The origins of Winnetka Bowling League started with an existential crisis. While singer and guitarist Matthew Koma’s childhood was spent listening to Elvis Costello and Squeeze and growing up in the East Coast hardcore and punk scenes, most of his adult life found him writing songs for electronic musicians and pop stars. Drawn to the rock music of his youth, in 2018 he started Winnetka Bowling League with his brother Kris Mazzarisi on drums, Sam Beresford on keys, giving him the freedom to explore what he truly loved about music. The band’s 2018 self-titled debut EP kickstarted a prolific streak of singles and EPs through 2023 that included the viral songs “On the 5,” “CVS,” and “Slow Dances.” On each release, Winnetka Bowling League display a penchant for masterful melody-making, sardonic lyrical specificity, and a profound sense of rock’n’roll timelessness. Their most recent offering, Sha La La, is no exception.
