chokecherry Release Debut EP + Share "Messy Star" Video

San Francisco shoe gaze x grunge pop trio chokecherry — comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and bassist/vocalist E. Scarlett Levinson, along with drummer Abri Crocitto — have dropped the incredibly buzzy EP Messy Star, their debut release for Fearless Records. The EP has been grabbing attention from the likes of Alternative Press, Playboy.com, and Bringin' It Backwards. 

Get it here. 

Today, chokecherry have also shared the epic video for the title track, in which the band pulls back the curtain on some of its unexpected influences.

Watch it Below.

Often the band's closing number during their live sets, "Messy Star" is a thrashing nod to their heavier sound, taking inspiration from artists like Turnstile, Ty Segall, and Mannequin Pussy. The track tells a story of metaphorical demonic possession, and being at the mercy of a mischievous and destructive "shadow self."
 
"This song is truly meant to make you dance and lose your mind in the moshpit," the band states. "Lyrically, the song touches on themes of being at war with yourself (or rather, your shadow self) and peeling back the curtain on the dark parts of the human psyche. The narrator of the track sits in a more fictional role than our other songs, which was fun to explore and build a narrative around — a sort of villain arc, if you will. The nature of the 'possession' is open to interpretation, but listeners can relate to its references to addiction, insecurity, and self-destruction. For us, it invokes memories of the sweaty L.A. punk shows that shaped our musical repertoire."
 
chokecherry continue, "We wrote this song as a homage to our doom, psych rock, and hardcore influences. This is the earliest chokecherry track that made it to a record. From the track's inception, it was an odyssey that took different forms from its live performances to its eventual recording for this EP."

chokecherry have been steadily making noise since meeting on the dating app Hinge. The San Francisco Gate praised chokecherry's "blend of white-hot shoegaze," calling it "the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog." Clark and Levinson may not have worked out on the romantic front, but the pair are clearly musical soulmates and it's  
beautiful thing to witness and hear.

Chokecherry will capture the hearts of rock fans everywhere with songs that boast thick, '70s-inspired bass lines laden with strategically placed howls and hums. Their passionate, hypnotic delivery overflows and fills into every word, allowing vulnerability that listeners can truly attach to. If their Spotify streams —2.8 million global streams and counting — are any indication of how many music fans will dig what chokecherry are putting down, then it's time for 2024 to buckle the F up.

2025 better be ready, too. Because there is more on the way from chokecherry. 

Chokecherry Announce Debut EP + Share "Messy Star" Visualizer

San Francisco shoe gaze x grunge pop trio chokecherry — comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and bassist/vocalist E. Scarlett Levinson, along with drummer Abri Crocitto — are thrilled to announce the October 25 release of Messy Star, their debut EP for Fearless Records. Pre-save it here. 
 
chokecherry have been steadily building a buzz since meeting on the dating app Hinge. The San Francisco Gate praised chokecherry's "blend of white-hot shoegaze," calling it "the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog." Clark and Levinson may not have worked out on the romantic front, but the pair are clearly musical soulmates and it's beautiful thing to witness and hear.

Today, the band shares the visualizer for the title track. Watch it below.

The track marks the final pre-release single from the EP. It's a powerful, cathartic track with an experimental, alt twist and takes influence from some unexpected sources. The accompanying video follows the story of a star that is burning out. It's the band's commentary on the destructive effect that celebrity culture can wreak on artists.
 
 "From the moment we started writing this song, it felt like a journey," the band says. "It began as a heavier shoegaze track, but when we took it into the studio with producer Zach Tuch, he pushed us to experiment with a trip-hop style beat in the verses. This creative choice took the song to a whole new level and gave it such a unique feeling. The format of 'Messy Star' and its departure from our usual method of only using live instruments broadened the feeling of the track and pushed it to a more experimental place. This track is our first incorporation of samples, playing on our shared love for artists like Massive Attack and Radiohead." 

Vocally, the song takes inspiration the likes of Mannequin Pussy and Lana Del Rey, with its mix of sultry coos and melodic yelling. 

The band continues, "The track still felt like a journey, but instead of simply a long drive now, it felt like crawling out from the underworld into heaven itself. The chorus breaks into an entirely new world than the one the verses occupy. It turns from strange trip hop grunge to a more classic heavy shoegaze track with angelic vocals."

Regarding the video, chokecherry explain, "It touches on themes of feeling seen and scrutinized, wanting things other people have (or even wanting to be someone else), and the desire to break away from stardom and the feeling of being watched and perceived. The 'supernova' lyric is a reference to musicians and stars 'burning out' like we have seen in contemporary celebrity culture."

They say it's better to burn out than fade away, but chokecherry thinks that there's something better than BOTH burning out and fading away. We just have to find out what, exactly, "that" is!

Chokecherry will capture the hearts of rock fans everywhere with songs that boast thick, '70s-inspired bass lines laden with strategically placed howls and hums. Their passionate, hypnotic delivery overflows and fills into every word, allowing vulnerability that listeners can truly attach to. If their Spotify streams —2.8 million global streams and counting — are any indication of how many music fans will dig what chokecherry are putting down, then it's time for 2024 to buckle the F up.

Fearless Signs chokecherry, Band Shares "Afterglow" Video

FEARLESS RECORDS is pleased to announce that it has signed San Francisco shoe gaze x grunge pop trio chokecherry — comprised of vocalist/guitarist Izzie Clark and bassist/vocalist E. Scarlett Levinson, along with drummer Abri Crocitto — to its global roster.
 
The group has been steadily building a buzz since meeting on dating app Hinge. The San Francisco Gate praised chokecherry's "blend of white-hot shoegaze," calling it "the modern sound of the California sun vaporizing the San Francisco fog," all the while accurately predicting that chokecherry are on the verge of blowing up.

Today, the band debuts its new single "Afterglow."

 Watch the video below

"Afterglow" is both an air-swept and grunge-soaked anthem flecked with snotty dissonance, showcasing just how special the band is. "Afterglow" was carefully selected as the first listen from chokecherry's forthcoming EP and the song is a masterclass in emotive songwriting — and is the instantly relatable result of a painful breakup.

The vintage vibes and dreamy soundscape suits this group of creatives so well, which is further championed by the song's magical music video directed by Breanna Lynn. Overall, the song is a journey in self-reflection, love lost, letting go, and moving forward. It also hints at the heavier influences that the band incorporates in the upcoming EP, the details of which will be revealed in due course.

"This song was born during a bad breakup that I absolutely brought on myself," says Clark. "Post-split, I was immediately swallowed by both mostly-truthful memories and highly exaggerated fantasies of the not-so-distant past. The first verses were written on a sobbing voice memo. When we came together as a band and expanded on the idea, we made a dream-pop-turned-grunge breakup anthem that really encapsulated the experience. We hope if people hear 'Afterglow' and relate to the pain, they'll find some comfort."

Levinson adds, "We did get back together after this track was written, but shockingly enough, we still didn't work out."

Clark and Levinson may not have worked on the romantic front, but the pair are musical soulmates and it's beautiful thing to hear and to witness and hear.

Chokecherry will capture the hearts of rock fans everywhere with songs that boast thick, 70s-inspired bass lines laden with strategically placed howls and hums. Their passionate, hypnotic delivery overflows and fills into every word, allowing vulnerability that listeners can truly attach to. If their Spotify streams —2.8 million global streams and counting — are any indication of how many music fans will dig what chokecherry are putting down, then it's time for 2024 to buckle the F up.