The Glitter Bombs local music feature 

• Missy Stone

It's important to have something you can escape into. Whether it's media, hobbies, spending time with loved ones or all of the above, you have to find things that make you happy during tough times—which these certainly are.

That's where bands like The Glitter Bombs come in. This is a group that loves what they do, loves sharing their music with people, leading to smiles all around.

The Glitter Bombs started, like many other projects in the last few years, during the pandemic. Vocalist Missy Stone and guitarist John McCool met through BandMix, and began doing some socially distanced jamming together. "It just seemed natural, and we started out just writing songs in the backyard, six feet apart. I think because of COVID, it was a little slow start, but we could see potential there. After time, we realized we had some songs," McCool said.

"It was a tender and slow and sweet time to get to know each other, but definitely writing and singing and playing in the backyard six feet apart in the sunshine in masks," Stone added. "It was just such a unique experience, but we definitely saw a lot of potential and started slowly working our way indoors and piecing it together and then integrated Jason, our drummer, about a year after working on things."

The name took a bit of time to come to mind, as it tends to when it comes to naming a brand-new and meaningful artistic endeavor. It's hard to find something unique enough that 20 artists of the same name don't pop up on a Spotify search, but catchy and recognizable enough that listeners will remember you. Whatever the name was, it had to be reflective of the band's positive, fun, goofy, vibrant personalities. Enter: The Glitter Bombs, an atomic-inspired, sparkling and energetic name fitting of a band who aims to make that exact sound in their music.

The Glitter Bombs started work immediately on their 2023 debut album, Bombs Away, a 12-track adventure full of joy, dynamic and lively sound and plain old good vibes. The group has an addicting rock/punk sound that is timeless, yet sounds like it comes from songs and bands of the same genres in the '80s and '90s. The songs are full of whimsical lyrics and ripping guitar solos; it's nearly impossible to be sad during a rad, ripping guitar solo.

Bombs Away is something the group is very proud of, as it marked the beginning of something good, and the start of how they found their sound. The Glitter Bombs have tons more material ready to record, so they're excited about moving forward. "We don't have any shortage of stuff, so we probably have enough material for another couple records," McCool said.

Their Tiny Desk contest submission, "Never Gonna Letcha," is an example of what the band is aiming for as they put out more music. The video is eye-catching, and the sound is infectious and energetic. "I think [the video] is reflective of the fact that we are very visual," McCool said. "That really has come about in our writing, how our writing and songs have evolved over the last couple of years. We started out as a rock band, but we see the virtue of having videos and being visual on stage."

"'Never Gonna Letcha' from Tiny Desk is one of our more fun and enthusiastic songs that we've actually been performing live for the last year but didn't make it on the first album, so it'll definitely be on album number two," Stone added. Because they had a great time shooting this video, more is to come along with the new tunes.

"I just feel like we're in a really great momentum with ideas and energy right now because there's so many different thoughts and ideas and ways to do this," Stone explained about the band's path forward. "I feel like we're pretty aligned with how much we want to give the band, which is exciting."

As listeners continue to join The Glitter Bombs on their journey as a band, the members hope listeners are able to feel the joy they do when they're writing these songs and performing on stage. "[Our music] is supposed to be positive and energetic and a celebration of life," McCool said. "I want listeners to feel just happiness and joy and energy from our music the way it has fed me since I've been playing it, developing it with these guys," Stone added. "It's been such a positive experience in my life the last couple of years. I just want to spread that out like a care bear and have people just feel uplifted."

Stay tuned for what The Glitter Bombs have in store, and be sure to stop by their library when you're needing a little pick-me-up.