The four members of Boys Cruise knocked one another to the floor and kicked in synchrony as they performed songs from their first album, “Jerry.”

Sophomores Jake Flaherty, Joey Krouse, Jackson Halus and Jake Moran go by their stage names Johnny Clarke, Joey Rolo, Jack Parker and Jake Scott, respectively.

 Boys Cruise formed in September 2018. However, they consider April 20 to be their first official performance, as it was Krouse’s first time performing with the group.

The 13-track album “Jerry” was released Oct. 4. The album is sprinkled with UVM influence, such as the song titled “McCann I Come In?” in reference to the Trinity campus residence hall.

“Our parents traveled around a lot, performing in the circus,” Halus said. “It definitely influenced the live show with the theatrics and acrobatics, being physically very high off the ground and trying dangerous things, controversial things.”

Boys Cruise doesn’t limit their performance to only singing. Instead, they engage their audience with skits, fake blood, boxing matches and choreographed dances. 

“We push the limits. Clothes come off often,” Halus said. “We married someone to a rat on Valentine’s Day last year [on stage].” 

Flaherty said that their dynamic presentation makes their performances memorable and fun to watch. “We are 19,” Flaherty said. “We are serious in the sense of doing it, but we are not serious in the sense of taking ourselves too seriously.”

Halus said their on-stage antics sometimes rubs the crowd the wrong way, however.

 The band said they would describe their sound as “snow pop.” 

“It’s jippy and bright, but we also try to make it hard and interesting,” Flaherty said. “It’s easy to listen to, so it’s pop in that sense.”

The group takes inspiration from their own lives. The rat on the cover art of their album is a tribute to a deceased street rat, Jerry. 

Junior Andrew Salerno is the artist who designed their album cover. 

“I wasn’t aware it would end up being the album art,” Salerno said. “They asked me to add the rat to the couch painting, and then that became the album cover for ‘Jerry.’ They trusted me which was awesome.”

Krouse said they told Salerno, “We need a rat, he’s gonna be really sad.”

They cited their inspirations to be all types of animals, P!nk, “No Scrubs” by TLC and whatever’s on the radio. Going to UVM has also greatly impacted their artistic style and presentation.

Boys Cruise performed at the Abolish ICE Concert Oct. 18 at the Davis Center. 

As the band performed, “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” the anime cartoon, projected behind them as they jumped and kicked in unison, interacting with their crowd between songs like “American Breakfast” and “l8r sk9r.”

While “Jerry” is generally upbeat, the songs also reflect the insecurities of being a young adult. 

“But I’m young and dumb, and she is kind and still not mine,” Flaherty sings in “A Stupid Song for Stupid Me.”

Boys Cruise has music on music streaming services as well as their album for sale on bandcamp.