Led by multi-instrumentalist Regina Strayhorn, Bandits on the Run’s “Spellbound” explores how encompassing a crumbling relationship can become. The track sees Strayhorn calling out someone who’s misleading her over an elegant instrumental with cello by Sydney Shepherd and vocal harmonies by Shepherd and Adrian Blake Enscoe. It’s the newest single from the band’s upcoming folk-pop EP Now Is The Time, which is due for release on June 25th.

“The song is about ghosting, rejection, and the confusing chaos that often comes when a romance goes sideways,” Strayhorn shares. “When I first came to my bandmates [Adrian Blake Enscoe and Sydney Shepherd] with a draft of it, the song felt so vulnerable that it was almost too embarrassing to sing. But they responded to its heartbreak, and so did the audiences we played it for.” 

Bandits on the Run have already earned a Top Shelf pick with their submission to NPR’s Tiny Desk contest, shoutouts from Rolling Stone, and what would have been a spot at SXSW, which got cancelled due to COVID-19. During the pandemic, the group have turned their focus to their Now Is The Time EP, a short musical film about a “Band at the End of the World,” and building deeper connections with their fanbase.

“I’ve found that everyone’s had their turn being the fool at one point or another,” Strayhorn admits. “For me, the song is a far greater gift than the fantasy relationship I might’ve had with this mystery man. Honestly, I thank him, because ‘Spellbound’ has healed my heart and connected Bandits on the Run to so many beautiful people.”

Keep an eye out for the upcoming “Spellbound” music video and the release of Now Is The Time on June 25th! In the meantime, you can connect with the band on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.