The Aces

The Aces fuse shimmering indie pop with electronic flourishes, earning acclaim well beyond their Utah origins. On their 2018 debut When My Heart Felt Volcanic, the quartet combined crisp pop vocal harmonies, atmospheric guitar textures, and dance-driven rhythms to show how indie-leaning material could reach broad audiences. Their 2020 follow-up Under My Influence amplified the R&B currents and electronic touches that had only hinted at themselves earlier, while 2023’s Billboard-charting I’ve Loved You for So Long leaned further into anthemic, emotionally charged territory. A year afterward the band released the standalone single “The Magic.”

Formed in Provo, Utah in 2008 by Cristal Ramirez on vocals and guitar, guitarist Katie Henderson, bassist McKenna Petty, and drummer Alisa Ramirez—Cristal’s sister—the four longtime friends quickly developed a songwriting rapport. Performing initially as the Blue Aces, they played teen events and school assemblies before moving into Provo clubs, helped by local venues that did not serve alcohol. Their profile across the state rose with a seven-song EP in 2012; Provo Buzz later listed them among the city’s ten best bands, and Paste Magazine featured them in “10 Best Utah Bands You Should Know.”

Shortening the name to the Aces in 2016, the group signed with Red Bull Music, which issued “Stuck” that March. The track surpassed two million streams and marked their first national breakthrough, followed by the April 2017 single “Physical.” February 2018 brought “Lovin’ Is Bible,” the lead single for When My Heart Felt Volcanic, which appeared in full that April. Afterward the band toured as openers for 5 Seconds of Summer and COIN while also headlining their own dates.

Three new songs—“Daydream,” “Lost Angeles,” and “My Phone Is Trying to Kill Me”—surfaced on streaming platforms in 2020, revealing a sharper, more polished sound with stronger R&B accents that shaped the June 2020 album Under My Influence. Early the next year the bonus cuts “Sleepy Eyes” and “Aren’t You” appeared online. The Aces returned in 2023 with I’ve Loved You for So Long, executive-produced by the band and Keith Varon; the record confronted their Mormon upbringing alongside themes of love and mental health. Fronted by the singles “Always Get This Way” and “Girls Make Me Wanna Die,” the album peaked at number 25 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. The funky standalone single “The Magic” followed in September 2024.