COVER - PINKSHIFT: "This band is built on a principle of always being honest. If I don't know something, or I feel unsure, I'll never hide that."

PINKSHIFT have come a long way since their viral debut that blindsided the internet back in 2020. After a relentless run of non-stop touring that’s turned early believers into devoted fans, the Baltimore trio have been hard at work the past few years in becoming one of the most exciting bands in pop-punk. Now, with their sophomore album Earthkeeper out and a sound that’s bigger, bolder, and more politically charged than ever, vocalist Ashrita Kumar, guitarist Paul Vallejo, and drummer Myron Houngbedji are showing exactly what they’re capable of. We caught up with them on their tour with GRANDSON to find out how they’re handling being overseas, the upcoming festival season, and, apparently, how American antihistamines go absolutely feral.

Ashrita is quick to reflect on how the recent run of shows has surprised them. "The shows have been kind of incredible, the fans have been so energetic and really receptive." Selling their own merch at the table has helped them actually connect with those crowds, too. “We thought the language barrier would be a thing," Paul laughs, "But everybody knows English."

It has definitely not all been smooth-sailing on this tour. Just the day prior, the band had their gear stolen out of the van, and had to set up a GoFundMe to recover their losses. It ended up hitting the goal in two minutes flat. “Honestly, it was really overwhelming at first. We always feel the love at our shows, and we never take it for granted, but to see that happen in real time was just... it felt really real,” says Ashrita, “We really did build this community. And we built it based on giving back, which is why that happened. A lot of our shows have been fundraising shows, or we've tried to uplift organisations in the area whenever we can. So seeing that energy delivered right back to us with such force was really, really reassuring. It just gave us a lot of confidence to keep doing it the same way.” For a band built on community, it was perhaps the most PINKSHIFT thing that could have happened.

“I mean, it’s really emotional music – emo, if you will,” shrugs Ashrita, “All of it is written from personal experience. It’s really vulnerable, and we don’t hold back as a band. We give it our all, all the time. And I think people resonate with that.” It’s not hard to see why the band’s community have rallied around them so loyally, but we wanted to hear it directly from PINKSHIFT themselves. Myron puts it slightly differently: “It’s a shared experience. The music tells a story from our own point of view, but everyone who listens can apply their own life, their own struggles, their own values to it and find meaning there. A lot of the time, people are going through very similar things to what we’ve been through.”

Ashrita takes it further, adding that “This band is built on a principle of always being honest. If I don't know something, or I feel unsure, I'll never hide that. Leading up to Earthkeeper, a lot of people were asking me how I felt about being an activist, and I had never considered myself an activist at all. I just didn't know what I was doing, I was just trying my best. I think a lot of people feel like they have to have everything figured out and perfect before they present themselves to the world. But PINKSHIFT has always been about being honest and vulnerable about exactly where we are right now, where we want to be, what we hope for, and the painful stuff too, when you just don't have an answer. We're not trying to be anything or anyone but ourselves.” Given what happened with the GoFundMe, it’s hard to argue with them. Two different ways of phrasing the same idea: PINKSHIFT make music which does not keep the listener at arms length.

For a band who’ve built their live reputation on small, intimate headline shows on this side of the Atlantic, it’s a significant step up, and Paul seems quietly excited about it. “I can only really draw from the UK headline shows we’ve done, because this is actually our first proper support tour here, with GRANDSON. But every UK show we’ve played, even the small intimate ones, has been kind of the best. Everyone around the world knows that a UK crowd is one of the craziest,” he grins, “I’ll be honest, I haven’t even thought about festival season in months. But after this tour, we’re going to get home and be like – right, what’s next? Oh yeah, we have all of this.” If UK crowds are as wild as advertised, PINKSHIFT are going to fit right in.

Of course, returning to the UK isn’t without its hazards – at least for Paul. Myron is quick to bring up the incident from the last time the trio were here. “We’re already excited to come back. Normally, we’ve never really been able to travel internationally more than once a year, so the fact that we get to come back for the summer is super exciting,” he says. “But one thing we have been thinking about, last time we were here playing Slam Dunk, we realised that Paul is really allergic to white oak.”

Paul, for his part, is philosophical about it. “It’s all good. I know the allergy meds here are very regulated and safe, so they did nothing to me. We had this super American antihistamine – they put so many drugs in that stuff over there, y’all don’t even know. I’m prepared now. I’m ready.” Consider that a warning, British flora.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDSyilm7vywBU&v=Syilm7vywBU

PINKSHIFT are no strangers to standing out in a crowd. As a diverse band in a genre still largely dominated by white male artists, we asked how much they feel the alt scene has shifted since they first burst onto it. “There’s always more diversity every year. It’s still a white, male-dominated space, obviously, but I think that’s inevitably going to change.” Ashrita pauses. “It starts to become normalised – people are less surprised by it, which is the point. It stops being remarkable and just becomes the way things are. New bands are getting more recognition, and the more that happens, the more diversity you’ll see.”

And PINKSHIFT’s place in all of this? “There’s more of us.” He grins. “We’re coming in hot.”

It’s a conversation that naturally leads to Download Festival, and the broader question of whether major festivals are too quick to fall back on legacy acts. The band have thoughts.

“I think that’s what you’re working towards as a band – having a platform built on decades of work,” Myron concedes. “But there has been a push recently to place smaller bands from more diverse backgrounds onto bigger stages. There’s still very much a white boys club that dominates these festival line-ups, and has been for decades. But there are more eyes on bands that don’t fit that archetype now. And with social media, it’s not just the industry deciding who gets promoted anymore, artists are promoting themselves, and the attention they’re getting is just undeniable.”

Paul is generous about the legacy acts themselves. “A band that’s been around thirty, forty years, like GUNS N' ROSES, for example – those people have changed and evolved over decades. If you’re still doing it forty years into your career, that serves as an inspiration for younger bands too. Anyone who does anything for that long, no matter what it is, is kind of impressive.”

Ashrita sees it as a balancing act. “Legacy bands, respect them so much. But if you’re booking the same headliners for the same slots every year, it stops being interesting. You want to be uplifting the artists that are truly making the moment. When we played Slam Dunk, NOVA TWINS were headlining our stage, and that was sick. I love seeing them get all the love they get over here. As long as festivals are meeting the moment and being current about who they’re giving the stage to, I think that’s awesome.”

Sounds like the scene is catching up, and the bands leading the charge know exactly who they are.

As we wrap up, Ashrita offers a glimpse of what’s coming next, and it sounds like PINKSHIFT has no intention of slowing down. “We have more music coming out this year, and we’re planning to record as well. We’re never going to stop,” they say, “I think we really want to start releasing music more often. There was a long wait between Love Me Forever and Earthkeeper, and we’re trying to get into a better flow, just recording and releasing pretty constantly.”

For a band that spent years gradually building something real, it feels like PINKSHIFT are only just getting started. The community is there, the music is hitting harder than ever, and the 2000 Trees crowd is about to find out exactly what all the fuss is about. Paul’s antihistamines are packed. They’re ready.

Catch Pinkshift in the UK at 2000Trees Festival and supporting Heart Attack Man this summer.

Words: Adrian Chapman

Photos: Jack Norris

Cover Design: Robert Halls

With Thanks To: Sarah Maynard at Major Press