It’s Been Real (Special)

Dear friends,

After 5 wonderful years, we have decided to bring The Singing Bois to a close. This decision came about after a long period of reflection and discussion among the members of the group. While we’re sad to see this project go, we’re so grateful for the opportunities and inspiration it has brought to us and our communities.

It’s been a long and beautiful run. We started as a simple voice/guitar quartet offering queer takes on classic songs and an opportunity for audiences to swoon over a feminist, anti-racist boi band. We’ve grown into a powerhouse six-piece combo rocking large stages with unique arrangements, dynamic choreography, and poignant original songs. Throughout, we’ve held tightly to the belief that queer, trans, and non-binary artists have a right to claim space and have their stories heard. And we’ve been honored to do just that, through our self-titled 2018 EP, our nationally touring evening-length show A Queer Story of the Boy Band, and in every single one of our appearances--large and small--in our Bay Area home.

Building and sustaining this ensemble has been a tremendous challenge. We’ve seen firsthand the difficulties QTPOC artists face as they navigate arts industries unequipped to fully support and represent marginalized communities. We’ve struggled with the difficulties of financing a project that refuses to simplify or evacuate its radical politics. We’ve grappled with how to center and uplift our QTPOC audiences while also speaking to non-queer listeners who desperately need to see humanizing QTPOC representations. And we’ve faced the tough realities of how to compassionately hold space for each other as we negotiated different opinions, desires, and visions. We’ve learned a lot.

We’re so grateful for all of your support over the years of the project. We’ll miss seeing you at shows and online and we’d love to stay in conversation. You can still visit our website, connect with our Facebook/Instagram, send us an email, purchase our EP or merch, and see our members in numerous other projects. We’ll be keeping alive the spirit of love and liberation that has driven us and we look forward to seeing the new directions in which it develops.

With love, gratitude, and respect,

The Singing Bois
aka T. Carlis Roberts, Vassilisa Kapila, Rhonda Kinard, Terezia Orosz, Jesse Strauss, Jade Way

Ps. We'd like to leave you with one last video and a message we hope will continue to resonate in the years to come.