The Gypsy Moths offer a scintillating sonic appetizer with ‘Five By Five From Four’
Massachusetts garage-pop soul shakers deliver a melodic five-track EP on Friday, July 25 via Rum Bar Records that sets up their new album
Performing live at The Dogmatics’ album release party July 26 in Waltham
New four-sided double album from Quincy’s favorite sons set for October release
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Photo Credit: Susan Conway
BOSTON, Mass. [July 25, 2025] – They say no one listens to albums anymore. And hey, that may or may not be true. But if it is, and if a dwindling of our collective attention spans is the root cause of this quick-hit culture of singles, then what’s a band to do when a massive 25-track, four-sided, double album is in the works? Offer up a scintillating sonic appetizer through a summer EP that showcases just what’s in store for the main course, and kick it off with a lead track that’s catchier than Wes Welker in his prime.
That’s the plan from The Gypsy Moths, the veteran Boston indie garage-pop band of Quincy natives that releases a new EP, Five By Five From Four, on Friday, July 25 via Rum Bar Records. The five-track record, augmented by pitch-perfect Merseybeat opener “And You Know I Do,” is a proper primer for the quintet’s ambitious double-album set for release in October.
The EP has a timely element to it as well, as The Gypsy Moths unveil the record just ahead of appearing at Rum Bar labelmates The Dogmatics’ album release party blowout on Saturday, July 26 at the French-American Victory Club in Waltham, alongside Band 19, Last Stand, Stop Calling Me Frank, and several others.
The title of Five By Five From Four is also a nod to the band – a group of longtime friends, collaborators, and conspirators consisting of Steve O’Brien (vocals); Chris Conway (guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion); Phil Thompson (bass); Matt Miceli (drums and percussion); and Dave Buckley (keyboards) – and the forthcoming double-LP: Five songs, by five Moths, from four sides of the album.
Weaved within these tracks is a true emergence of The Gypsy Moths sound, even after nearly a dozen years as a band. It finds melodic elements of jangle-pop, pub rock, indie, and the scenes and sounds of ‘60s British Invasion, ‘70s Stiff Records output, and late-’80s alternative from both the American and English underground flowing freely through the band’s own creative New England lens.
“This is probably the most excited I’ve been for any of our releases,” says Conway, who produced the EP. “We’ve pushed the corners further on what the band is all about musically, both with our recordings and in the writing. All five of us have known each other and played music in one form or another with each other going back to the mid-’80s when we were in high school together, so this set of recordings is the first representation of that bond of music, friendship, and creativity that has been coming together for over 40 years now.”
Of course, The Gypsy Moths have not shunned the singles scene. After releasing the Sounds On album in Summer 2023, right around the time they played the In Between Days Festival in their native Quincy – on the same field, Veterans Memorial Stadium, where they all were once handed their high school diplomas – the band returned late last year with “Heart To Break,” and followed that up with this past January’s “Maybe You’re Dreaming.” Those two tracks will slot in on the album alongside these new five, so by the time the 25-song album surfaces just before Halloween, seven selections will be presented to the masses.
“We’ve set the foundations for taking big steps forward with the band, particularly with song arrangements and instrumentation,” Conway adds. “Trying new things and throwing out the guidelines on how things might sound if you’re staying anchored to a more limited playground. All bets are off, and all senses of adventure are cranked for maximum possibilities. In terms of what’s on the horizon for the other 18 songs that will be a part of the album, there are definitely a lot more flavors, sonic variations, and colored gels on the lights to come!”
But first, the beat begins with Five By Five From Four. Recorded with Ed Riemer at Edsbarn in Canton, Massachusetts, and mastered by Dave Westner, the record opens with its lead single, “And You Know I Do,” an indelible tune with a familiar warmth and casual embrace that showcases the band’s gentle confidence. Its sing-along pub-rock quality is belied by an infectious tenderness, a nod to its lyrical subject matter.
“‘And You Know I Do’ is somewhat of a love letter to early-’60s pop,” says O’Brien, “a callback to The Fab Four and others who gave us these beautiful quick songs that stay hooked in your head, and use the most basic young love, ‘moon in June’ kind of theme.” Adds Conway, who, like all of these songs, penned the track with his trusted frontman: “It was musically borne out of a deep, lifelong love of Merseybeat, and really all UK ‘60s pop from the pre-psychedelic era.”
From there, the record both blooms in several creative directions while oddly continuing in a Gypsy Moths throughline: “Before The Lights Went Out” tugs at jangle-pop heartstrings with an R&B-rock undercurrent; “Cover For Me” is a swagger strut of a tune that wouldn’t be out of place on a long-lost ‘60s best-of comp; and “Fold Up The Air” boasts a piano and guitar riff lead before vividly blossoming into glam and psych daydream territories.
“Well I guess you could say life, love, and loss are some consistent lyrical themes,” notes O’Brien. “Maybe a certain level of dismay at the world around us, and, in a way, an amazement that we are still here all these years later, trying to tell some stories and shake some ass at the same time. We want people to enjoy the music, but there is something about each song that we are trying to get across to the listener.”
That especially runs true in EP closer “Tell Me She’s Alright,” a melodic indie-pop cruiser of remarkable depth and buoyancy that asserts this era of The Gypsy Moths as their finest to date. And while “And You Know I Do” plays into some traditional saccharine-sweet themes of love, this one flips the side into a sense of loss, albeit with a whipsmart sense of what’s on the other side, as O’Brien reveals it's about finding comfort in letting go after things have fallen apart. Conway says it was inspired by the likes of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Graham Parker, and Ian Dury, and that vibe emerges from the speakers with startling ease.
“The band had turned in a new creative direction and the musical output from both Chris and Steve has been tremendous,” says Miceli. “We’re all very proud of what we have been able to accomplish since the last album release and this EP is just the start.” And Thompson agrees: “Being able to play in a band this long with friends, people I've known most of my life, is amazing. And they are always pushing me to be my best, just by the sheer talent they surround me with. It's something I'll always be proud to be a part of.”
The tunes featured on both this EP and the forthcoming double album should all sound divine when heard live at The Dogmatics release party, a show particularly special for the band. The Gypsy Moths were heavily inspired by the legendary garage rock band when they first picked up instruments as teenagers back in the ‘80s, and Conway says it’s “beyond cool” to not only continue to share a stage with them all these years later, but also count them as friends and labelmates of the bustling Rum Bar roster.
“We were obsessively into local music, and viewed Boston-based bands like the Dogmatics that we discovered on college radio stations like WERS and WMBR the same way we did the more national new bands we were discovering, like The Replacements and R.E.M., and the legends and staples of WBCN like the J Geils Band, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, The Cars, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, etc.,” admits Conway. “But the way higher level of cool and approachability with the locals folks was that you could actually go see them up close and say hello if they were playing an all ages show, or if you could figure out a way into an 18-plus or ‘nighttime’ show.”
Being five bratty teens from the North Quincy and Wollaston neighborhoods of The Granite City, they’d often take the T up to Boston to catch Dogmatics gigs, wearing out those early records and tapes. Conway smiles as he reveals how they’d go to The Dogmatics loft on Thayer Street and try to find places that appeared in photos on their album sleeves and jackets, instilling a sense of pride and wonderment that can only come from growing up just outside Boston. Sometimes, it’s good to meet your heroes.
“We all were and still are all complete, unabashed rock and roll doctors and highest level fans, and they were at the top of our list for local favorites,” he says. “So we’re proud of our friends being at the peak of their abilities all these years down the line, and it’s such an honor, privilege, and thrill to be on the dance card for their show to celebrate such an achievement!”
Of course, in 2025 it’s also quite an achievement to release – and even want to release – a 25-song double album. But before autumn arrives with the record’s overflowing bounty, there’s plenty to raise a glass to in the here and now, from the EP to the Dogmatics release party, and The Gypsy Moths just hope listeners care enough to hear their work all the way through. Breaking off a taste in the shape of Five By Five From Four helps ease the digestibility. People do still listen to records, despite what the algorithm or stuffy focus groups in corporate board rooms may say.
And The Gypsy Moths are proud of what they created. So much so that we’re getting a sneak peek – or sneak listen – via this summer EP.
“This is most likely the most intricate and personal music we’ve ever made,” O’Brien concludes. “And I think each song has something to say or a story to tell, which is what music should do. We knew early on we were taking a lot on as far as the sheer number of songs. Chris was writing a lot, and I think the band rose to meet that challenge for every track. I don’t think any of the songs presented were left behind. But these five songs are a good representation of the work. It’s a great, rather diverse, sampler of the kind of material this project has brought about and it’s all hopefully interesting enough to get people curious to listen to the full album when it comes out.”
Contact: Direct media inquiries to Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com, label inquiries to Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com, and reach Chris Conway of The Gypsy Moths at christocon@gmail.com.
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The Gypsy Moths are:
Steve O’Brien: Lead Vocals
Chris Conway: Guitar, vocals, keyboards, and percussion
Phil Thompson: Bass
Matt Miceli: Drums and percussion
Dave Buckley: Keyboards
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‘Five By Five From Four’ artwork:
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‘Five By Five From Four’ production credits:
All songs written by Chris Conway & Steve O’Brien
Produced by Chris Conway
Recorded by Ed Riemer at Edsbarn
Mastered by Dave Westner
Art by Ed Devlin
Photos by Susan Conway
Published by Engine Room Music, Ltd., BMI
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Dogmatics record release party:
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Recent media praise for The Gypsy Moths:
“The Arbella Insurance Stage started off the day at noon with a rousing set from Quincy’s own The Gypsy Moths whose brand of Boston Rawk Americana went over especially well with the early attendees (Many a Gypsy Moths tee was spotted in the crowd) as they ripped through a set of hits and selections from their upcoming Sounds On full-length…” _Rock And Roll Fables
“Thanks to its second stage, the festival will feature 10 local bands over the weekend. None are more local than the Gypsy Moths, a Quincy band with an impressive knack for writing the kind of catchy pop and R&B songs that would have been standouts if they’d appeared on a long-lost LP from a ‘60s British Invasion band. Five of the members graduated from high school on the same field where they’ll be kicking off the festival on Saturday.” _The Boston Globe
“A classic start to the weekend, The Gypsy Moths had taken the reins to start In Between Days. Bringing an 80s and nostalgic vibe to their sound, the early bird crowd couldn’t stop dancing. We got the chance to talk with them and take a few photos and can confirm they are absolutely the sweetest crew. If you’re into the local band scene and into music like Talking Heads, check out this group!” _The Honey Pop
“I got there a couple of minutes late, and Quincy's own Gypsy Moths were already rocking the Arbella Insurance stage. Their classic Boston garage rock set the stage for the festival perfectly without sounding anything like any of the other bands on the bill.” _If It's Too Loud
“The lineup also seemed to have been chosen with an eye toward showcasing local talent as much as possible, with more than half hailing from Boston, Quincy or, close enough, Portland, Maine. The pub rock of Gypsy Moths started things off” _The Boston Globe
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Media Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Label Contact: Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com
Band Contact: Chris Conway at christocon@gmail.com
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