Sam McCarthy

Career[edit]

Members from Incursa went on to form punk icons False Start and Goodnight Nurse, which McCarthy still belongs to as a guitarist. Arts and McCarthy then formed Kids of 88.^[3] In releasing the first Kids of 88 album, Sugarpills, McCarthy said that the duo tried to produce a variety of material rather than just the familiarly slutty "My House" and "Just A Little Bit" (released earlier as singles).^[3] Their style is broadly a fusion of electropop and 1980's style dance music. They describe it as "a cross between a late 80's police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy".^[1] A reviewer has said "while reminiscent of early 80s synthpop, they aren't a direct copy of their antecedents. There's also a touch of 2010 punk swagger and adrenaline, where dance can't ignore what's been achieved in R&B and hip-hop".^[4] McCarthy and Arts produced the album themselves and worked with a simple technical set-up out of a bedroom.^[5] At the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards, Kids of 88 won "Single of the Year" and (with Tim Van Dammen) "Music Video of the Year" for their single Just a Little Bit.^[6]


In 2013, McCarthy wrote and recorded "Don't Let Me Go" with Harry Styles, from One Direction.


In 2016, McCarthy began recording electropop music under the pseudonym BOYBOY. He released three songs, "Boy", "None of Your Love" and VIces".^[7]