Crow Follow steer a hypnotic lullaby towards calm waters with ‘Golden Days’
Boston urban cabaret and velvet shaman swamp rock project offers a comforting anthem for the simple flow of life.
NOW PLAYING: Listen to ‘Golden Days’ on all major platforms
Single release party September 6 at The Jungle in Somerville with Happy Little Clouds, Thalia Zedek, and Lonely Leesa and the Lost Cowboys
Listen to May single ‘Fold Like Money’
“Crow Follow always make it seem like they are in a magical landscape and inviting you in.” – Boston Groupie News
BOSTON, MA [September 5, 2025] – While listening to a song, one may fixate on the chorus, or the verses, or maybe even the bridge. Hell, some get hung up on the middle eight. But there’s a fascinating little quirk in “Golden Days,” the warm embrace of a new single from Crow Follow, that enhances the song’s hypnotic lullaby qualities and positions it as a poignant tonic for our chaotic times.
It comes right at the start, and then again right at the end. The introductory drum beat from L. Ramona Herboldsheimer first lures us into this beguiling composition, the latest from the Boston urban cabaret and velvet shaman swamp project, set for release on Friday, September 5 via Band 4 Band Records. That same drum beat then wraps things up with necessary thunder at its conclusion.
Coming in the same way it exits, “Golden Days” lends itself to repeated listens, to be enjoyed on a continuous loop, the percussion acting less like a hello and a goodbye and more like a hook and eye clasp of a necklace. It’s not unlike how we start the day and how we end it. How we spend our days, what we do in between the start and the end; that is what defines them – and what makes them golden.
“‘Golden Days’ is a tribute to everyday life,” says Crow Follow vocalist and guitarist Agent Judy. “Wishing us all courage and plenty. It says we know we're doing our best. We know it’s not always, or even often, easy. Wishing for each other the best possible outcomes, bright lights and clear skies. Everyday life is an accomplishment. Good for us!”
Judy then pauses, reflects, and sums up the song much like how we spend our days: “To me, listening to ‘Golden Days’ feels like traveling along a river with a rocky current in a small boat, on a bright sunny day, into the unknown. It feels good, but that doesn’t mean everything's all set.”
Crow Follow celebrates the single with the official release party the day after it hits the streams, on Saturday, September 6 at The Jungle in Somerville, on an inspired bill featuring Thalia Zedek, Happy Little Clouds, and Lonely Leesa and the Lost Cowboys. The band then takes their low-rock down to New York City for a September 25 show at Parkside Lounge for Anne Husick’s birthday bash before rolling back north to Lowell’s Worthen Attic in November.
With every show, the Crow Follow gospel at the core of “Golden Days” rings out with increased intention and vital comfort.
What “Golden Days” does, with its post-punk undercurrent, gentle psychedelic euphoria, and experimental art-rock glide, is offer grace in these uneven and stressful times. With Agent Judy joined in Crow Follow by collaborator, co-conspirator, and life partner Tim Sprague on vocals, guitars, and brass; and rounded out by Herboldsheimer, bassist Carolyn Jean Corella, saxophonist John Keegan, and guest artist and engineer Joel Simches sprinkling “magic dust” across this magnetic track, “Golden Days” finds the band taking a breath, a necessary break, and delicate inventory of the positive. If only for a moment.
“It’s a dreamer with a stinger in its tail!” says Sprague. “It reflects a simple sentiment that feels universal. We are all trying to get a few things done, wishing that for everyone. Things feel so chaotic in the world right now, I feel like it’s almost a prayer for each of us to find those sweet golden days, to find safety. Despite all our pretensions to technological sophistication, we are still hunter-gatherers looking for our next meal and some solace in the end.”
The quest for solace has led Crow Follow to this release. The follow-up to May’s groove-laden “Fold Like Money” and a trio of 2024 singles that included the raucous, ‘70s-punk romp “I’m In Love With You,” this new entry to the expansive Crow Follow catalog finds Judy offering something encouraging without denying the challenges of living. Its chorus chant of “I’m just trying to get a few things done,” as Judy and Sprague’s voices vibrate together in cohesive comfort, rings out so potent at a time when simple tasks become overbearing.
“I find it more reassuring to be told, ‘Yes, it’s fair if you’re just trying. That’s ok.’ I hope to express the aspirations we dream of for each other, and also acknowledge the obstacles we experience just living everyday lives,” she adds. “That feeling of just wanting to get something done. The words fell in when I clarified the intention.”
“Golden Days” is also buoyed by its players’ distinct contributions, like Judy and Sprague’s layered guitars, Herboldsheimer providing the backbeat and her pounding toms bracketing the meat of the song, and Corella’s sly bass serving as its sauce. But Keegan’s saxophone, a true Crow Follow hallmark, soaks up the limelight and provides levity to the panoramic scene the band is intent on setting, complementing Sprague’s brass work.
“The range of tones blending the soulful sax with the fanfare of the trumpet gives ‘Golden Days’ a lulling psychedelic beauty that carries you along like a gentle tide toward a feeling of triumph in the face of normality,” Judy says with her usual poignancy, with Sprague adding: “Agent Judy visualised fanfares answering the vocals in the second verse. I was inspired by Frank Sinatra’s trumpeter Charles Turner to make those stabs economical. Then I put in a short lyrical intro part that fades and blends with John’s sax so that they would feel more organic within the tune.”
It all further cements Crow Follow as perhaps the most unique-sounding band in Boston. Their low-rock foundation is still intact, but Crow Follow are constantly exploring different lanes where darkness meets the light, and the depth of each track is met by a whimsical splash at its very surface.
“Golden Days” was produced by Sprague and Agent Judy; recorded at The Record Company in Boston and Vibe Lab in Revere; recorded and mixed by Simches; and mastered by Pete Weiss at Jade Cow Music in Somerville.
“In some ways, this tune breaks away from the darker low-rock vibe that has inspired us,” adds Sprague. “There are a lot of guitars on this one and it’s only the third of our tunes in a major key, which opens it up a bit. We are still getting the moody meditative melody from John’s layered sax tone – and when playing live, he embodies a wild avatar, a perfect counterpoint to Judith’s and my delivery. Our loping pulse is still grooving at the core, thanks to Carolyn and Ramona’s stoking the engine.”
Judy agrees, and the pair hold close the bond that has formed between the band’s members. The duo will bring in a song partially or fully-defined with the raw essentials of lyrics, rhythm, and melody. The magic arises with how each of the members come together to morph the layers and arrangements as the composition engages its final form. It’s blissful alchemy at play.
“Carolyn is our melodic technician, keeping us honest, lifting us up, and transporting us from the bed of the river. Ramona drives the heartbeat, the steady organic underpinnings carrying us along in time. Johnny casts that crazy spell making everything transport to another zone. Tim has unfolded more and more explorations on the guitar, feeding the content,” Judy reasons. “Our voices often entwine, to vibrate and carry the messages aloft. To begin, we bring the skeletons. Then we all make skin and wardrobe together. It’s a collage, an assemblage, a work of art. That’s what the band does; we do that together.”
And as they traverse that metaphorical river and absorb the rocky current, pushing forward and embracing what lurks just around the bend, they may forget, if for a brief moment, the seemingly never-ending ills that plague us back on shore. And embrace the creation that aches to be heard.
“Over time we have dispensed with much of the awkwardness of experimentation and improvisation, allowing them to become the underpinnings of our compositions,” Judy concludes. “We’ve gained trust in each other and confidence in our process allowing scary ideas to become inspirations. The best thing? That we get to keep doing it, that the miracle continues.”
And a new day begins, this one hopefully a little more golden than the last.
Crow Follow is:
L. Ramona Herboldsheimer: Drums
Carolyn Jean Corella: Bass
Agent Judy: Vocals and guitars
John Keegan: Saxophone
Tim Sprague: Vocals, guitars, and brass
Joel Simches: Guest artist on “Magic Dust” instruments
‘Golden Days’ single artwork:
‘Golden Days’ production credits:
Produced by Tim Sprague and Agent Judy
Recorded at The Record Company in Boston MA and Vibe Lab in Revere, MA
Recording and Mixing Engineer: Joel Simches
Mastering by Pete Weiss at Jade Cow Music, Somerville MA
Lyrics and music copyright: Judith Anne Sprague
Released on Band 4 Band Records
Crow Follow short bio:
Crow Follow’s shaman rock and urban cabaret brings glowing brightness to the darkest tunes. Risen from the vibe of a diverse and energetic music scene in Boston, Crow Follow celebrates and transcends it. Their DNA is from the art rock, low rock, and post-punk scenes of the late 20th century, filtered through the usual smoldering warehouses and sketchy sugar shacks of the American Hinterland.
Media praise for Crow Follow:
“Crow Follow always makes it seem like they are in a magical landscape and inviting you in.” _Boston Groupie News
“A groovtastic out of body experience…” _The Whole Kameese
“Imagine a sweaty bar with sweaty people movin’ and groovin’ to the heated beats in the early hours of a long night out. There’s a big chance you’ll see/hear Crow Follow taking care of the vibrant vibes.” _Turn Up The Volume
“[‘Indiana Line’] is just excellent.” _Monstres Sacrés
“With roots in art rock, low rock, and post-punk, the band distills their influences into a sound that’s both timeless and unmistakably their own.” _We Write About Music
“Hailing from the ever lively and eclectic Boston music scene, Crow Follow has a sound and creative touch that is just as eventful.” _The Ringmaster Review
Crow Follow are by far our favorite Boston ‘shaman rock and urban cabaret brigade’, so we’re thrilled that they have a new single …“I’m in Love with You” is a joyful burst of low-rock, or a more organic version of post-punk. It’s kind of like if you got goths to try out being a jam band, or if you crammed X-Ray Spex in a room with Morphine to see what happens. Crow Follow are a wonderfully strange band that often likes to dance right on the edge of the mainstream, almost to tempt the normies. A song like ‘I’m in Love with You’ shows them at the very top of their game.” _If It’s Too Loud
“So many musicians today have forgotten the art of telling a story through their work. Crow Follow’s effort here makes sure that the art of the storyteller is not forgotten.” _Review Fix
“The Boston, Massachusetts based band combines sounds from the post punk and art rock scenes. Add in some adult contemporary influences and big saxophone sounds and you have Crow Follow. Their music has a way of adding a shiny brightness to their somewhat dark minor key songwriting style. Unique and all their own.” _Indie Band Guru
“Amidst a cacophony of voices and sounds, the latest song from Crow Follow begins and it’s a doozy of a retro Rawk number. Soaked in early ‘60s psychedelia with a horn section straight out of all your most favorite iconic ’80s jams and a layered vocal style that’s akin to some late ’90s/early ’00s Desert Rawk luminaries, we can pretty much guarantee you won’t find a summer single more deserving of your time than the one that Crow Follow delivers with ‘I’m In Love With You’.” _Rock and Roll Fables
“It’s Crow Follow so of course it’s midnight, smokey and there’s a rumble in the air. That’s the scene in ‘Iron Bottom Sound’, Crow Follow’s latest song release. It could be about a real place but it comes across as a mythological locale that promises ‘big fun’. We're used to the low sound with Crow Follow but they defy expectations with some trumpet fills which lend an even more jazzy tone to the song.” _Boston Groupie News
“Crow Follow: An urban, marginal, almost cabaret-like band with a twisted and mundane sense of musical concepts. Listening to their music brings to mind reminiscences of Lou Reed and Nick Cave, but with a slightly dark wave sound and the inclusion of a baritone saxophone. Listening to them is like entering the sordid worlds of a worn-out city.” _Vislumbra
“Growth amidst decay.” _1st 3 Magazine
"We think 'Indiana Line' by Crow Follow was their best effort yet. The song careens like an out of control rig. A scratchy radio transmission in the beginning is haunting. They do a lot of tricks to depict this visually. There’s ample use of animated chalk drawings that add a primitive touch.” _Boston Groupie News
“...great new video for ‘Indiana Line’” _Rising with Skybar on WMFO
“And then there was Crow Follow, a band that I loved... they put out some angry original rock and roll that was great.” _Cape Cod Wave
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