Something Sneaky sling calculated noise through a whirlwind of sound on ‘Old Notes’
Boston indie band unleash a loud and kinetic new EP that explores our various relationships on Friday, May 29; release party that night at Deep Cuts
EP release party May 29 at Deep Cuts in Medford with Cherubhead and Luddites
Brazen focus track ‘Hole Foods’ drops with the EP
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Photo Credit: Stevie George
BOSTON, MA [May 29, 2026] – The music of Something Sneaky has always existed somewhere between here and there. Back in the mid-2010s, the Boston band and its noisy post-grunge indie-punk sound balanced a presence between the city’s network of DIY basement spaces and house shows and the more visible bars and rock clubs, coming off as perhaps a little too hectic for the laid-back indie rock crowd and a little too accessible for the underground scene, all while absorbing the attention of both.
But casual flirtations with various scenes and circles around Boston has allowed the band to exist in its own lane and create music on their terms and timelines, and on Friday, May 29, Something Sneaky return at maximum volume with a raucous new EP titled Old Notes. The record release party goes down later that night at Deep Cuts in Medford, for a spirited and lively bill alongside Cherubhead and Luddites.
The boisterous EP is led by brazen focus track “Hole Foods,” a crunchy, frenetic guitar rock banger that slings its melodic noise with ease and hits on just one of the spectrum of styles strewn across the record. “Hole Foods” shows off the band’s penchant for a layered sound that’s both confrontational and consuming, and that plays out across the EP where themes of getting older, life’s ability to change and stay the same all at once, and consumerism and the current state of the work environment run rampant.
As a band, Something Sneaky, a group of multi-generational South Shore friends composed of Justin Iacovino (vocals, guitar, keys), Jeremy Iacovino (drums); Chris Casserly (bass); and Jesse George (guitar), isn’t too keen on over-explaining the meaning of the songs they create, but there are some hints that provide a bit of a lyrical compass through the EP’s 20 minutes.
“Each song is a bit of its own story, but there are some repeated themes of ocean tides, gravity, and waves,” Justin Iacovino admits. “There are multiple ‘relationships’ throughout the EP but not always between people – sometimes music or drugs or anxiety.”
Early conversations with DIY legend Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Discord Records) helped shape Iacovino’s musical vision for Something Sneaky at the jump roughly 15 years ago, and it prepared him for the often turbulent times ahead. After being a fixture on the Boston scene’s live circuit for a few years, heading off on mini-tours and playing tons of shows around New England, the band dropped well-received 2015 album Pictures, and two years later earned a slot on the 2017 Rock and Roll Rumble.
Writing and recording the new songs happened in the years that followed, with the foundation of the EP established through productive and experimental sessions with engineer Chris Chase at Noise Floor Studio in Dover, New Hampshire and engineer and producer Chaimes Parker at Big Nice Studio in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
But then life got in the way. The pandemic brought society to a standstill, personal commitments and all their various distractions and demands took attention elsewhere, and suddenly the years went by like months. But it also provided a silver lining.
“I hate using the COVID excuse, but it did definitely derail us a bit,” Iacovino says. “It never quite felt like the right time to release the EP, and it allowed us more and more time to discover the things we didn’t love about. The EP kind of went dormant and all of the band members had personal life transformations that brought us further and further away from it.”
Casserly agrees, adding: “We never really left, but life stayed happening and we slowed down on shows and recording and focused on friendship and family but never really stopped creating.”
The band would eventually remix the EP with mixing engineer and prior collaborator Larry Crane at Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon, stripping it down while augmenting their favorite aspects. The tracks on Old Notes were then handed over for a final treatment to Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering in Boston, Massachusetts. Eight years in the making, the EP was ready for unveiling.
“It had a very different feel from our 2020 version – tighter, more focused; but keeping all the organic elements that stemmed from our previous sessions,” Iacovino adds. “Without question, this is our most collaborative collection of songs. For this EP it was more like four chefs working on one dish from scratch.”
The chemistry shines through instantly. The punchy and riff-heavy “Hole Foods” showcases what Something Sneaky does best, combining melodic hard rock that’s gripping from the first note, with synth, post-rock, and post-hardcore elements swirling throughout for a whirlwind of sound.
“When writing lyrics, there are real themes in there, but sometimes there are multiple, parallel themes that evolve to cover a wider area, and not always a central story,” Iacovino says. “I rarely have an explanation for what a song is exactly about – it’s just not my writing style. Ian Mackaye used to say something along the lines of ‘we print the lyrics, you can read those, but the only real meaning is what the song means to you.’ I’ve been inspired over the years by bands like Pinback, who have talked about choosing words that phonically/sonically fit – almost like another instrument.”
“Hole Foods,” however, does have a bit of a backstory, and it aligns with Something Sneaky’s songwriting ethos.
“I will say though, that the lyrics came about after recalling a wedding I attended,” Iacovino shares. “Extremely sleep deprived after some really late nights, I found myself consumed with paranoia during the reception. This was sort of the jumping off point for a high-energy song, which ultimately touches on themes of music and film industry issues.”
Elsewhere, EP opener “Stevie’s Here” barges out of the gate with a heavy indie rock propulsion and ‘80s dance style drums that’s both jangly and grounded, and the high-energy track may be the only time the band encroaches on a love story in the lyrics. The soaring and emotive “Gold Notes” emits a musical positivity that belies its darker lyrics. “Depressure (Buried Dust)” takes on an atmospheric mood as it daydreams through shoegaze territory, and droning post-rock EP closer “Stoner Kids” puts an exclamation point on a varied and kaleidoscopic record where the guitars fuel this controlled sonic chaos.
Whether or not it takes eight years for the next Something Sneaky record to emerge is a conversation for another day. For right now, the band is proud to present Old Notes to the various scenes and circles of Boston and beyond, and for a band driven by its live performances, the road ahead feels a bit clearer than the road they just traveled.
“For me there is an implicit statement in this EP: That we take music seriously,” Iacovino concludes. “We all have our own personal lives, but I’ve always honored and respected the opportunity to play and write music with my best friends. There will always be an option to ‘walk away’ and be a full-time observer – not that there is anything wrong with that – but especially with this EP, we feel like we owe it to the songs to get them out there.”
Direct press, podcast, and radio inquiries to Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com and reach Justin Iacovino of Something Sneaky at contact@sneakyband.com.
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Something Sneaky is:
Justin Iacovino: Vocals, guitar, keys
Jeremy Iacovino: Drums
Chris Casserly: Bass
Jesse George: Guitar
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‘Old Notes’ production credits:
All songs written and performed by Something Sneaky
Chris Chase: Recording engineer at The Noise Floor Studio in Dover, New Hampshire
Chaimes Parker – Recording engineer and producer at Big Nice Studio in Lincoln, Rhode Island
Larry Crane: Mixing engineer at Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, Oregon
Jeff Lipton: Mastering engineer at Peerless Mastering in Boston, Massachusetts
© & ℗ 2026 Swimwear Recordings [ASCAP]
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‘Old Notes’ EP artwork:
Artwork by Dan Nelligan and Cal Ciarcia
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Something Sneaky short bio:
Something Sneaky started as a collection of songs Justin Iacovino (guitar, vocals) wrote and recorded through his college years, released as the debut LP No Opinion Needed. To bring the record to the stage, he teamed up with his brother Jeremy Iacovino (drums) and Chris Casserly (bass), playing their first show in Cambridge, MA in the summer of 2011. Jesse George joined in 2012 after a run of guest appearances, rounding out the lineup as a full-time writer and performer.
Since then, the band has released two EPs, an LP, a single, and a 2024 collection of live tracks. They’ve toured regularly, played the Boston scene often, and are still writing, recording, and performing new music. A new EP, Old Notes, arrives in May 2026.
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Something Sneaky EP release party:
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Media praise for Something Sneaky:
“Something Sneaky are a hard-rock band based in Boston. The band melds post-grunge guitar tones with punk-esque vocals and catchy riffs for a quintessential rock sound.” _Cambridge Day
“Someone better alert the Patriot Ledger, because a music video was just filmed down in scenic Pembroke, Massachusetts. It comes from Massachusetts guitar-rock quartet Something Sneaky, who have given the title track to their LP Pictures the video treatment, and it’s as South Shore as you can get without leaning on any of the stereotypes.” _Vanyaland
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Press Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Band Contact: Justin Iacovino at contact@sneakyband.com
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