Echo park locals, Sankaran — Jasmine “Stankaran” Sankaran (guitar/vocals), Tristan “Trashbag” Starr (bass), Kevin “Nashcan” Nash (lead guitar), Avi “Mann Balls” Ballo (drums/mascot) — are rejuvenating the indie D.I.Y. ethos on their single “Interesting Times.”
Taken off their debut album which bears the same name, the track is a retrospective bite of the current climate of the world, yet somehow mends anxiety with its youthful candor. Set to be released March 15th, “Interesting Times” is premiering today on GUM, prior to the band’s release show at The Satellite, March 18th.
Sankaran (Courtesy of the artist)
Led by frontwoman Jasmine Sankaran’s bedroom-demo croon, the vulnerability of the track’s grit and college-rock splendor, relishes in its message by the first few lines: “Beauty pageants are inherently fascist / what woman needs more people judging who we are?” Meshed with distorted guitar twangs, the perspective that Sankaran portrays at first is slightly bleak, but not in the way that a listener might assume.
Sankaran’s worries are seen in a different light through pulsating jangle-pop and frank, ironic sentiments of “debating” with people you agree with — which can be reference to a social media enrapture that sadly walks over in real life. “It’s a song addressed to internet contrarians everywhere,” says Sankaran. “We need to stop adding fuel to the fire. I’d like to see people talk more about how issues affect their lives, how they concretely see and experience the political every day. This song is about exchanging outrage for vulnerability.”
Numerous tempo switches and dismantled structures are apparent on this track, breathing a lively take of social commentary, feminism, and an optimistic meeting in the middle, or as the track eloquently suggests, “maybe we can shoot the shit and cut through all the noise.”
While the song clearly holds the outrage and skids from an assortment of genres and raw productions, it holds the youthful twinkle of hope that is lost through adulthood. Captured from Sankaran’s history teacher, the track’s titular line holds this twinkle.
“Whenever things would start to feel overwhelming, he would tell us: there is a Chinese expression, ‘May you be cursed to live in interesting times.’ I Googled it and unfortunately the phrase is a misattribution, but it is nonetheless a poignant thought for the world we live in. Fascism, inequality, global warming– these are anxiety-inducing times. This song is about hanging onto what grounds us and seeing the bigger picture.”
“Interesting Times” will be available of all streaming services and stores March 15th.
Girl Underground Music 
Echo park locals, Sankaran — Jasmine “Stankaran” Sankaran (guitar/vocals), Tristan “Trashbag” Starr (bass), Kevin “Nashcan” Nash (lead guitar), Avi “Mann Balls” Ballo (drums/mascot) — are rejuvenating the indie D.I.Y. ethos on their single “Interesting Times.”
Taken off their debut album which bears the same name, the track is a retrospective bite of the current climate of the world, yet somehow mends anxiety with its youthful candor. Set to be released March 15th, “Interesting Times” is premiering today on GUM, prior to the band’s release show at The Satellite, March 18th.
Led by frontwoman Jasmine Sankaran’s bedroom-demo croon, the vulnerability of the track’s grit and college-rock splendor, relishes in its message by the first few lines: “Beauty pageants are inherently fascist / what woman needs more people judging who we are?” Meshed with distorted guitar twangs, the perspective that Sankaran portrays at first is slightly bleak, but not in the way that a listener might assume.
Sankaran’s worries are seen in a different light through pulsating jangle-pop and frank, ironic sentiments of “debating” with people you agree with — which can be reference to a social media enrapture that sadly walks over in real life. “It’s a song addressed to internet contrarians everywhere,” says Sankaran. “We need to stop adding fuel to the fire. I’d like to see people talk more about how issues affect their lives, how they concretely see and experience the political every day. This song is about exchanging outrage for vulnerability.”
Numerous tempo switches and dismantled structures are apparent on this track, breathing a lively take of social commentary, feminism, and an optimistic meeting in the middle, or as the track eloquently suggests, “maybe we can shoot the shit and cut through all the noise.”
While the song clearly holds the outrage and skids from an assortment of genres and raw productions, it holds the youthful twinkle of hope that is lost through adulthood. Captured from Sankaran’s history teacher, the track’s titular line holds this twinkle.
“Whenever things would start to feel overwhelming, he would tell us: there is a Chinese expression, ‘May you be cursed to live in interesting times.’ I Googled it and unfortunately the phrase is a misattribution, but it is nonetheless a poignant thought for the world we live in. Fascism, inequality, global warming– these are anxiety-inducing times. This song is about hanging onto what grounds us and seeing the bigger picture.”
“Interesting Times” will be available of all streaming services and stores March 15th.
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