INTERVIEW | Staying Sweet with PINKSQUEEZE
Updated: 23 minutes ago
Last week, I got the opportunity to talk to the Chicago-based punk band PINKSQUEEZE following the release of their new album, We Can Have It. If you're into queercore, alt punk, or just want to support local musicians, I implore you to listen to it; I'm personally in love with it. Below, I have their new album linked on Spotify, but you can also stream it on Apple Music, Bandcamp, or wherever else you listen to your music.
For those meeting PINKSQUEEZE for the first time, they delightfully lace together catchy Midwest emo riffs with lyrics that reflect queer identity and, most importantly, queer joy. Their fluidity between genres like punk, grunge, and alternative is sure to impress even the most critical of listeners, and as I always say, there's no better way to get to know a musician than through their influences, and, to that end, they say, "We each bring a little bit of our background in, you know," detailing how each member brings something new and unique to the music-writing process. "April brings in some of the 2000s indie ... I'm a big Midwest emo fan, I'm bringing in the twinkly tapping guitar parts," co-founder of the band Ava Marvin states.
What sets them apart from most punk bands is their intimate dissection of queer identity in a society that is oversaturated with queer sadness. Marvin says, "There's such a need for art and sharing information about the struggles of queer and trans people, and we hope that in our music we can still acknowledge that and make space for the rage, [however] there is such a lack of representation of queer joy in media, in general. Film, books, art, and the beauty of being gay, the beauty of being trans." Drummer Logan Greenfield shares the sentiment, noting that, "We also believe in the words we say, and that manifestation is really important," elaborating on the importance of creating the media that you want to see in the world. Greenfield calls upon historical LGBTQIA+ protests and riots, including Stonewall, stating that "They would dance and party and recharge up on that joy of freedom of expression and then ... fight the forces that were censoring them, killing them, murdering them," stressing the relevancy of queer joy in punk scenes and the fight for queer rights.
Their dedication to expanding the limited repertoire of music that expresses queer joy is solidified with lyrics like "Gotta scream out loud / let all of the past release from my mouth," which is from the song Rebirth, my personal favorite on We Can Have It. The song is sugary, laid-back, and not unlike a glass of sweet tea on a hot day. Rebirth intertwines lo-fi, fuzzy guitar tones with hushed background vocals and, at times, harsh, relieving screams. The song's subject matter intertwines queerness with the reinvention of identity, suggesting that to reinvent oneself, one must be both mother and daughter: the nurturer and the nurtured. I would liken the combination of flowery bits and sharp edges of this song to bands like Dazey and the Scouts and Heavenly, with lots of sapphic and riot grrrl overtones.
With every band member practically being from a different corner of the United States, I wanted to know: what do they love about Chicago? "I love Chicagoans ... They're cool people, and I feel like that combination specifically makes the music scene in Chicago so unique and so special," Bassist Anna White, originally from the Seattle area, states. Chicago's queer, alternative music scene is undeniably vast and a point of admiration for PINKSQUEEZE. They detail that Chicago hits the sweet spot of welcoming music scenes, safe, inclusive spaces for queer voices and artists, and an exciting blend of cultures. "Some cities just seem a whole lot more competitive, or if it's a city like New York where all you can think about is paying your rent ... in Chicago, whatever you wanna get into, there's a strong scene for it here." White continues. This feeling of adoration towards the city's nightlife is well captured in the ode-like burst of energy, The Rock Show — it's practically spilling over with intentional optimism, the fleeting feeling of youth that says, "Let's go to a rock show / Where did all the time go?" Basically, punk rock keeps you young.
And there is no such absence of infectious, rebellious punk rock with PINKSQUEEZE. "One of the bands that really inspired me ... This band Tribe 8, I don't know how they got away with doing some of the things they did at shows ... They would be titties out, dildos on stage ... They went farther than I could ever do," Drummer Greenfield reflects upon how queer and sapphic punk bands helped shape their music and stage performance, mentioning their influence on the song Stoner Butch Blues, an undeniably cool track with a cold, self-deprecating sense of humor. "We've been really lucky to get to play with, like, Panty Division and the Avengers ... Logan and I met Bratmobile recently ... It's been cool to get to exist in the context of this queercore lineage with these bands that have inspired us as well," White adds.
Bassist Anna White leaves us with a piece of riot grrrl wisdom in response to my asking if they had any advice for people who wanted to start a band but were unsure how to begin. They state, "There are not enough opportunities for women, for people who are not white men, to play music and just be bad at it ... You just need to make stuff. You need to be loud." White adds, "I remember reading about how Kathleen Hanna, when she was starting Bikini Kill, was originally a poet and went and spoke with Kathy Acker, a big queer feminist poet, and [Acker] told her, 'If you want people to listen to you, write a song, not a poem.'" Ultimately, PINKSQUEEZE wants to prioritize connecting with community, creating spaces where the voices of smaller queer musicians can be heard, and even though it's "easier to be bitter," they want to remind you to stay "sweet, gentle, kind, compassionate, (and) open-hearted." (Sweet Tooth)
If you're reading this from Chicago, consider yourself lucky: PINKSQUEEZE is having a record release show for their album We Can Have It at Lincoln Hall on December 12th. If you're not from the area, no need to fret; they'll be going to a handful of cities across the States throughout November for the first leg of their tour. Click here for tour details, press releases, streaming, and more - I hope to see you at their Chicago show in December!
Big thanks to Ava, April, Logan, and Anna for letting me interview them! <3
Stream some PINKSQUEEZE today!
-Mila
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