Winnetka Bowling League

With a sound that captures the sun-flared atmospheres of the oceanside rather than the urethane-coated alleyways of their name, Los Angeles' Winnetka Bowling League is a project led by singer/songwriter/producer Matthew Koma. Mixing elements of reverb-washed sunshine pop and hip-hop with contemporary pop, they signed with RCA and released their eponymous debut EP in 2018. Over the next five years, the band maintained a steady stream of material including the 2020 streaming hit "Slow Dances" and the EPs Congratulations (2020) and Pulp. The 2024 single "Sha La La" offered the first glimpse of their debut album. Before conceiving Winnetka Bowling League, Matthew Koma had already released two solo EPs on Interscope (2012's Parachute EP and 2013's The Cherrytree Sessions) and was known for featured spots on EDM hits such as Zedd's "Spectrum" (2012) and Tiësto's "Wasted (2014). He had also produced and written songs for acts including Carly Rae Jepsen, Shania Twain, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Hilary Duff. After launching Winnetka Bowling League in 2018, he signed with RCA Records and released the band's debut single, "On the 5," that August. A self-titled EP appeared in October of 2018 followed a year later by Cloudy With a Chance of Sun with it's breezy standout single "Slow Dances." A handful of members joined Koma in the band's early years, but coalesced around mainstays Kris Mazzarisi (drums) and Sam Beresford (keyboards). Heading into the next decade Winnetka Bowling League continued to focus on short-form releases, earning new fans with catchy singles like "CVS" from their Congratulations EP (2020) and collaborating with stars like Demi Lovato on 2021's "FIIMY, Fuck it I Miss You" from the Pulp EP. Their output slowed somewhat over the next two years while they worked on their first full-length, the first taste of which appeared in early 2024 with "Sha La La." ~ Marcy Donelson