Guards

Guards is an indie pop and psychedelic pop group from New York, United States, active from 2010. The group forms around Richie James Follin, who first begins recording with his sister Madeline Follin’s band Cults as a side project between tours. After songs he posts online attract booking offers, he puts together a permanent lineup in 2010.

The early line-up includes Follin on vocals and guitar, Kaylie Church on keyboards and vocals, and Loren Humphrey, also of Willowz, on drums. The group signs to 3 Syllables Records in 2010 and releases an eponymous debut EP the same year. Follin and Humphrey both have links to Willowz, and the band’s sound is described through its reverb-heavy production and large choruses.

In 2012, Guards release “Silver Lining”, which is later licensed for a U.S. collegiate Big Ten Conference public service advertisement. Their debut album, In Guards We Trust, appears on Black Bell Records in 2013. In late 2014, they issue “Nothing More” from a second album expected in 2015.