The boys are back! PRETTYMUCH officially kicked off their new era of music with their three-song EP Smackables last month, and now, they’re gearing up for another major release!

“We make music every day at our home with each other, so the music we make is always evolving, we just weren’t in a position to show it yet,” the band told J-14 exclusively. “We wanted to show the world that we have matured since our first initial release and we didn’t wanna ease into it either. Sometimes you just gotta take control of the wheel and that’s what we did and will continue to do with these next releases to come.”

Formed in 2016, PRETTYMUCH consists of five talented musicians — Nick Mara, Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Zion Kuwonu and Austin Porter — who’ve grown up in the industry together. “Relationships, friendships, family experiences, fights, laughs, cries, all these things shape you and through it all you make mistakes and you grow from them,” the boys said. “Now we think we have a good understanding of who we wanna be and how we voice that, and I think that’s maturity.”

After a brief hiatus and total overhaul when it comes to their music, the group stepped back into the music scene with the song “Stars” on January 22.

“The music video really set the tone for a welcome back. It was easy, yet creative and appealing, and we look great. We didn’t wanna overwhelm the fans but we definitely are trying to step it up with every release,” the group explained, noting that “don’t know what I know like Wanda and Cosmo” is their favorite line of lyrics from the single.

A week later, they released their Smackables EP, which “exercises our creativity and shows the world we have way more to offer than what anyone might have thought before.” Plus, the fans “seem to love” it!

“They are happier to see us happier in this creative process,” the boys told J-14 about their fanbase, dubbed the BEANZ. “We just want to create quality art at the end of the day so if someone out there appreciates it, then thank you, bless you.”

When it came to crafting such meaningful tunes for their EP, PRETTYMUCH was never scared of releasing personal tracks. “We never shy away from the topic of love, and we also understand that our fanbase is primarily women, so we love to cater to them and make them feel special from time to time.”

They added, “I think the personality always comes from our voices and the way we each attack a song … we try to make whatever is best for the record to happen. In terms of experience, I bet something Zion goes through Edwin might have gone through, and that’s always better because we can get two perspectives. But we never try to force it.”

2021 has already been a whirlwind for PRETTYMUCH! Following their comeback and new EP, the boys are already gearing up to drop some more songs. On Friday, February 26, fans can expect the deluxe version of Smackables with three new songs, including their latest single “Lonely.”

“It feels great to know our fans have stuck with us since the last time we released music. It was a much-needed reassessment of the mind,” the boys said. “Now that we are back, we just want to flood the world with content and music because we have really been working hard.”

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