Long Island’s Koyo is a band full of hardcore-scene veterans who have played in bands like King Nine, Typecaste, and Rain Of Salvation. They mostly play hardcore shows, and frequently-shirtless frontman Joey Chairamonte looks like the damn Incredible Hulk. But Koyo aren’t a hardcore band. Instead, Koyo tap into a deep vein of melodic, heartsick Long Island emo, taking inspiration from bands like Taking Back Sunday and the Movielife. They play big, hooky songs full of longing, and they do it with muscle and focus. They kick a lot of ass.

Koyo really got going during the pandemic, which is when they released the early EPs Painting Words Into Lines and Drives Out East. These days, Koyo are touring constantly, and they’re currently gearing up for a full North American trek with Knocked Loose, Movements, and Kublai Khan. They’ve also signed with Pure Noise Records, and they released the new single “Ten Digits Away” earlier this month. It seems likely that there’s a new Koyo record on the way soon, since they just dropped another new single.

“Straight North” is a searing, catchy, muscular jam about a past relationship. Below, check out the song’s video, which is full of sweaty live footage.

In a press release, Chairamonte says:

Like a lot of the bands Koyo is inspired by, I feel we exist on a bit of a spectrum sonically. Some songs are more high-energy and inspired by hardcore; others are more nuanced and ballad-like. “Straight North” exists more on the ballad side of the spectrum.

“Straight North” is a sister song of sorts to a track on our first EP called “Heaven So Heavy.” This song was written before any of the previous material. It’d been in the chamber for almost two years before we actually decided to record it as a single. Although it’s about a now very distant time in my life, I feel there’s potentially something tangible and meaningful there for people who may have felt or feel a similar way. I hope people can relate.

“Straight North” is out now on Pure Noise.