Hello everyone, it’s your host Oliver from DULAXI, and today I’m delighted to be joined by Michael Bozzo and Courtney Leo, the Queens, New York natives behind THROES NYC. The multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist duo have been making music together since childhood, developing a distinctive sound that draws from alt-pop, trip-hop and electronic music while embracing the darker, atmospheric qualities of their New York influences. Today, we’re discussing their latest EP, The Wires Out, released on August 12, 2026.
Before we begin our conversation with Michael and Courtney, here’s what you need to know about today’s featured project.
About THROES NYC
THROES NYC is the musical creation of multi-instrumentalist and producer Michael Bozzo and vocalist Courtney Leo, two Queens natives whose connection to music began long before the project itself took shape. Having grown up together and started making music during childhood, their creative relationship has developed across different stages of life, eventually bringing them back together to discover what they could create with the experiences and perspectives they had gained along the way.
Their musical identity is closely connected to the New York environment that shaped their formative years. As teenagers, Bozzo and Leo spent time around legendary venues including CBGB’s, Roseland Ballroom and Irving Plaza, absorbing the energy of a city where individuality, experimentation and musical discovery were deeply woven into the culture. The sounds and atmosphere of New York’s ’90s and early 2000s scene remain an important influence, but THROES NYC does not approach that history as something to simply recreate. Instead, those memories and influences become part of a broader emotional language that continues to develop through their lives in the present.
The duo describes its sound as “altriphop,” an evolving mixture of alt-pop, trip-hop, electronic music, analog warmth and cinematic textures. It is less a strict genre definition than an expression of their willingness to move between different musical spaces. Melodic songwriting can exist alongside darker electronic textures, hypnotic rhythms and experimental ideas, allowing the music to remain accessible without losing the unusual and atmospheric qualities that define the project.
That approach is particularly evident on The Wires Out, an EP that explores tension, romance, obsession, uncertainty and nostalgia while moving THROES NYC towards a more melodic, pop-leaning edge. Released on August 12, 2026, the project features “Something Chemical” and “Always, Baby,” two songs that developed into very different expressions of intimacy.
Interestingly, the two tracks were not originally conceived as separate explorations of contrasting emotional states. “Something Chemical” began with a chorus that was originally part of “Always, Baby.” As the duo developed the material, Michael recognised that the section carried an entirely different energy and deserved its own space. That creative decision ultimately helped shape the emotional contrast at the heart of the EP, with “Always, Baby” becoming the more vulnerable and openly romantic piece while “Something Chemical” developed into something darker, more intense and obsessive.
Across the EP, THROES NYC continues to embrace the tension between opposing qualities. Their music can be melodic without becoming predictable, atmospheric without losing emotional clarity, and intimate while still carrying considerable sonic weight. The electronic and trip-hop foundations give the project its nocturnal character, while the songwriting allows the emotional themes to remain direct.
Having this brief introduction to today’s featured project, I’m sure both new listeners and longtime fans are excited to hear directly from Michael and Courtney. So, without further ado, let’s begin today’s interview.
INTERVIEW SESSION
Oliver:
Michael and Courtney, you have been making music together since childhood and grew up as Queens, New York natives during a period when the city had an especially strong underground music culture. When you think back to those early years together, what do you remember most about the experiences that first made music feel like something you wanted to build your lives around?
Michael:
I think what I remember most is just how much music was around us growing up. New York had such a strong underground scene, and we were exposed to so many different sounds. We started making music together when we were young, and it became a really important part of who we were. Then life happened, and we went our separate ways creatively for a long time. But I think that early experience stayed with both of us.
Courtney:
Yeah, we definitely stopped making music together. We each went off and did our own things, and had our own experiences with music and life. So when we started working together again a couple of years ago, it wasn’t really about picking up where we left off. It felt more like discovering what we could create together now. That’s really where THROES NYC came from.
Oliver:
Spending your teenage years around places like CBGB’s, Roseland Ballroom and Irving Plaza meant experiencing New York music culture at a very formative age. What did being surrounded by that particular scene teach you about individuality, experimentation and what it means to make music that genuinely feels like your own?
Courtney:
I think it made me comfortable with being a little different. You’d see people who were just completely themselves, and that was what made them interesting. I think that’s something I’ve carried with me—don’t try too hard to fit something into a box. If it feels like you, that’s probably the direction you should go.
Oliver:
You have been creating together since childhood, which means THROES NYC is built on a relationship that goes far beyond simply being musical collaborators. How has knowing each other for so long shaped the way you communicate creatively, handle disagreements and understand what the other person is trying to express before it is even fully articulated?
Courtney:
Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of trust there. We know each other well enough to know when something isn’t quite right, even if the other person can’t really explain why yet. And I think because we’ve worked together for so long, we don’t take creative disagreements personally. Sometimes Michael will hear something completely differently than I do, and that’s actually what makes it interesting. Sometimes we will just take that difference in opinion, make it into a whole different song and bench what we were originally working on until we are both like..hey.. we still have that first thing to go back to..
Oliver:
There is a strong sense of atmosphere and nostalgia running through The Wires Out, but the record does not simply look backwards. How have your memories of growing up in Queens and absorbing the sounds of New York’s ’90s and ’00s scene influenced the way you approach music today, while still allowing THROES NYC to develop an identity that belongs to the present?
Courtney:
The nostalgia thing is probably just there naturally because of what we grew up with. A lot of the sounds we loved in the ’90s and early 2000s are still somewhere in our heads, so they come out in what we make. But we’re not trying to recreate that time. We’re taking those influences and putting them through where we are now. I think that’s what makes it feel like us rather than just a throwback. It’s more of a feeling for us than one specific sound. Growing up in New York definitely shaped our tastes, but we’re making music from our lives now. The Wires Out has some of those older influences, but it’s also about connection, relationships— the stuff we’re experiencing in the present. I think the combination of those things is what gives it its identity.
Oliver:
THROES NYC describes its sound as “altriphop,” bringing together alt-pop, trip-hop, electronic music, analog warmth and cinematic textures. What does that description mean to the two of you personally, and what can you achieve through that mixture of styles that might be difficult to express if you confined the project to a single genre?
Courtney:
To me, “altriphop” is really just a way of saying we don’t have to choose one lane. We’re non-committal when it comes to what we should sound like. I love the atmosphere you get from trip-hop and electronic music, but I also love a great pop song. Putting those things together lets us have something that can be melodic and immediate, but still a little dark and weird. I don’t think we ever sit down and think, “This needs to be this genre.” We just start with an idea and see where it goes. Sometimes it’s really pop, sometimes it’s more atmospheric or beat-driven. The “altriphop” name just gives us a way to describe that. It lets us be emotional and catchy without having to give up the stranger, moodier parts of what we like.
Oliver:
Your music has often been described through contrasts: moody but melodic, intimate yet explosive, atmospheric yet emotionally direct. When you are creating together, how do you decide where a song should sit between those opposing qualities, and how important is that tension to the identity of THROES NYC?
Michael:
I think that tension happens pretty naturally for us. We don’t really decide ahead of time that a song needs to be dark or melodic or anything like that. We usually just follow the feeling of the song. If something is really emotional, I might want the production to be a little more restrained, or the opposite. That push and pull is part of what makes it interesting. It’s probably one of the things that makes it feel like THROES NYC most. We like songs that can be beautiful and a little uncomfortable at the same time. We don’t want everything to be completely dark, but we also don’t want to make things too polished or predictable. That contrast gives us room to say something emotional without it feeling too obvious.
Oliver:
The Wires Out represents a move towards a more melodic and pop-leaning edge while maintaining the darker character that has always been present in your music. What changed creatively during the making of this EP that allowed you to explore that more accessible side of THROES NYC without feeling as though you were compromising the edge that defines the project?
Courtney:
I think we just stopped worrying so much about whether something sounded “too pop.” We let the melodies be more direct and catchy, but kept that slightly uneasy feeling that’s always been part of my lyrics. It didn’t feel like we were changing the project—it was more about letting another side of it come through. Even when something feels lighter or more accessible, there’s still that tension underneath that makes it feel familiar to us.
Oliver:
The title The Wires Out suggests crossed signals, imperfect communication and a connection that somehow still exists despite the interference. How did that idea become the central image for the EP, and what does being “wired out” represent emotionally within the world of these songs?
Courtney:
The title actually comes from a line in Something Chemical: “pull the wires out—we’re on fire now.” We just really liked that image. It feels chaotic and intense, but then you have “gonna keep you around,” so there’s still this desire to hold onto that connection. And when we put that together with Always, Baby, which is more vulnerable and straightforward, that part of the phrase just felt like it fit the whole EP.
Oliver:
The EP moves through tension, romance, obsession and late-night nostalgia, creating the feeling of a relationship or emotional connection that is never entirely stable. Were you consciously exploring different sides of intimacy across the record, and how did those different emotional states influence the way the songs were written?
Michael:
Honestly, we weren’t really thinking about all those different sides of intimacy when we started. Something Chemical actually started in a pretty different place. The chorus was originally part of Always, Baby, but when I heard it, I was like, “No, this deserves its own space.” It felt like it had a completely different energy, so we pulled it out and started building another song around it.
Courtney:
Yeah, and that’s kind of how the EP came together. We weren’t trying to make two songs that represented two different sides of a relationship. They just naturally became that way. Always, Baby ended up being more vulnerable and romantic, while Something Chemical became much more intense and obsessive. Once we separated them, it actually made sense that they were two different songs.
Oliver:
“Something Chemical” approaches attraction from a darker and more restless perspective, where desire seems to carry a sense of tension and instability. What were you interested in exploring about attraction through that song, and how did you use the music itself to make the listener feel that pull between desire and unease?
Michael:
I think that push and pull is really at the center of the EP. With “Something Chemical,” we wanted to explore that feeling where you’re attracted to someone, but there’s also something a little unsettling about it. You want them, but you’re not totally sure where it’s going to lead. We tried to capture that in the music too. It’s hypnotic and seductive, but there’s this darker, restless feeling underneath it. I think that balance between something catchy and something a little uneasy runs through the whole EP.
Oliver:
“Always, Baby” moves in almost the opposite emotional direction, bringing a softer and more openly romantic energy into the EP. What made this song an important part of The Wires Out, and how did you approach expressing tenderness without losing the atmosphere and personality that run through the rest of the project?
Courtney:
I think “Always, Baby” was important because it brings a softer, more openly romantic side to the EP, while still acknowledging the insecurity and vulnerability that come with real love. It feels gentler, but the sadness and uncertainty underneath keep it connected to the same world as the rest of the record.
Oliver:
Across the EP, there is a feeling of late-night nostalgia that connects naturally with the electronic and trip-hop influences in your sound. When you were writing these songs, were you trying to recreate a particular emotional time or place, or were you more interested in capturing the feeling of remembering something that can never quite be experienced in the same way again?
Courtney:
It’s really about that feeling of looking back on something and knowing you can’t quite get back there. We’ve both always connected with that late-night feeling—the memories and people. Stuff you wish you could experience again. We weren’t trying to recreate a specific time or place, but those emotions naturally just came out in the songs. The trip-hop and electronic side of our sound gives us a way to capture that feeling.
Oliver:
Michael, as a multi-instrumentalist and producer, and Courtney, as the vocalist, you each bring a different creative role to THROES NYC. How does the process normally unfold between you when an idea first appears, and at what point does a rough musical idea become something that both of you recognise as a THROES NYC song?
Courtney:
A lot of the time, Michael will start with a beat or a musical idea, and I’ll build melodies and lyrics around it. But sometimes it works the other way—I’ll send him an a cappella idea I’ve come up with, usually with lyrics that are a little darker, and he’ll build the music around it. Honestly, the second he sends it back with his music and my lyrics together, it feels like THROES NYC. That’s usually when we both know we’ve got something. We just vibe off of each other and it works.
Oliver:
The record combines electronic textures and hypnotic rhythms with analog warmth, cinematic production and emotionally charged vocals. What were some of the most important production or arrangement decisions that helped you create that balance, particularly as you pushed the music towards a more melodic and pop-oriented sound?
Courtney:
I think we just wanted to let the songs be more melodic and catchy without losing what makes us sound like us. Michael played around a lot with the electronic textures and rhythms, while we tried to keep some warmth and space around the vocals. We definitely leaned more pop with this EP, especially with the melodies and choruses, but we still wanted that darker, slightly eclectic THROES NYC atmosphere underneath it all.
Oliver:
One of the interesting things about THROES NYC is that the music refuses to remain in one fixed place, with the sound evolving from track to track rather than following a strict genre formula. How do you know when experimentation is helping a song discover its identity, and when it is simply taking the music somewhere it does not need to go?
Courtney:
I think we just know when it feels right. We’re not really trying to fit into a genre, so we’ll experiment with things until something clicks. Sometimes Michael will take a song somewhere I didn’t expect, or I’ll come in with an idea that changes the whole direction. If the experimentation makes us feel something or makes the song more interesting, we keep it. If it starts feeling like we’re doing something just for the sake of it, we usually know it’s time to pull it back. For us, the song always has to come first.
Oliver:
Looking at The Wires Out alongside the music and influences that have shaped THROES NYC since your early years in New York, what do you feel you understand about yourselves as artists now that you perhaps did not understand when you first started making music together?
Courtney:
I think we’ve just gotten better at trusting ourselves. When we first started making music together, we probably cared more about where we fit or what we were supposed to sound like. Now we don’t really think about that as much. We just follow what feels right.
Oliver:
Your relationship with New York is clearly more than a geographical detail; it is part of the atmosphere, history and attitude surrounding THROES NYC. As Queens natives who grew up during such an influential period in the city’s music culture, how do you think New York will continue to shape the project as your sound develops?
Michael:
New York, especially Queens, really shaped our sound. There’s so much noise, diversity, and constant movement here. Growing up in the city’s most diverse borough maybe taught us to find more patterns in the chaos and roll with the weirdness.
Oliver:
The Wires Out ultimately feels interested in the imperfect nature of human connection, where crossed signals and emotional uncertainty do not necessarily prevent people from finding their way back to each other. When listeners finish the EP, what do you hope stays with them emotionally, and what would you like them to understand about THROES NYC that they could not get from simply placing the music into a genre?
Michael:
More than anything, we probably both hope people come away from the EP feeling that even with uncertainty, there’s hope in finding the space between everything.
Oliver:
Having established THROES NYC around a shared history, a distinctive “altriphop” identity and a sound that continues to evolve between alt-pop, trip-hop and electronic music, where do you see the project going next? What would you like to explore musically and creatively that you have not yet had the opportunity to attempt?
Courtney:
I think we’re still figuring that out, and honestly, that’s part of the fun. We don’t want to box ourselves into one sound. We want to keep playing with electronic and experimental stuff while also pushing the melodic side of what we do. And personally, I’m dying to make a song that sounds like the soundtrack to a 1920s horror film—really eerie and cinematic… but we’ll see what Michael thinks about that. I think there are still so many weird directions we can go in. I think we are just excited to see where we end up.
“The Wires Out captures something compelling about connection without pretending that connection is ever simple. What stayed with me is how THROES NYC allows melody, atmosphere and uncertainty to exist together.”
~ Oliver (DULAXI Team)
EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE
What makes The Wires Out particularly engaging is the way THROES NYC allows its emotional ideas to shape the movement of the music rather than forcing everything into one defined aesthetic. The contrast between vulnerability and intensity gives the EP a clear personality, while the electronic textures and melodic writing create room for both atmosphere and immediacy. Speaking with Michael and Courtney also makes the project’s independence from genre labels feel genuine. Their creative process is guided less by rules than by instinct, trust and the willingness to follow an idea wherever it leads.
~ Oliver (DULAXI Team)
CLOSING
Our conversation with Michael Bozzo and Courtney Leo offers a deeper look into the history, instincts and creative relationship behind THROES NYC. From growing up around New York’s influential music culture to finding their way back to making music together, their story is closely connected to the same themes that run through The Wires Out: memory, uncertainty, experimentation and the search for meaningful connection.
Thank you to Michael and Courtney for taking the time to speak with DULAXI and for sharing such thoughtful insight into their creative process, their history and the ideas behind the EP. The Wires Out is a project best experienced as a whole, allowing its contrasting emotional spaces and evolving sound to unfold naturally.
We encourage readers to spend some time with THROES NYC and discover where their blend of alt-pop, trip-hop and electronic influences takes them. As the duo continues exploring new directions, including Courtney’s intriguing idea of creating a song inspired by a 1920s horror film, there is clearly plenty more creative territory ahead.
Thank you for spending time with DULAXI. This has been Oliver, and we look forward to bringing you more conversations with artists whose music has a story worth hearing.