Pinkshift's Music Video for “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you” Is an Ode to Socially Distant Rocking
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It’s no secret that 2020 has been miserable. Throughout the year, music has remained a consistent escape and (often singular) ray of hope in the face of the crushing bleakness that is reality.
Not to sound too coldhearted or depressing, but when numbness is your default mode of operation, I’ve found music to be the one thing that can break me out of that every time. Whether it’s being jolted awake by the madness of the 100 gecs remix album, finding solace in the spaced-out relaxation on Texas Sun, or the feeling of excitement that comes with discovering a new band that becomes your next obsession.
While everyone is struggling (and coping) with the new realities of our world in different ways, musical artists have been hit particularly hard. Album releases have been disrupted, touring music has ceased entirely, and the tenuous relationship between artist and streaming services has grown even more strained. Everything from dropping a song to selling merch has been upended, but musicians are nothing if not resourceful.
Bands have turned to direct lines of support in order to maintain their lives and passion. Artists have turned to Patreon, livestreaming, and Bandcamp to sustain themselves both creatively and financially. It’s making the best of a bad thing, and that’s an admirable thing considering we’re looking at a world where concerts might not return till late 2021 if we’re lucky.
In the face of quarantine, artists have found creative workarounds for these restrictions; Charli XCX created a whole album in quarantine about quarantine with the help of her fans. Ratboys have scrapped their 2020 tour plans in favor of a “virtual tour” playing places like Stonehenge, Niagra Falls, and the Moon.
The latest in this line of quarantined creativity comes in the form of Pinkshift. This Baltimore-based punk group combines the snarled vocals of Destroy Boys with the driving instrumental bite of mid-2000’s power pop groups like Damone. Last week the band released “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you,” a catchy, three-minute punk cut that grapples with the assholes in your life and the asshole in the back of your head.
Today the group dropped the video for “therapist,” and it fits the song perfectly. Filmed in their cars, homes, bathrooms, and nearby open fields, the music video is a socially-distant take on rocking, showcasing each band member fully-committing to shredding even if it means wearing a mask and keeping six feet away from each other. It’s a brilliant document of music in 2020 and a testament to the resilience of DIY bands. Because if music really is your calling and your one true outlet, you’ll always find a way to make it work, even when the world is ending.
