Music is something that is constantly evolving, and it's so important in this day and age to recognise and celebrate this change. For so long, musicians of colour have not received the credit and attention that they deserve for their huge impact in the industry. In light of this, here are some incredible artists of colour in the punk scene that I'd like to bring to your attention.
Pinkshift
Photo by Leigh Ann Rodgers
One of my current favorites as of now is Pinkshift. They are a Baltimore based punk band. Their members consist of vocalist Ashita Kumar, guitarist Paul Vallejo, drummer Myron Houngbedji, and bassist Erich Weinroth. They had planned to go on a short tour in March before the pandemic changed their plans, but with every negative there’s a positive. They gained a significant amount of popularity from their song i’m gonna tell my therapist on you and they are still continuing to grow. According to an article from SPIN, the band formed in 2018 at John Hopkins University. Vallejo had asked Kumar if she wanted to sing a rock cover of ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. They had never met before, but there was no harm in trying it out. After that, they would sit outside the university’s drum practice room and see if there was anyone worth asking to be in a band with them. That’s when they found Houngbedji playing Helena by My Chemical Romance. Still needing a bassist, they turned to a not-so-common approach; Tinder. And that's how they found their final member, Erich Weinroth. Not what you expected, was it?
Meet Me @ The Altar
Photo by Lindsey Byrnes
Meet Me @ The Altar, or MM@TA for short, is an upcoming soft-core pop-punk band. They are an all woman band fronted by vocalist Edith Johnson. In 2015, guitarist/bassist Téa Campbell and drummer Ada Juarez met through Youtube. Campbell has seen a cover Juarez did of a Twenty One Pilots song. At the time, they lived in different states (Florida and New Jersey) but despite that, they became good friends and decided to start a band. They had held online auditions for a singer and that's when Johnson auditioned with All I Wanted by Paramore. Although she didn't get the gig at first, she was still very supportive of the band. According to Campbell in a Rolling Stone interview, “She was literally texting me every day [asking]: ‘Are you guys looking for another singer?’” In 2017, Johnson was officially the singer and front woman of the band. Since then, they've came out with 6 singles, and in 2020, they got signed to record label Fueled By Ramen. Their first single of 2021 Hit Like A Girl recently came out as an anthem for Women’s History Month. Though the pandemic has slowed them down, they still have big hopes for this year. One of their hopes being to help more artists of colour gain a platform. In the same Rolling Stone interview Johnson said “When shows come back, venues need to book diverse bands. Pay attention to your scene — and make sure your show lineup is not just all white, straight cis men.”
The OBGMs
Photo by Amanda Fotes
The OBGMs are more of a hardcore band. They’re from Toronto, Canada and are fronted by vocalist and guitarist Densil McFarlane. Alongside him is drummer Colanthony Humphrey and bassist Joe Brosnan. When first starting out in 2007, McFarlane and Humphrey were originally a hip-hop production team. After McFarlane started to realize that wasn’t enough, he started working harder to do something bigger. He ended up working with Dave Schiffman, who was part of the band playing synth for a while and produced their first album. In 2017 they released their debut album but then dispensed with Schiffman because they wanted to shift their focus to making things that sounded heavier and sharper. Their most recent album The Ends is the definition of angst. Their vocals, fast punk-metal guitar riffs, and sharp beats are enough to make you want to go back to the time of eyeliner and studded belts. At the end of their most recent tour, McFarlane underwent a confidence crisis. In an interview with Louder, he speaks about this - “I was struggling with this thing that I’d spent well over a decade in. Working so hard but feeling that we weren’t going anywhere. And it’s tough. I went back into my bunker, and realised that I hated everything I’d ever written – every single song. I just questioned if I was good enough to be doing this.” Though they are still growing as a band, they hope to be the new leaders of the punk rock scene.
