“Stay Inside” - trainboy
Photo Credit: Artist EPK
London’s lo-fi dreamers trainboy arrive with their debut EP Stay Inside — a shimmering, understated collection of guitar-driven indie gems that capture the hazy melancholy of city life and the strange comfort of solitude. Led by songwriter and vocalist Dave Macleod, trainboy blend wistful introspection with melodic immediacy, channeling a lineage of indie greats — think Velvet Underground, Teenage Fanclub, Lemonheads, DIIV, and New Order — while carving out something distinctly their own: tender, unpretentious, and quietly addictive.
Recorded in Kentish Town, the EP feels intimate yet expansive, like a late-night walk through empty streets with only your thoughts for company. The production is raw but warm — guitars shimmer and sway beneath Dave’s bittersweet vocals.
The title track, “Stay Inside,” is a standout — a bittersweet anthem for introverts, loners, and overthinkers. With lines like “Second thoughts are here again / Floating round the room / I know it’s not what everyone desires / I’ll have to stay inside,” Macleod captures the fragile poetry of isolation with an honesty that feels both nostalgic and painfully current. It’s a song about choosing stillness in a world that won’t stop moving — about learning to find peace in your own company, even when it aches a little.
Elsewhere, the EP dances between jangly indie pop and more atmospheric textures, balancing clarity and blur in just the right measure. Tracks swell and fade like distant memories — equal parts melancholy and sunlight. You can hear traces of Wet Leg’s playful irreverence, English Teacher’s literary edge, and the jangly romance of Orange Juice.
There’s a sincerity in Macleod’s delivery that feels rare in today’s hyper-polished landscape — each song sounds like it was written for the sake of feeling, not streaming. That authenticity shines through not just in the music, but in the mood: a mix of yearning, contentment, and wry self-awareness that makes Stay Inside feel like a small confession whispered into the noise of modern life.
With a one-off release show at the Tufnell Park Dome on November 14th, trainboy are poised to bring this dreamy soundscape to life. Expect jangling guitars, bedroom-pop vulnerability, and an atmosphere that blurs the line between performance and therapy session — the kind of gig where you leave feeling lighter, but not entirely sure why.
In a year full of loud statements and digital gloss, Stay Inside feels refreshingly human. It’s a lo-fi hug for the overthinkers, the romantics, and anyone who’s ever felt just a little bit out of sync with the world.
“Stay Inside” is available now on all major streaming platforms
