The cinematic Boston alt-rock duo makes a striking introduction
with a propulsive new single out Friday, April 5

Now Playing: Listen to ‘Reckless Heart’ on Spotify x YouTube x Bandcamp

Debut album ‘The Ghost Archives’ set for April 26 release via Belhaven Records

BOSTON, MA [April 5, 2024] – There’s a common misconception in music about something that sounds like it “came from the ‘90s.” It could be a certain style or sound, or a particular sonic palette, that brings to mind the classics that soundtracked our lives during the last great decade. But more often than not, it’s more than just that – it’s a feeling of escapism, reclaiming of who we once were, and a rediscovery a mood that stirs within us like an undeniable freedom, transporting us back to a better time when we had most of our lives in front of us and very little care in the world.

That vibe is captured and reflected back at us through Arrows of Athena’s “Reckless Heart,” the cinematic new single that livens up the streams on Friday, April 5. This propulsive and emphatic alternative rock banger sets a tone for the Boston duo’s forthcoming debut album The Ghost Archives, arriving April 26 via the band’s own Belhaven Records.

A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity. And while they quietly dropped debut single “Fade Away” early last year, their firebrand single “Reckless Heart” serves as a proper introduction to their new world.

“‘Reckless Heart’ is just the kind of song that no matter what genre you’re into, it just pulls you in right from the beginning,” says Gibson. “It has some rock, a little pop, and I’m obsessed with the overall ‘90s throwback sound of it. I’m a ‘90s girl at heart, and appreciate that Scott’s riffs are a nod to that time in my life. He has really embraced my love for a great pop backbeat while staying true to his own rock music background. I can’t lie, I am really digging the dance beats and synths he used on this album and can’t wait to share more.”

Gibson and Lerner have been sharing a musical vision since the early 2000s, when they both were in Boston rock band Pure Fiction. Lerner went on to play in indie stalwarts the Crushing Low, while Gibson relocated to New Jersey with her immediate family. But during the pandemic, Lerner began building a home studio, compiling demos that felt slightly outside his usual creative circles. Hearing that Gibson returned to Boston after a few years away, he reached out to see if she wanted to lay down some vocals on a new project.

“The music I was writing was different from the stuff I had written in the Crushing Low, so I wasn’t sure what to do with it, as I’m no singer,” Lerner says. “Jac-Lyn and I had just recently reconnected, so I sent her some of the demos I’d put together and I asked her if she would be into writing and playing together again.”

What emerged was The Ghost Archives, a stirring debut record of polished, magnetic compositions that straddle the line between rock and pop, crafting a strobe-lit sound bordering on electronica that’s unlike most of what is coming out of the city right now.

On “Reckless Heart,” Gibson’s inviting and suggestive vocals dance freely over Lerner’s dirty low end bass lines and a gritty, driving backbeat. And like most Arrows of Athena tracks, the songs swirl in a mature yearning, detailing a world around them that has changed so much since the days of Pure Fiction – they’re both happily married to loving partners, parents to growing children, and living a little less hasty than in the past. Lyrically, “Reckless Heart” delves into one of several themes of adulthood that’s sprinkled across the record in short anecdotal bursts.

“It's a song about how we don't realize what we have until it's gone, and how we're often reckless with love,” admits Gibson. “In this season of life and being married for 21 years I knew I wanted to write a song that was both a nod to how reckless we can be during our single years, as well as those who struggle in their marriage with infidelity, because let’s face it, marriage is hard work!”

Gibson is quick to note that the song isn’t about her or Lerner personally. “Both of us are happily married with two very patient and amazing people,” she adds with a laugh. “But I wanted to dive deeper into relationships that do have struggles with commitment and uncertainties in love.”

Beyond the lyrical messages, Arrows of Athena is also a testament to finding comfort in one’s self and those closest around you. Lerner says the project is not out to change the world, but it serves a significant purpose in allowing a creative urge to come to melodic fruition. And for Gibson, the band represents the re-ignition of a flame she thought went out long ago.

“It’s never too late for the moms and dads of the world to do something you love,” she says. “I thought my days of singing were over when I became a mom almost 18 years ago. My life was focused on my three kids and being available to them 100 percent. As they have gotten older, I have come to the realization that I can still do the things I love and be a great mother and wife.”

Lerner agrees, noting that both he and Gibson experienced some painful personal losses in recent years, which only helps strengthen their musical bond and relay their emotions through new music. “The songs started to become about family and sort of a cathartic way to deal with that loss,” he says.

“I knew I wanted some heartfelt shit that other people can relate to after losing a loved one,” Gibson concludes, “but also wanted to hit some other topics like heartbreak, looking back on your teenage days, and then also about being a mom. I hope people listen to our sound and can just appreciate the mix like we do.”

It might even take us back – and reconnect to a feeling we all once had, many years ago.

Arrows of Athena are:

Scott Lerner: Guitar, bass, synths, drum programming

Jac-Lyn Gibson: Vocals

‘Reckless Heart’ production credits:

Music and lyrics by Scott Lerner and Jac-Lyn Gibson

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Scott Lerner

‘Reckless Heart’ single artwork:

Arrows of Athena reignite the flame on the emphatic ‘Reckless Heart’

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