Introducing Ryli: A debut album fueled by friendship, insomnia, and jangly pop perfection

Let’s get one thing straight: the Bay Area’s Ryli isn’t just another indie band dropping their first album. They’re a fully-formed musical force delivering pop that’s equal parts sunbeam and shadow. Their debut album, ‘Come and Get Me,’ is set to land on June 27 via Dandy Boy Records—and trust us, you’re going to want to grab it.

First up? Medicine Speed, the jangly, driving lead single that just hit the airwaves. It’s a song that sparkles with shimmering guitar lines and bright melodies, even as the lyrics pull you into something darker. Yea-Ming Chen (of Yea-Ming & The Rumours) wrote it during a 3 a.m. bout of insomnia, when every shadow in the room felt like it had teeth. That tension—between light and dark, sweet and haunting—is the thread that runs through Ryli’s debut.

Ryli came together in that magical way bands dream of: what started as a casual recording project between Chen and guitarist Rob Good (The Goods) turned into something much bigger when bassist Luke Robbins and drummer Ian McBrayer joined the fold. With their powers combined, the group clicked fast—so fast that they tracked the entire album within a few months at Good’s Oakland studio.

While their music nods to some pretty stellar influences—early McCartney, The Smiths, Camera Obscura, Belle & Sebastian—Ryli isn’t interested in playing copycat. Instead, they channel those touchstones into something uniquely theirs: melodic pop with guts, brains, and a little edge. You’ll hear it right away in Medicine Speed, and again in tracks like Break, a moody, minor-key burner that features Good’s searing guitar work and Chen’s rich, emotive vocals asking, “If I asked you to, would you break me out of here?” Spoiler alert: no one’s breaking her out. But the song might just break you open a little.

The whole album walks a tightrope between buoyant, summery soundscapes and lyrics that aren’t afraid to dig into anxiety, heartbreak, or existential dread. It’s music that sparkles while it stings. And honestly? That’s the magic. Ryli sounds like a band that’s not just vibing—they’re thriving. ‘Come and Get Me’ might be their debut, but it plays like the confident statement of a band deep in their groove.

Mark your calendar for June 27. Until then, spin Medicine Speed on repeat, stay up late, and maybe keep a light on—just in case something is hiding around the corner.