Baltimore band Pinkshift are dedicated to their craft, giving up plans for medical school and chemical engineering to create music, and tour. The group, drop their their album Love Me Forever, will drop on October 21, 2022 via Hopeless Records. The LP was recorded by Will Yip (Turnstile, Mannequin Pussy, Tigers Jaw). The band includes members Ashrita Kumar, Paul Vallejo, Myron Houngbedji.

Unlike, their previous release Saccharine which was written over a period of a few years, Love Me Forever was a more concentrated effort, mostly written during the pandemic. “We were concerned this wouldn’t feel like an actual album,” admits Kumar, “but because we all worked on it together throughout this period of time, it feels really cohesive. It defines an era of our lives.” Adds Houngbedji, “with everything that’s going on – both in the world and in our own lives – it feels like it was a very transitional period that influenced what we were writing about. They all have similar themes.” It’s not just a no-holds-barred reflection of the state of the world today, however. It’s one delivered from a unique point of view within a music scene that’s predominantly white. It makes Love Me Forever all the more important.

“I feel like the biggest thing of us existing in this scene,” says Houngbedji, “is just for more people of color being able to see us – and if they had doubts about going into music or like occupying this kind of space because of what the scene is like, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, wait…’ We’ve had people of color come up to us after we played saying ‘You make me want to start my own band’ or ‘You made me feel more comfortable being there without being scrutinized.’ And I think that counts for something.”

Adds Kumar, “It’s cool seeing people at our shows who are like ‘I’m going to start wearing my traditional jewelry because fuck it!’ and I’m like ‘You should! It’s stylish, it’s cool, it makes you unique – be proud of it!’”

Pinkshift
Love Me Forever
Track Listing
Hopeless Records

1. i’m not crying you’re crying
2. nothing (in my head)
3. GET OUT
4. cherry (we’re all gonna die)
5. the kids aren’t alright
6. Trust Fall
7. in a breath
8. Cinderella
9. BURN THE WITCH
10. Love Me Forever
11. let me drown
12. Dreamer

Pre-order Love Me Forever by Pinkshift HERE