Recorded in the brief period between Melbourne’s first and second lockdowns, the debut single “Money Boy” from Melbourne outfit Money Boys perfectly captures the pent-up energy of four punk diehards, busting to hit the studio together.

Recorded at the first word of restrictions easing, the song bursts out the gates with a frenetic guitar intro, pushing effortlessly forward through punchy and melodic verse and chorus.

Towards the end, you can almost hear beers spilling in the background as the whole band euphorically sing, “I wanna be your Money Boy” with an enormous dose of bravado and perhaps only the slightest hint of irony.

As kids the four members met in Melbourne’s underage punk scene, both playing in bands and going to shows together. Years later, they put together an Operation Ivy tribute band for a brief run of gigs and at one rehearsal, recorded a shitty demo of an original. With the boredom of lockdown in full swing, the song re-emerged and the hunger to write more became insatiable.

Within three short weeks, an EP was written and in a single day recorded by Press Club’s Greg Rietwyk, seamlessly capturing both the restless energy and the band’s live-playing prowess.