Who is Shy Company? Meet the band making waves in dream rock and across middle GA
The annual Bragg Jam concert crawl in downtown Macon on Aug. 26 drew music listeners from all around, featuring over 24 performances by artists and musicians of diverse genres.
We were lucky enough to sit down for an interview with one of the performing bands, Shy Company, and learn more about their origins in music, lessons gained from life experiences, and how they connect with their audience through emotionally transparent lyrics.
Who is Shy Company?
Shy Company is a six-member Macon-native band, vocally led through performances by lead singers Kat Bugatti and Kalez. Supporting them is the duo of lead guitarist Wyatt Pyles and rhythm guitarist/synthesizer Caleb Melvin, followed by their bassist, Brian Rowland, and drummer, Colby Collins, who all play key roles in mixing the sounds of alt-rock with synthy pop.
When asked about their performance just minutes before and the overall experience of this year’s Bragg Jam, Collins expressed his elation, saying, “This was the best Bragg Jam I’ve seen yet.”
Shy Company originated from the remnants of a defunct band at Crawford County High School after the musical passion of a few remaining members inspired them to continue playing together long-term.
This new band started under the name Fooligans, eventually changing to Kato, then Shy Company. After their previous bassist left, Caleb Melvin joined the band, effectively filling the role. The final member to join was Brian Rowland, who took on the role as bassist, leading to Melvin’s shift to a new role as synthesizer and rhythm guitarist.
The group decided on their current name during a moment in a friend’s basement, pulling inspiration from some of the members’ naturally shy demeanor.
“Shy Company came about because most of us are very shy when you talk to us, but we’re good company, you know,” Kalez said. “When we’re together, it makes everything better.”
The sounds of East Coast Dream Rock
Shy Company embodies a unique sound adjacent to alternative rock, which they label as “East Coast Dream Rock”. Band members described their idea of the subgenre as being a freer, more open sound that can follow the foundational structure of both rock and pop when necessary. The instrumental style mixed with emotional delivery and soft tones molds the sound into a dream-like experience for listeners, hence the name “dream rock.”
“For me, it puts me in a state of mind where I can actually be open and feel, like you’re in a dream. It’s a dreamy rock and roll,” said Kat Buggatti.
Caleb Melvin gave his thoughts on how different songs that use the sound of East Coast Dream Rock fulfill each portion of the sub genre’s title while remaining floaty.
“I called it that because we live on the East Coast mainly, but the dream part is really due to songs like 'Falling Dizzy' that have those airy, beautiful sections melodically,” Melvin said.
“It’s a good blend of aggressiveness, relaxation and expression.”
Truth behind the lyrics
This year’s concert crawl performance was a major event for Shy Company, as it was their first time playing at Bragg Jam as a collective. The accomplishment came only a day after the group released their new single “Bricks.”
Kat Buggatti, who wrote the song Bricks, spoke about pulling inspiration not only from the band’s journey, but from her own experiences as well. While surrounding people and places helped them all grow, the mistakes that come with being human and the value of time passing you by can make you wish for a chance to do things over.
The group often collaborates when songwriting and makes conscious efforts to include themes surrounding the issues, experiences and resulting growth that comes with everyday life.
“When we come into writing new music, it’s a lot about what’s cathartic for us, because our main goal is to truly be ourselves and to express ourselves. The most basic way we know how to do this is to sing about our real life,” Kalez said. “All I want to do is be myself so that other people can see that they can relate to it and want to be themselves too.”
When asked about a message they have for the world, Kat Bugatti spoke on behalf of the group, encouraging the world around them to:
“Be yourself wholeheartedly, never give up on things you want to do, always be true to yourself, and never be afraid to ask for help.”
New and upcoming releases
In addition to their most recent single “Bricks,” which is available on multiple streaming platforms, Shy Company has an upcoming album titled “Growing Pains” scheduled to release in September 2025.
Colby Collins gave a descriptive preview of what is to be expected in terms of content on the album.
“There are songs on that where we’ve immortalized people we’ve lost, down to like what [Kalez] said, talking about growing pains. We have a soundtrack for your 20’s essentially that we’re about to drop in September. So that’s essentially what we have in the pipeline.”
A single from the album, also titled “Growing Pains,” was released in September of 2024 and is currently available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and more.
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.