Pinkshift have gained some serious momentum in the past few weeks, and they have no plans to slow down. A week after releasing their second single, “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you,” they’re back today with a music video that perfectly matches the track’s intense, unbridled fire, despite being filmed under the constraints of COVID-19. In fact, this video captures the emotional and aesthetic conditions of pandemic life, like a time capsule of our current moment. Listeners feel like they’ve stumbled into the band’s personal life only to find it familiar and reaffirming in the face of so much unknown.
Most of the visuals center on the individual band members as they perform their parts. Paul Vallejo, Myron Houngbedji, and Erich Weinroth jam through “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you” in empty or sparsely furnished rooms, masks on, while frontperson Ashrita Kumar belts vocals from an empty bathtub and a moving car. Throughout, the lyrics read across the bottom of the screen like subtitles—a genius move for an emerging act with a knack for catchy choruses to draw listeners in. Shot at increasingly off-kilter angles, the camera keeps viewers cycling through rooms, instruments, and faces until it all blurs into one surreal but cohesive image.
“I was actually kind of stressed in the days leading up to the video. We had nothing planned and only a day to film because Eric and Myron were coming from out of town. So the entire video was improvised day of, and Paul worked some editing magic to pull it all together.”
-Ashrita Kumar
The single itself will make a fan of anyone, but the most endearing moments of the video happen outside the song. The first thirteen seconds find Ashrita offscreen, filming Myron close up as she confirms how to work the camera. Viewers paying close attention will catch a reference to Bee Movie and an explanation of the band’s namesake (don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of this either). And anyone who has tried to hold band practice in a dense neighborhood will immediately recognize the conversation with a curious neighbor investigating the source of all that noise. Bringing their fans behind the scenes, letting them in on both the jokes and the challenges, Pinkshift makes viewers feel like an integral part of the band’s success.
If you like this video as much as I do, keep an eye out for Pinkshift’s debut EP, coming soon. In the meantime, listen to them on Spotify, BandCamp, Apple Music, and YouTube, and give them a follow on Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr.
