Speedfossil display a decade of melodic rock depth with ‘Time Flies’ anthology
Boston power-pop band led by Garret Vandermolen of The Sound Cove unleash lively 20-song double album on Friday, October 3 via Sonic Escort
‘Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil’ is led by punchy new single ‘Peg Leg’
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BOSTON, Mass. [October 2, 2025] – Garret Vandermolen has written a lot of lyrics over the years, from the past decade fronting Boston melodic rock luminaries Speedfossil to back in the late-’90s with What About George to all the countless other bands, projects, and collaborations one experiences in a life of rock and roll. But one lyric jumps off the page and out of the speakers that sums up, quite nicely, what it’s like to be a musician these days: “Trying to find the silver lining inside of a dark cloud / Someone turn the music up, ‘cause I need to hear it loud.”
That comes from Speedfossil’s 2024 single “Silver Lining,” a glowing dose of concise pop-rock recorded over in London at the famed Abbey Road Studios. But it’s more than a lyric pulled from Vandermolen’s endless sea of creativity and expression; it’s also a mantra for how music, for many of us, is a consistent through-line that pierces through the ups and downs of our daily life.
“Silver Lining,” as well as 19 other carefully curated tracks, make up Speedfossil’s massive new double-album anthology, Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil, set for release digitally, on compact disc, and clear vinyl – all with extensive and comprehensive liner notes and track breakdowns – on Friday, October 3 via Sonic Escort, a subsidiary of Vandermolen’s upstart digital singles label The Sound Cove.
“I wanted to present something that showcases the songs, our process, and all of the collaborators involved, because I think the evolution and quality, from a ‘song’ perspective, is quite impressive,” says Vandermolen.
A compilation of early recordings, remixes, and demos, all remixed and polished up for the album, Time Flies is positioned ahead of The Sound Cove’s Super Sonic Showcase, a matinée party on Sunday, October 19 at The Burren in Somerville. A loud display of The Sound Cove’s expanding network, Speedfossil will be joined by The Chelsea Curve, Happy Little Clouds, Eric Barlow, Corin Ashley, and Cold Expectations.
And to ensure Time Flies is not solely a nostalgia look-back, the anthology is led by a lively and self-deprecating Speedfossil single, “Peg Leg,” with the official music video hitting on Wednesday, September 24. The new jolt of melodic rock will also be featured on the official compilation, The Sound Cove Super Sonic Showcase, Vol. 1, which drops at the party at The Burren next month.
The punchy “Peg Leg” showcases what Speedfossil does best – it’s a riffy, hooky, melodic pop gem that draws the listener into its confessional, often self-deprecating nature, and carries forth the Boston band’s pop songwriting ethos that raises a glass to The Replacements, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Smithereens, and Tom Petty. And it’s got perhaps the best f-bomb drop in a chorus we’ve heard in quite some time.
“‘Peg Leg’ is really about trying to be positive and move a relationship forward, even though you may not have always been able to do that in the past,” Vandermolen admits. “We all fuck up – myself, constantly! – but you learn from your mistakes and you try to do it better the next time. And it really helps when you’ve got some friends to help you along the way. It’s a simple message, but I think it’s a positive one.”
There goes that silver lining again. “Peg Leg” also acts as a gateway to unlock the past decade, where Speedfossil has been a mainstay across New England stages at a time when the local music scene has turned over constantly. Time Flies is a statement of purpose for Speedfossil, which launched back in the early 2010s after Vandermolen experienced a musical rebirth after feeling disaffected and jaded in the late-’90s.
From 2014 debut album Light of Day to last year’s Room With A VU, Vol. 1 EP, Time Flies is a panoramic look at a band that was always content making music – with a whipsmart sprinkling of diversity and depth – on its own terms. And it showcases Vandermolen’s network, from longtime Speedfossil band members like bassist Michael Scotti and drummer Greg McCleary to a network of collaborators, like Linda Pardee of The Chelsea Curve (“Sweetheart”), late former label founder Justine Covault of Red on Red Records, Speedfossil’s former label, and producers David MInehan of Wooly Mammoth Sound in Waltham and Ed Valauskus of Cambridge’s Q Division.
“A decade goes by in the blink of an eye, but it’s actually a long time where a LOT of things happen in your life,” Vandermolen says. “Think about decades in your life from 10 to 20 years old, or 20 to 30 years old, etc. There is sea change in those decades of your life. I think Speedfossil, as a recording entity, evolved quite a bit over 10 years and really actually started to get some public attention over the last few years.”
As Vandermolen has shifted his focus over the past year to The Sound Cove, championing Boston bands and getting their music out to the masses, it was only natural that he brought Speedfossil into the mix. And while the band’s recent releases, post-pandemic, have been striking all the right notes, generating national buzz and press coverage and radio airplay far from his Boston base, he was eager to also reboot some of the older songs – some dating back to old demos from 25 years ago – and upgrade them with modern flourishes.
“It was a chance for me to go back and revisit some of the earlier material and sonically improve it with today’s latest technology versus some of the (what would now be considered) archaic equipment we used to make the original recordings,” he adds. “It gives me a chance to release a full-length recording with potentially more ears out there open to listen to the music of Speedfossil, maybe some of the songs they may have missed from earlier in our career, and some never-before-released demos. I know I left some food on the table by not including some other tracks, but I think the 20 songs here really showcase the diversity and quality of what we do.”
And that it does. The ‘60s psych-pop of the buoyant “Absent Minded,” originally off Light of Day, marks the crystallization point between Vandermolen and Scotti as collaborators, and has since become a live favorite; the yearning indie-pop of “You Got A Lot of Nerve,” via 2022 Red on Red album No Anesthesia, was the first Vandermolen recorded at his Rubber Chicken home studio in Waltham; and upbeat 2020 garage rockin’ single “I Can’t Wait” is pulled from the Covid-19 isolation period, a fit of intensity born from the frustrations of social distancing.
Then there’s the aforementioned “Silver Lining,” which took Speedfossil across the Atlantic and into the Abbey Road studio, fulfilling a lifelong dream. But Vandermolen admits that being able to remix and remaster a lot of Speedfossil’s older tracks and release the demos on Time Flies is perhaps the ultimate highlight, and the finished product is a startlingly comprehensive body of work that also comes off like a proper studio album for those who may not look too deep into the back story.
And for a person who always tries to find that silver lining, Vandermolen is grateful for the opportunity to put it all back out there. For anyone in a life of rock and roll, the years that led to the current day are filled with highs and lows.
“I think a lot of the lows have actually turned into highs, if that makes any sense,” he notes. “When the first live version of Speedfossil fell apart in 2017 with some people leaving, I was initially despondent. The truth is, though, it brought new (and excellent) musicians into the fold like Michael Scotti and Dan Jordan, who have been with me the longest.”
Vandermolen continues: “Making the No Anesthesia album was also a high – it was my first self-recorded, self-produced album, also with a brand new drummer, Hector Saint-Hilaire, and released on Red on Red Records. I viewed it as a major accomplishment to finally get on a label. I would also say that taking this current band, now with Chris Walsh back on drums, to Liverpool to play at the Cavern around when we recorded at Abbey Road was also a major high!”
Life these days may be permanently placed under that proverbial dark cloud, but if Vandermolen is turning the music up to get through it, he’s got plenty for the soundtrack. And Time Flies is a testament to that – and an enduring band ready to take a look back and what they’ve delivered over the past decade.
“I really hope that listeners just enjoy the record,” he concludes. “I think I’ve put together an anthology of 20 great songs that all have a different story to tell and will mean something to people. I try hard to make records the ‘old fashioned’ way, with physical media like compact discs and vinyl – a lot of care and effort goes into trying to make them the best-sounding and visually stimulating releases they can be.”
And when asked about the best thing about being in Speedfossil, he’s quick with an answer.
“Still being able to do it after all of these years,” Vandermolen says. “I get to work with some amazing collaborators that bring my music to life, and I am forever grateful to all of the people who continue to support me in this effort.”
That’s a true silver lining, no matter what creeps up overhead.
Media Contact: Direct press and radio inquiries to Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com; reach Garret Vandermolen of The Sound Cove at thesoundcove@gmail.com.
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Speedfossil is:
Garret Vandermolen: Vocals, guitars, keyboards
Michael Scotti: Bass and backing vocals
Dan Jordan: Guitars and backing vocals
Chris Walsh: Drums and percussion
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‘Time Flies’ album artwork:
Courtesy of The Sound Cove
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‘Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil’ production credits:
Anthology produced by Garret Vandermolen
2025 remixes by Greg McCleary
All Songs written by Garret Vandermolen/Published by Massive Throbber Music, BMI
Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering, Nashville, TN
Art direction by Myles Vandermolen
This compilation c. 2025 Massive Throbber Music, BMI, distributed by Sonic Escort,
a division of The Sound Cove
“Thank you to every one of you that has supported me, my music and Speedfossil. Your support and friendship is very much appreciated!” – Garret Vandermolen
Track 1: Recorded at Q Division in Cambridge, MA. Produced by Ed Valauskas and Speedfossil and recorded and mixed by Pat DiCenso
Tracks 2, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17: Recorded at Snapshot, Newton, MA. Produced, engineered and mixed by Greg McCleary
Track 3: Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, UK. Produced by Garret Vandermolen. Engineered and mixed by Paul Pritchard
Tracks 6, 8: Recorded at Woolly Mammoth, Waltham, MA. Produced by Sir David James Minehan with assistance from Speedfossil. Engineered and mixed by Sir David James Minehan.
Tracks 4, 7, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20: Recorded at Rubber Chicken, Waltham, MA. Produced and engineered by Garret Vandermolen. Mixed by Dave Westner.
Track 15: Recorded at Rubber Chicken, Waltham, MA and Snapshot, Newton, MA. Produced and mixed by Greg McCleary. Engineered by Garret Vandermolen and Greg McCleary.
Track 16: Recorded at Capertown Sound, Boston, MA. Produced, engineered and mixed by Sir David James Minehan
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The Sound Cove Super Sonic Showcase:
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Media praise for Speedfossil:
“Boston-based purveyors of adult power pop…” _Grateful Web
“Once Boston’s best-kept secret, Speedfossil — the creation of singer/songwriter Garret Vandermolen — are on the verge of breaking out of New England.” _The Big Takeover
“Though the music sounds relatively simplistic the pulsating delivery is so sharp & clean that you have to admire its fervent drive. The band isn’t trying to impress with its musicality but to remind listeners that music should be fun to play without trying to make deep messages & controversy take the lead.” _Americana Highways
“[Vandermolen’s comments on ‘Magic Trick’] speak to another Boston hallmark – that of being a haven for fine power pop. For quite some time now, Speedfossil have been honing their craft in the genre.” _Twangville
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Press Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Label + Band Contact: Garret Vandermolen at thesoundcove@gmail.com
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