Boston-based indie rock trio Hereboy are set to release their debut EP, Sitting Duck, on February 28th via Austin-based label Happen Twice. The lead single and opening track, “Chosen One”, arrived February 7th, introducing the band’s deeply personal and sonically rich debut.
Led by a gentle acoustic guitar, “Chosen One” is raw and reflective, grappling with family dynamics, distance, and the challenge of showing up for loved ones in moments of chaos. Written in under an hour, it sets the tone for Sitting Duck, an EP that subverts cultural expectations and captures the turbulence of young adulthood.
Watch the video for “Chosen One” below, and read on for a Q&A with Hereboy’s vocalist and songwriter, Sarah Gyurina.
Hereboy – “Chosen One” (2025)
Q&A with Sarah Gyurina of Hereboy: “Chosen One”
Extra Chill: Who is Hereboy, and how did the band form?
Sarah Gyurina: We’re a three-piece rock band fronted by Sarah Gyurina, with Jon Wallis playing bass guitar and Ona Griffin on drums. Jon and I (Sarah) began playing together in the fall of 2022, and found instant musical chemistry. Ona joined us in the fall of 2023.
Can you tell me more about being treated as a “sitting duck”?
SG: That line comes from our final song, when I sing: “You thought love was a game / where you hunt down your prey / And I’ll be the sitting duck that pretends I’m so hard to get, playing target/ But I’m too honest for that game.”
SG: I think it’s this sort of idea of helplessness. I’m expected to be a sort of sitting duck, to wait for things to happen to me, not going after my desires– it’s this expectation that women must be sweet and docile and demure… I’m over it! Say what you want, what you mean! I think this record speaks to my inability to play that game anymore, and each of the songs on this record are deeply honest declarations of my desires.
How did living in the co-op in Somerville help shape your songwriting process?
SG: I was living and spending time with a lot of creative people in Somerville; I’d go to open mics and art jams with people I met through that house, and gained a lot of confidence as an artist. I think that community really held me at a formative time in my early 20s. At the same time, I had an unsatisfying remote job– so I was spending a lot of time at home, digging into my interior, I suppose.
Where did you record the EP, and what was that experience like?
SG: We recorded at Ian Howard’s studio in Framingham, MA. He’s a good friend of ours. He indulged a lot of our impulses to get as “live” feeling as possible, like playing without a click or headphones. He was easy to work with so I would definitely recommend his studio for bands looking to record in the Boston area.
You mentioned watching bunnies in your backyard. How does that connection with the natural world inspire you, creatively?
SG: That’s from our song “Is it enough?”! I could spend hours sitting in that yard watching rabbits and robins. When you become grounded in the natural world, you always have something to return to when the wider world is loud and chaotic. I can find real stillness through the act of observing, and that always helps when I begin to write.
What do you like most about this collection of songs?
SG: This EP gives you a taste of our range. As a new band we’ve been trying out a lot of sounds, reaching in different directions, melodically and sonically. I think Sitting Duck is the perfect introduction to who Hereboy is as a band and hints at where we could go next.
On a scale of 1-10, how chill is Hereboy, and why?
SG: I am desperately trying to overcome “chill girl” propaganda, and the EP has too much yearning in it to ever be considered chill. But musically, if you don’t listen to the lyrics? Chill like an early summer morning. So like a 6?
Anything else you want to mention?
SG: You can follow us on instagram at @hereboy.mp3 where we post about upcoming shows and future releases. We love playing live, so look out for that, especially if you’re in the Northeast!