Feature Photo: Abby Gillardi, CC BY 2.0
Highly Suspect originated in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts, where the trio of Johnny Stevens and twin brothers Rich and Ryan Meyer began performing in local bars in 2009. They were still teenagers when they started, playing covers of acts like Sublime, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd at venues such as the British Beer Company and Sundancers. Each member attended Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, where their musical chemistry was first solidified. But what started as a weekend bar cover band quickly evolved into something with more urgency and ambition. The band made a pivotal move to Brooklyn, New York, in the early 2010s, where they recorded The Worst Humans EP with producer Joel Hamilton, marking their first serious foray into original music production.
Between 2009 and 2013, Highly Suspect released a series of independently produced EPs, including First Offense, The Gang Lion EP, The Worst Humans, and Black Ocean. These early recordings showcased their evolving songwriting voice, with tracks like “Lydia” and “Guess What” beginning to gain traction among underground rock audiences. The band also released a self-titled compilation album in 2011 that compiled several of these early tracks. During this time, they toured with major rock acts including Deftones, Chevelle, Halestorm, and Scott Weiland, building a reputation for their explosive live shows. The momentum culminated in their debut full-length studio album, Mister Asylum, released on July 17, 2015, on 300 Entertainment.
Mister Asylum earned the band two Grammy nominations: Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song for “Lydia.” The album introduced the band’s signature blend of raw emotion, grunge-edged guitars, and unapologetic vulnerability. The success of the debut set the stage for a major breakthrough with their second album, The Boy Who Died Wolf, released on November 18, 2016. This record included the track “My Name Is Human,” which soared to the number one position on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart and stayed there for eight weeks. The song also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. Another track, “Little One,” became a fan favorite and climbed to number two on the same chart.
Their third studio effort, MCID, arrived in 2019 and revealed a band unafraid to experiment beyond the boundaries of modern rock. With collaborations ranging from Young Thug to Tee Grizzley, the album spanned alternative, hip-hop, and pop influences while maintaining the emotional core that had defined their earlier work. The track “16” became another number-one single on the Billboard Rock Chart and stayed at the top for three weeks. The album title, an acronym for “My Crew Is Dope,” emphasized the tight-knit creative community that surrounds Highly Suspect.
In 2022, Highly Suspect followed with their fourth studio album, The Midnight Demon Club, an emotionally charged record that balanced heavy themes with moments of shimmering introspection. Singles like “Natural Born Killer” and “Pink Lullabye” captured both the raw aggression and melodic precision that had become hallmarks of their sound. By the time they released their fifth studio album, As Above, So Below, on July 19, 2024, the band had firmly cemented their place in contemporary rock, consistently evolving while maintaining a strong connection to their roots.
Their musical style defies strict categorization, fusing elements of hard rock, alternative, grunge, blues, and garage rock. This genre-fluid approach has helped them cultivate a broad fanbase while also earning respect within critical circles. Their ability to write deeply personal lyrics—often drawing from themes of trauma, addiction, heartbreak, and self-doubt—has made their songs resonate on an intensely human level. Tracks like “Lydia,” “Little One,” and “16” don’t just aim for radio play—they dig into the listener’s psyche.
Complete List Of Highly Suspect Songs From A to Z
- 16 – MCID – 2019
- 23 (featuring Sasha Dobson) – Mister Asylum – 2015
- @tddybear (featuring Conor Mason of Nothing but Thieves) – MCID – 2019
- Arizona – MCID – 2019
- Bath Salts – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Bath Salts – The Worst Humans – 2012
- Bath Salts – Black Ocean – 2013
- Big Bear – The Gang Lion E.P. – 2010
- Bloodfeather – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Canals – MCID – 2019
- Caught on Fire – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Champagne At Our Funeral – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Chicago – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Claudeland – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Cool Kids – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Evangeline – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Fly – MCID – 2019
- For Billy – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Freakstreet – MCID – 2019
- Fuck Me Up – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Fu*k Me Up – Black Ocean – 2013
- F.W.Y.T. – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Gang Lion – The Gang Lion E.P. – 2010
- Guess What – Black Ocean – 2013
- Gumshoe – The Worst Humans – 2012
- Ice Cold – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Juzo – MCID – 2019
- Life’s A Fun Ride – The First Offense – 2009
- Little One – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Look Alive, Stay Alive – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Lost – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Love Like This – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Lydia – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Lydia – Black Ocean – 2013
- Melatonia – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Mexico – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Midnight Demon Club – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Mister Asylum – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Mom – Mister Asylum – 2015
- My Name Is Human – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Nairobi (Outro) – MCID – 2019
- Natural Born Killer – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Need to Say – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- New California – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Not Me (Unplugged) – The First Offense – 2009
- Pink Lullabye – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Plastic Boxes – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Postres – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Run For Your Death (More Pills) – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Send Me an Angel – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Serotonia – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Smile On – The First Offense – 2009
- Snow White – MCID – 2019
- SOS (featuring Gojira) – MCID – 2019
- Suicide Machine – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Summertime Voodoo – As Above, So Below – 2024
- Taking Off – MCID – 2019
- Tetsuo’s Bike – MCID – 2019
- The 8th Of October (To August 17th) – As Above, So Below – 2024
- The Blue-Eyed Devil – As Above, So Below – 2024
- The Go – The Worst Humans – 2012
- The Go – Black Ocean – 2013
- The Reset – As Above, So Below – 2024
- The Silk Road (featuring Tee Grizzley) – MCID – 2019
- The Sound – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Then Mickey – The Gang Lion E.P. – 2010
- Then Mickey 2 – As Above, So Below – 2024
- These Days – MCID – 2019
- Tokyo Ghoul (featuring Young Thug) – MCID – 2019
- Upperdrugs – MCID – 2019
- Vanity – Mister Asylum – 2015
- Viper Strike – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
- Wild Eyed Son – The Midnight Demon Club – 2022
- Wolf – The Boy Who Died Wolf – 2016
Albums and EPs
The First Offense (2009): 3 songs
The Gang Lion E.P. (2010): 3 songs
The Worst Humans (2012): 3 songs
Black Ocean (2013): 5 songs (1 new)
Mister Asylum (2015): 10 songs
The Boy Who Died Wolf (2016): 11 songs
MCID (2019): 16 songs
The Midnight Demon Club (2022): 12 songs
As Above, So Below (2024): 11 songs
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Complete List Of Highly Suspect Songs From A to Z article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025
About The Author
Brian Kachejian
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.