By: Gemma Mastroianni
American singer, songwriter and producer Bosley (Thomas Humphrey) has just dropped a brand new single titled "Hey Hey Ramona."
Humphrey has appeared alongside notable contemporary rock and soul acts such as Dr. Dog, Sharon Jones, Galactic, just to name a few. His music has also been featured on large networks including HBO, Netflix, MTV, Comedy Central, Nintendo, and so much more.
"Hey Hey Ramona" is a mysterious mid-tempo song with a hint of a jazz feel to it, but still maintaining an alternative edge. The build up to the chorus is cinematic with strings, and a variety of other instruments and bass that result in a large sound that will give you goosebumps as you lead up to his "Fa la la's." As the song continues Humphrey does an excellent job at displaying his stunning vocal abilities as they get higher, and harmonies are implemented. The flawless production is just the cherry on top as well!
This track was written in a time of despair for Humphrey. Following years of touring, fraying relationships and emotional turmoil, and losing a deal with a large UK record label following months of tirelessly negotiating. This would have been the biggest success in his career, settling all of his debts. As a result, 'Bosley' was dead to Humphrey,
"I wasn't graceful about my exit. I was disenchanted and confused and wanted badly to disappear. I sold my van for cash and was quickly in the wind." - Bosley
Following this, Bosley traveled to Europe with no plans in place. 18 months later, he was living in Barcelona where he was inspired to write "Hey Hey Ramona."
"Over the course of the next year or so I added pieces and played with verses. I kept picturing a girl running away from home, stealing out into the indigo predawn and walking briskly, nap-sack pre-packed, through the Creamsickle glow and hum of the city streetlights. I cut all those verses as they were verbose and pretentious and ultimately, not about me. Call it ego, but I suppose you have to write what you know. And I was tired of corralling my listeners and my lines into convenient fictions. It didn't feel real."
Eventually, he realized he was the one running away from painful realities and looked within, and that this song was about himself. This and other songs that he wrote over the next few years ended up being a part of his forthcoming album, which was never planned. His long-time friend and Grammy Winning Producer Harry Zelnick produced the song, and it was also fixed expertly by Rick Frederick at The Philadelphia Recording Company.
Don't forget to add "Hey Hey Ramona" to your music library, and give Bosley a follow on Instagram. I truly can't wait for his upcoming album and appreciate him sharing his story with me.