About Gayngs

Gayngs is a Minneapolis collective, founded by Ryan Olson. The group consists of 23 musicians, including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Doomtree rappers P.O.S. and Dessa, jazz saxophonist Michael Lewis, and members of Solid Gold and The Rosebuds. Their first album, Relayted, was released by Jagjaguwar and garnered positive reviews for its unique vocal stylings and retro-but-contemporary sound. The songs, inspired by 10cc's I'm Not in Love, were written at 69 BPM and recorded over the course of a year. The Guardian called the album "a triumph" and listed it as "the album of the year". The Onion's The A.V. Club called the album "big and beautiful". One of the tracks on Relayted is a cover of the 1985 Godley & Creme hit "Cry". The video for the song is a remake of the original video, featuring a cameo by Kevin Godley himself. In May of 2010 the band played their first show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Billed as "The Last Prom on Earth", the concert featured all 23 members of the band, prom-themed decorations, a balloon drop, and a surprise appearance by audience member Prince. The band has been booked for a ten-show tour in September and October of 2010, culminating with a performance at Austin City Limits in October. On October 4, they played on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. They also performed at Coachella on April 15, 2011 and Sasquatch Music Festival May 27, 2011.