Baltimore trio Pinkshift have at last announced their debut album: Love Me Forever is out on October 21st via Hopeless Records, and to accompany the news, the punk band have shared the single “i’m not crying, you’re crying.”
Recorded with punk rock studio vet Will Yip (Turnstile, Mannequin Pussy, The Wonder Years), Love Me Forever is billed as a “no-holds-barred reflection of the state of the world today.” Through fiery riffs, pointed lyrics, and the infectious spunk of lead singer Ashrita Kumar, Pinkshift make music that demands to be heard — but, perhaps most importantly, they’re creating a space where fellow people of color in the scene might be inspired to do the same. Pre-orders for physical copies of Love Me Forever are ongoing.
“i’m not crying, you’re crying” is a playful, adrenaline-fueled zinger about the embarrassment that inevitably comes with wearing your heart on your sleeve, and the perceived need to suck it up: “I’m so sorry that you’re seeing me this way/I promise you I’m never like this,” Kumar bellows in the opening lines, their vocals brimming with the attitude-filled lucidity of Paramore’s Hayley Williams. “So what if i sat with you and told you what I’ve been going through?”
“‘crying’ is the one song on the record that I didn’t start with a particular direction, just raw and unfiltered emotion,” Kumar writes in a press release. “As the first song on Love Me Forever, it kicks the record off with a panicked denial — an immediately attacking response to the question of “are you okay?” untrusting and doubtful of the intent and sincerity of that question.” Grab a tissue and listen to Pinkshift’s “i’m not crying, you’re crying” below. After the jump, see the artwork and tracklist for Love Me Forever.
Pinkshift are fresh off a tour serving as an opening act for their fellow punks in PUP. Love Me Forever — which also includes the single “nothing (in my head)” — follows the trio’s 2021 EP Saccharine.
Love Me Forever Artwork:
Love Me Forever Tracklist:
01. i’m not crying, you’re crying
02. nothing (in my head)
03. GET OUT
04. cherry (we’re all gonna die)
05. the kids aren’t alright
06. Trust Fall
07. in a breath
08. Cinderella
09. BURN THE WITCH
10. Love Me Forever
11. let me drown
12. Dreamer
