PINKSQUEEZE is a queer femme indie rock four piece from Chicago that bring community care and bubbly fun to stages in the windy city. PINKSQUEEZE shows have been described as “like being at a sleepover with friends you just haven’t met yet.” Their new song “Crybaby” is a romp through mental illness and being a bad friend — but, well, it’ll be okay in the end.
In our interview, the band discusses life on the road and building community while they’re away from the comforts of Chicago.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
The biggest songwriting tip I have is: when you have an idea you want to work with, write it down right away because it’s very easy to forget! I’ll jot it down in my notes app on my phone. Another one is to let your subconscious do some work for you- when you’ve got a melody in mind, just open your mouth and let words come out- it feels silly and you might have to do it for a while before something pops out that you like, but when I’m feeling stuck it really helps to just start singing something to spark new ideas.
How do you manage having a good time at shows, but also trying to stay mentally and physically fit?
For me (April) being on the road has pushed me into a lot more healthy habits in general in my life, because it takes a lot of effort to be healthy on the road! This past year I gave up drinking alcohol and that has probably been the biggest help in not getting absolutely worn down on the road. I also do some yoga sun salutations either in the morning or even when we stop at rest stops which is a huge help to get my whole body and mind feeling better. Also just being more mindful of food and eating as healthy as possible. Ava is good with advocating to get full 8 hour nights of sleep when possible- this is one of the biggest when it comes to mental and physical wellness on the road!
How are you using your platform to support marginalized people?
We take a moment in our set to speak about the people in Gaza and just let it be known that we are against the US funded genocide currently taking place against Palastinians. We also keep copies of a zine that was given to us earlier this year about supporting people in Gaza as a queer community in the US on our merch table for people to take. Of course, it feels like this is the bare minimum and we can and should be doing much more.
In the spring we toured with Jer, and were all so moved and inspired by the way they use the stage to stand up for what’s right, all while calling their audience “in” and fostering just a really amazing community. We all talk about how we would like to embody that more and I think in the future will be writing more songs that also speak to social justice. And, of course as a queer band, we really do just about everything we do with lifting up the queer community as our focus, and will continue to do so. We want our shows to be a fun and safe space for queer people and we also want to have our music be a healing resource for queer people and something to share perspective with people who aren’t queer but want to learn more.
Where are some places you’ve found joy within the country/Americana world?
We have had the really special opportunity to play at pride fests in some more rural areas, including both Logan and April’s hometowns. For both of us, getting to come home to a place that at times felt hostile towards us as queer youth and create a celebratory safe space for the current youth there means so much. And we find that these shows have some of the best energy with people just being excited to have us there and wanting us to come back year after year. It feels healing to us and hopefully healing to our home communities all at the same time.
Do you try to make the most of being in a city, or do you prefer to just rest up?
This really depends on how much time we have and if there’s something in particular we are interested in- if we have extra time we love to go see some local sights. We also really prioritize getting out in nature when possible for a short hike or swim, but have had a couple museum visits that have been very fun! We also really like stopping by the local record shops or vintage stores nearby the venues we are playing. We stay with friends whenever possible, so we also just enjoy spending time with our pals and loved ones in the cities we visit!
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