The Barons –

Richmond, VA alt-rock band The Barons share their rugged, deeply human debut record Le Château is out now alongside both humorous and vulnerable track, "Bleu Cheese." The guitar-driven, emotionally-charged album, one that is both raw and refined, proudly introduces the five-piece band as they teeter out on the edge of something greater—pulsing with urgency and restless ambition.

With Le Château, a humorous nod to the band's broken high school French, the group playfully and gracefully processes the difficulties of human connection in an increasingly digital world, the inevitability of aging and makes peace with change.

Over ten tight tracks, the group harnesses their chaos into meaningful messages that strike a balance between light-hearted and serious tones as they effortlessly find their own groove.

Produced by Jacob Sommerio (English Oak Recording) over a few weeks in Richmond, Virginia, the group captured the band's raucous live energy through analog recording.

"Bleu Cheese" captures the joys and complexities of aging. Band leader Peyton Alley (vocals, guitar, keys), explains, "Eating mold has always been weird to me but I love Bleu Cheese. It's an acquired potent flavor that you either love or hate and think this song is analogous to that. The idea that something aged and moldy can be a delicacy and full of flavor. I think the human experience of getting old can relate in many ways to this."

Born from a guitar riff, "Spider Song" is a somber, internal reflection piece that explores technology and societal pressures. Creative Executive Lens writes the track is a, "haunting, guitar-driven meditation on technology, disconnection, and the search for meaning in a hyper-digital age. The track's subdued intensity mirrors the weight of its message—somber but alive, echoing the unease of constant connection."