worship Center)
With “Lonely Boys,” the duo doesn’t just enter the alt-folk conversation — they expand it, offering something deeply human for the tenderhearted and the dreamers alike.
