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Apr 21, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Kai Ravelson

New York indie folk trio Bandits On The Run were on the cusp of some of their biggest career moves yet in 2020 when, like most other musicians, they saw their plans fall apart thanks to the pandemic. But, not one to sit the year out, the band took the pandemic to finalize new material and road trip cross-country to record with Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Vance Joy). Now, with the light at the end of the tunnel getting somewhat brighter, the trio has been building to the release of their upcoming EP, Now Is The Time. The band have once again returned with a new single, “Spellbound,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Spellbound” should prove familiar to fans of the band as it has long been a presence in the trio’s dynamic live shows. Much as it does live, “Spellbound” swells and swirls with energy, putting multi-instrumentalist Regina Strayhorn, aka “Clarissa,” at the forefront of its swaying harmonies. The instrumentation initially begins stark, putting the spotlight exclusively on Regina’s smokey vocals before the song expands into the trio’s signature mix of lush instrumentation and resonant three-part harmonies. Yet, Regina remains the magnetic focal point, melding seamlessly into the role of a jilted lover even as the song builds to a symphonic climax. The combination is, quite fittingly, spellbinding.

Regina says of the track, “‘Spellbound’ was written while I was dealing with a broken heart. The song is about ghosting, rejection, and the confusing chaos that often comes when a romance goes sideways. For me, this song is an act of magic in and of itself. When I first came to Sydney and Adrian 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. I’ve found that everyone’s had their turn being the fool at one point or another. People come up to me after shows and tell me their ghosting stories.”
“Love comes into your life, and can disappear without a trace. But that doesn’t mean you’re left with nothing. 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. So to anyone who’s felt misled in romance I say this: sometimes the love you’re looking for comes from a direction you’d never expect. And this too, is magic.” Check out the song below, pre-save it here, and watch for the Now Is The Time EP.