Boyhood leans into late night longing on “Sparkle Dub/I’ll Dream Instead”

Arnaud Marty — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 06:05:59 +0000

Boyhood, the bedroom pop project of rural Ontario artist Caylie Runciman, is getting ready to release her new album I’ll Dream InStead. Written, performed, recorded and engineered entirely by Runciman, the record emerged from a period of major change, isolation and restless creativity, with much of it made on her bed surrounded by old drum machines and a battered Casio. “This album stemmed from a feeling of desperation,” she explains, though the process eventually brought her somewhere more grounding. “I really found myself again with this record.” Already introduced by “A Grand Time” and “Loner,” I’ll Dream InStead captures Boyhood sounding raw, strange and unusually immediate.

The latest offering comes with “Sparkle Dub/I’ll Dream Instead,” a woozy track that turns insomnia and loneliness into something strangely tender. “I want to kiss you / I’ll dream instead,” Runciman sings before waking up alone after just three hours of sleep and reaching for her phone. The track arrives with a glittery video, shot, directed and edited by Monika Kraska and Phil Osborne, which adds a playful shimmer to that mix of exhaustion, consuming desire and late night solitude.

I'll Dream InStead by boyhood

Phil Osborne – HighClouds

Boyhood leans into late night longing on “Sparkle Dub/I’ll Dream Instead”