Cub Scout Bowling Pins

Emerging from the boundless imagination of Robert Pollard, Cub Scout Bowling Pins offers the frontman and his Guided by Voices associates an outlet to investigate alternate dimensions of their musical character. Though the roster aligns with that of GbV around 2021, the project redirects attention from vintage rock and prog rock foundations toward brighter, catchier textures evocative of bubblegum and classic AM pop, infused with sharper guitar force and a tougher edge. The ensemble surfaced in January 2021 via the EP Heaven Beats Iowa, with the full-length Clang Clang Ho arriving that June.

Famous for his vast productivity, Robert Pollard generated little astonishment when Guided by Voices Inc. unveiled Cub Scout Bowling Pins at the start of 2021, placing the act alongside Boston Spaceships, Circus Devils, ESP Ohio, and the Keene Brothers in his expanding catalog of side ventures. Early announcements withheld member details, yet the January 2021 arrival of Heaven Beats Iowa confirmed Pollard as lead vocalist, with the remaining positions soon filled by guitarists Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare Jr., bassist Mark Shue, and drummer Kevin March—all then active in Guided by Voices. Following the six full-length GbV albums issued between February 2019 and December 2020, an equally industrious approach from Cub Scout Bowling Pins appeared inevitable, culminating in the June 2021 release of Clang Clang Ho.