If you've had the chance to catch SAMWOY live during Taverne Tour or as the opening act for PYPY, you already know his penchant for storytelling, transforming his cacophonic shows into awkward parties to celebrate sadness with humor and raw honesty.

What started as a one-man project has now blossomed into a full-fledged ensemble, as our sad boy now knows that in order to confess one's wrongs, you need to be well surrounded. With Ev Bird (guitar, background vocals, synthesizers) Jeff Mitchel (bass, saxophone, keys), Thomas Molander (drums), Woy's latest single, "Poison," is the most well-articulated distillation of his project to date, focusing on extreme moments of individual experience, the psyche, and personal trauma. The track seamlessly blends the poetic, fractured urban mythology of Television's "Marquee Moon," the tortured angst of Nirvana, and the post-punk sound of IDLES or Fontaines DC's debut work.

Through a series of seemingly shameful personal confessions, Woy explores intense psychological experiences - from self-medication through drugs and codependency to the relentless search for acknowledgment through the eyes of others, self-sabotage, debauchery and other harmful behaviors. But this confession does not stem from a place of self-loathing; rather, it serves as a means of self-development, leading to the reconciliation of body and spirit, and finally, forgiveness. A few seconds can change someone's life and ultimately take decades to resolve, making positive affirmations to ourselves sounds fake, phony and hollow. The real poison, it seems, is the burden of carrying the guilt, shame, and disgust of being alive when a best friend is not. Dying to yourself is, indeed, a real art form.

"Poison" is part of the forthcoming second album, Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun (Hidden Ship).