“We grew up with big dreams. And now we can make them come true”

MA little over a year ago, the four siblings of Infinity Song met for a band meeting where they came to a unanimous conclusion: They were not satisfied.

“That meeting was a milestone that I think we will always look back on,” says singer and guitarist Momo Boyd today. “There were a lot of obstacles and a lot of self-doubt. But we persevered and joined together with a common goal and a common vision, and we did it. We caught the attention of the world.”

Momo and her bandmates—brothers Abraham and Israel and sister Angel—had been singing with their five other siblings since they were children. They had spent years busking in New York City’s Central Park and on subway platforms, showcasing their gospel-influenced vocals and seamless harmonies, which earned them a record deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2016. In the years that followed, they went viral with their simmering covers of songs by the Bee Gees, Destiny’s Child and Tame Impala. But something was still wrong: People hadn’t heard Infinity Song for who they really were.

Then came “Hater’s Anthem,” a perfectly catchy, buttery earworm that struck just the right chord with her fans online. The song was written about two years before the release, but became the centerpiece of her new, revitalized approach. “We just pulled ourselves together and said, ‘We’re going to make sure they hear us,'” Momo says. “And then they did.”

It’s not hard to see why “Hater’s Anthem” sparked the first viral moment for one of her original songs from Infinity Song. It’s bursting with personality, from the tongue-in-cheek lyrics (“I love the feeling of being a hater / It’s so sweet to think that I’m better”), the silly sibling banter in the music video to their impeccably classic New York style. “That was super instrumental in creating this direction for us,” says Angel. “Yes, we are musicians, but we also realize now that a big part of our art and the way we connect with our fans is that visual connection.”

Be’re huddled around a small table in Infinity Song’s dressing room at the Forbidden Fruit Festival, the Dublin stop of their first-ever European tour. The bass from the nearby main stage vibrates the makeshift walls and makes our voices shake a little as we reflect on Infinity Song’s journey so far. “You can’t prepare for the feeling of seismic change that has happened to us,” says Abraham.

A few days ago, Infinity Song played their biggest show to date at the 900-capacity Union Chapel in London, a fitting setting for a band with strong spiritual roots. “The highlight of the UK tour was the crowd,” says Israel. “Honestly, it was unlike any other crowd we’ve ever experienced.”

“Our mission right now is to achieve our dreams as far as we have ever dreamed” – Momo Boyd

This series of performances comes seven months after the release of their EP ‘Metamorphosis’, a project that captured a band in a period of transition and transformation.”What would I give to give everything I have / What would I do to be someone I am not”, they sing in the thoughtful title track. “I’ll never be blamed for being so casual / Now I’m stuck on autopilot.” “We just went through a lot. It was extremely hard,” says Abraham. “We were definitely frustrated with ourselves. And we also felt like the world wasn’t noticing us.”

In 2022, Infinity Song finally grappled with those creative and professional complexes, deciding to embrace the soft rock music they loved making while also moving away from the more overt hip-hop, R&B, and pop influences on their 2020 label debut, Mad Love. After all, the band had a solid foundation, having found their musical roots in indie acoustic instrumentals and folksy harmonies—which explains why their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is a fan favorite. “It’s satire! It’s jokes! There’s a banjo and an accordion. It’s black people making soft rock music,” their caption for a social teaser for “Hater’s Anthem” read.

Another song from the project, the mellow “Slow Burn,” has also “spread like wildfire” online. Comments from adoring fans all agreed that there’s something comfortingly nostalgic, yet utterly refreshing about Infinity Song. There’s that familial bond that brings to mind groups like The Jackson Five or The Osmonds; as for their effortlessly cool, vintage-style videos shot in the Big Apple, it’s a surprise they haven’t been approached by the New York City Tourism Board yet.

“We love each other and support each other. We have definitely gotten stronger over the years” – Israel Boyd

Two weeks after our conversation, Infinity Song released their second album under Roc Nation, Metamorphosis Complete. It contains six new tracks and shows that the band has truly found its hard-won sound. If “Hater’s Anthem” whetted listeners’ appetites, the new songs show that there’s a lot more where that came from. “Everything just fits now, from our aesthetic, our music, our lyrics, our vocals, everything fits together,” says Angel.

Growing up in Detroit, music was as important to the Boyds as their homeschooling. Gospel, jazz and Motown filled their busy home, from Ella Fitzgerald and Ronald Isley to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Their father and manager John – the NME a warm handshake when we meet shortly after the interview – once led four choirs simultaneously. The siblings practiced music at the kitchen table, a ritual not unlike that of a certain fictional family of musicians.The sound of music “was a great inspiration for our musical education,” says Abraham. “We saw it so often as children.”

But the Boyds’ parents also wanted to make sure their children became well-rounded individuals. “Music was the lens through which they developed us. It was a way of life,” Abraham explains. They started busking as a family in 2004 and continued after moving to New York in 2006, when many of the Boyd children were still in elementary school. After around a decade of street performances rain or shine, a clip of sister and former band member Victory (who went solo in 2022) caught the attention of The Book Clarence Director Jeymes Samuel, who sent the video to Jay-Z. They met with the music mogul, played two songs – Tori Kelly’s “Hollow” and Aerosmith’s “Dream On” – and got a record deal. “We were much younger and raw and very hungry and very practiced,” Angel says, “and then this came along. It was a combination of opportunity and preparation, and that’s the definition of luck.”

While the band clearly has tons of natural talent, embracing the soft rock genre fully has been a journey for Infinity Song, especially since they admittedly weren’t sure they would be well received. Abraham, who sheepishly admits he was a little apprehensive at first when Angel took the lead, says it’s been a process of “coming to terms with” what they already knew to be true. Aside from being musical collaborators, they’re still siblings who bicker like any other family. “We love each other too, and we have each other’s backs. And we’ve definitely gotten stronger over the years, especially since 2022,” says Israel.

In Metamorphosis Complete, Infinity Song confesses their shared truth and harmonizes with the sky. The vocals are tighter, the instrumentals brighter, their ambitions bigger. “You all gave us so much faith in ourselves as a band and reassured us that this is where we need to be,” they said in announcing the new record. If the EP caught them in a state of seasonal transformation, the new songs are the first blossom that heralds the end of a harsh winter. “The new music we’re putting out is really even better than before,” Momo says. “The more we focus on the music and the art and focus on bringing it to the people we know in the way we want, the better we’ll be.”

When Infinity Song took the stage that night, they were nothing short of magnetic. Mr. Boyd proudly watched the show from all corners of the crowd while we watched most of the performance with Abraham’s very proud wife, Lina. Israel, looking impossibly chic amidst red-tinged smoke, put his arm around Momo while Angel leaned on him and sang into the microphone. Abraham, meanwhile, performed his own medley of unique dance moves. It only took the first few notes of “Hater’s Anthem” for the phones to start blowing up and the crowd to start singing along.

Infinity Song are finally going down a path that feels good to them, and that’s why fans are paying attention. Now they also have the space to enjoy the process.”Life goes by easier when you understand that you have to give it time. And time goes by easier when you finally start to enjoy the ride.”, they sing on “The Sunshine”. “Our mission right now is to pursue our dreams as much as possible,” says Momo. “We grew up dreaming big. And now we’re adults and artists, we can make it happen. It’s just a matter of trying.”

Infinity Song’s Metamorphosis Complete is now available via Roc Nation

Listen to Infinity Song’s exclusive playlist accompanying The Cover on Spotify below and on Apple Music here.

Text: Hollie Geraghty
Photography: Tamiym
Label: Roc Nation
Location: Tileyard TYX