One of my fave discoveries of 2020, Baltimore band Pinkshift has had quite the year. Their single “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you” took off at warp speed, garnering over 1 million Spotify streams, and from there it’s just been… absolute chaos, honestly. They’ve launched themselves into the stratosphere (headed for Mars, I presume) joining our pop punk favourites among the stars with their debut EP, Saccharine.
This EP has the confidence and self-assuredness of a band much farther into their career, one that’s already gone through the cycles of praise and criticism to find what works for their audience. To already be so sure of your sound straight out of the gate — and to be so right about your strengths — is incredible to see. Saccharine kicks off with “Mars”, the only track I hadn’t yet heard in this form (it was previously released in its demo evolution). It echoes everything I’ve loved about this band so far: it’s teaming with energy, channeling their inspirations but never falling in line with them. I hear Ashrita talk about being inspired by No Doubt and I can feel that inspiration more than I hear it. It’s a feeling or an attitude more than a mimicked style. It sets Pinkshift up for a successful future based on raw talent and individuality rather than nostalgia.
I’ve gotta give a hand to the behind-the-scenes team as well. Hansel Romero clearly understood the assignment, providing production that elevated the project instead of overtaking it. They vocal engineered, edited, mixed, and mastered the entire project, helping to create a 5 track EP that you never want to end. Will Yip saw this band after “therapist” took off and reached out to help guide them through this new world of scene recognition. He remastered the tracks for their vinyl release, which sold out before I could grab one and I am in PAIN, but I bet it’s incredible.
The music video will be premiering live tomorrow on the band’s YouTube channel, so make sure you set your alarm for 8pm EST so you can spam the chat box with me.
