The band making modern alternative pop with a vintage feel: Meet Television Skies
- Devinney Rexrode
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Devinney Rexrode | May 2026
Television Skies is an alternative pop duo from New York City, composed of singer/songwriter Ihor Shuhan and producer Paul Maczaj, who also plays the guitar and bass.
Their music makes you feel like you're playing it straight off a vinyl while keeping it fresh with their mixed-genre sound. Their sound blends electro-type pop with hip-hop flows, soft indie rock elements, and punky textures to their songs, creating something that is not only all their own but also has an authentic feeling in nature.
With 35 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify and musical inspiration from bands such as Vampire Weekend, Coldplay, and The 1975, this band has crafted a branding and sound that is well-done and refined. They know what their listeners like to hear and just how to serve it to them. So, best believe that as a fan of the duo, when I saw they were dropping their new song “Paralyzed”, I was ready to be on the case.
This song is very raw and gives that authentic vintage twinge that really draws me to their
music. Through their emotionally charged lyrics, they convey how scary it can be to be in love and afraid to lose your partner.
Television Skies encompasses the fears of a new or even older relationship. The track is vulnerable in the way the lyrics touch on self-esteem issues and the confusion that can come with those when someone genuinely wants to love you. The mix of more hip-hop type verses against the more sing-song parts of the song creates a duality that is really nice and crisp.
As a trained audio engineer, I really love their recording and mixing/ mastering style. I love the way they translate their songs into what really feels like listening to them on vinyl in your bedroom while reading a book. The track makes it easy to envision a scene, giving you a coming-of-age type movie feel as you listen.
Another, more niche conversation we should have around this song and band is that a lot of their music is easy to envision in different movies, shows, and even games. As someone who also works with a sync company, Television Skies is very notably a band making music that’s worthy of scene time in media. Their music could be used in romance, rom-com, coming-of-age, or slice-of-life very easily.
Their song “Paralyzed” showcases a very soft indie rock, hip-hop type track. Something deep and meaningful, but still jammable. It feels like all the things that need to be said out loud, like therapy through music. It’s soft and unsure, but still welcoming. That’s something we need a little more of in music.
Instead of songs that are outright happy and confident about it, or are more focused on the pessimistic in tone, we need more songs that give us the 'I don’t know how this happened, but it’s a happy accident' type of content. It’s human and feels more realistic in life.
Personally, I think they have a hit on their hands. Maybe not the summer song of the year, but definitely the Lover Boy/Lover Girl anthem in my opinion. It’s just catchy enough to get you into the song without hiding the vulnerability of the words behind a more upbeat tempo. The indie rock sound was perfect for this track; the band seems to have good judgment for what genre-specific elements go best with each release, which is crucial in the creation of a song.
Between the intentions they use in the making of their music, the raw feel, and an authentic and unique sound, Television Skies is built to last and become as big as the bands they pull influence from. They are malleable in sound without straying too far from their audience, yet enough to keep it fresh with each release. I think the release of “Paralyzed” will help carry them even further. I cannot wait to see what this duo does next and what their next sound will be.
You should keep your eyes on them, too!
Listen to "Paralyzed" here!
