The Pennys The Pennys

Limited to 100, absolutely winning heartbreakers from R.E. Seraphim / Tony Jay collab. 

Self-described “occult heartbreak pop” band, The Pennys, are the result of a budding friendship between songwriters Mike Ramos (Flowertown, Tony Jay, Cindy) and R.E. Seraphin (solo, Talkies, Glitz). Their self-titled debut combines Ramos’ signature slowness with Seraphin’s dynamic power pop, perfectly unifying their disparate yet complementary styles.

Following a 2022 West Coast tour with Ramos’ project, Tony Jay, Seraphin approached Ramos to record his next solo record. Ultimately, they took a fully collaborative approach. Sessions took place over the summer of 2024 at Ramos’ idyllic Bernal Heights apartment; overdubs by Yea-Ming Chen (Ryli, Yea-Ming & The Rumours), Owen Kelley (ex-Sleepy Sun), and Luke Robbins (Ryli, ex-Latitude) came later.

The music itself is simultaneously light and dark, unhurried yet feverish, tender but coarse.The yearning lead single “Say Something” describes a relationship dissolving in slow motion—a simple but gorgeous ballad that crescendos in a stately piano line and fuzzed-out guitar courtesy of Seraphin. Ramos’ delicate percussive approach gives shape to the sepia-tinted “Trilobites,” a slow burner with imagery of window sills “full of flies” and pools of “rot.”

The recordings are rough-hewn, riddled with tape hiss and harmonies just out of sync. However, this homely presentation of the songs belies real pop aspirations. Ramos and Seraphin don’t hide their desire to conquer the airwaves. Still, they make sure not to take themselves too seriously. When asked what he’d like listeners to take away from The Pennys, Ramos half-jokingly replied: “how hard we worked on this.”