Joe Boston writes and produces warm yet melancholy electronic pop under the name Shallou. His songs are generally bright and sparkling and contain midtempo beats, yet as relaxed and summery as they seem, the lyrics are often quite sorrowful and forlorn. Initially based in New Orleans, Boston began making music as Shallou in 2014, and moved to Chicago soon after. While his early songs featured his vocals, they were usually fragmented and textural; it wasn’t until later that he began composing fully lyrical songs. The 2016 singles “Doubt [Summer Edit]” and tropical house track “Heights” received much online play, and Shallou (with Boston joined by Emilio Quezada) toured with artists such as El Ten Eleven and Roosevelt. In 2017, Shallou released a cover of Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack” and an original EP titled All Becomes Okay. A trio of singles, including the Kasbo and Cody Lovaas collaboration “Find,” preceded Shallou’s follow-up EP, Souls, which arrived in April 2018. ~ Paul Simpson
